''Leptinotarsa'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

leaf beetle The insects of the beetle family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles, and include over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making up one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle ...

s. Several species in the genus produce leptinotarsin, a

toxin A toxin is a naturally occurring organic poison produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. Toxins occur especially as a protein or conjugated protein. The term toxin was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849– ...

similar to the diamphotoxin produced by species of the African leaf beetle genus '' Diamphidia''. Some ''Leptinotarsa'' species are parasitised by

ground beetle Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan family (biology), family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe. As of 2015, it i ...

s of genus '' Lebia''. Colorado potato beetle larva (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)

Species

*'' Leptinotarsa behrensi'' Harold, 1877 *'' Leptinotarsa collinsi'' Wilcox, 1972 *''

Leptinotarsa decemlineata The Colorado potato beetle (''Leptinotarsa decemlineata''), also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle, or the potato bug, is a major pest of potato crops. It is about long, with a bright yellow/o ...

'' Say, 1824 (Colorado potato beetle) *'' Leptinotarsa defecta'' Stål, 1859 *'' Leptinotarsa dellacasai'' Daccordi & Zoia, 2017 *'' Leptinotarsa gilberti'' Daccordi & Zoia, 2017 *'' Leptinotarsa haldemani'' Rogers, 1856 *'' Leptinotarsa heydeni'' *'' Leptinotarsa juncta'' (Germar, 1824) (false potato beetle) *'' Leptinotarsa lineolata'' Stål, 1863 *'' Leptinotarsa mariachia'' Daccordi & Zoia, 2017 *'' Leptinotarsa peninsularis'' Horn, 1894 *'' Leptinotarsa rubiginosa'' Rogers, 1856 *'' Leptinotarsa texana'' *'' Leptinotarsa tlascalana'' Stål, 1858 *'' Leptinotarsa tumamoca'' Tower, 1918 *'' Leptinotarsa typographica'' *'' Leptinotarsa undecimlineata''

References

External links

''Leptinotarsa''
at the

Encyclopedia of Life The ''Encyclopedia of Life'' (''EOL'') is a free, online encyclopedia intended to document all of the 1.9 million living species known to science. It is compiled from existing trusted databases curated by experts and with the assistance of non ...

. Retrieved 4 July 2013. Chrysomelinae Poisonous animals Taxa named by Louis Alexandre Auguste Chevrolat Chrysomelidae genera {{Chrysomelinae-stub