''Neochlamisus platani'' is a species in the leaf beetle genus ''

Neochlamisus ''Neochlamisus'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the tribe Fulcidacini (the warty leaf beetles). They are members of the case-bearing leaf beetle group, the Camptosomata. Measuring 3–4 millimeters in length as adults, they are cryptic, superfi ...

''. This beetle feeds, mates, and oviposits on their host plant

American sycamore ''Platanus occidentalis'', also known as American sycamore, American planetree, western plane, occidental plane, buttonwood, and water beech, is a species of ''Platanus'' native to the eastern and central United States, the mountains of northeas ...

(''Platanus occidentalis''), where it prefers young trees. Its common name is the sycamore leaf beetle for this reason. The adult beetle is bronze to brown in color and about 3.5 to 4 millimeters in length. Its

exoskeleton An exoskeleton (from Greek ''éxō'' "outer" and ''skeletós'' "skeleton") is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) in for example, a human. In usage, some of the ...

is rough and bumpy, helping it to camouflage as a piece of bark or droppings. Both adults and larvae feed upon the foliage of the sycamore. Heavy infestations can begin to reduce the foliage mass of a tree, damaging its aesthetic value as an ornamental.

References

External links

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A study of ''N. platani''
Cryptocephalinae Beetles described in 1952 {{Cryptocephalinae-stub