''Eurypepla calochroma'', commonly known as the Geiger tortoise beetle, is a species of tortoise beetle. It is found in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, Central

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. This specific beetle only feeds on the Geiger tree ( ''Cordia sebastena'') throughout all of its life stages.

Description

The Geiger tortoise beetle is a small (about one centimeter) long beetle. The biology has been describedChaboo, C.S. 2004. Natural history observations in Eurypepla calochroma Blake (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Physonotini). The Coleopterists Bulletin 58(1):142–143.

Larvae A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

are small, brown, slimy, and worm like and have an accumulation of feces on the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

Pupae A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

are shell-like, and when the adult emerges from the pupal stage they come out as a round-shaped beetle that is overall yellowish. But, as adults mature, they become a bright iridescent green color. Mature adults can change color from their normal green color to blues, purples, yellows, and browns based on light levels.

Habitat and distribution

This beetle can be found in

Southern Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...

from Palm Beach to Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, in

the Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

and smaller

islands, Central America. They live in areas where Geiger Trees (''Cordia sebastena'') are found, such as open

woodlands Woodlands may back refer to: * Woodland, a low-density forest Geography Australia * Woodlands, New South Wales * Woodlands, Ashgrove, Queensland, a heritage-listed house associated with John Henry Pepper * Woodlands, Marburg, Queensland, a her ...

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

, and even gardens.

Behavior

Behavior in Larvae

Larvae face their fecal shield up at potential predators to deter them and to use them as an umbrella to protect their fragile bodies. Larvae eat the leaves, fruit, and flowers of the Geiger tree.

Behavior in Adults

Adults eat the leaves, fruit, and flowers of the Geiger tree. Adults live on and crawl around these trees and often fly from tree to tree. They often hide and sleep under the leaves, for that is where their green color camouflages into the best. Some strange behaviors have been noted and studied by researchers at

Florida Atlantic University High School Florida Atlantic University High School (FAU High School) is a public, laboratory, dual-enrollment high school located on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University. It is the only high school in the United States to offer full-time du ...

. To startle predators who are trying to consume beetles, they will vibrate their heads up and down against a neck collar at high frequencies that make buzzing noises.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q85759878 Cassidinae Beetles of the United States Beetles described in 1965