The calligrapha beetles are a genus belonging to the family of leaf beetles. They are covered with beautiful black markings that resemble calligraphy patterns, which give them their name.
Calligrapha Beetles
List of Species Belonging to this Genus
Russet Alder Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha alni)
Ontario Calligrapha (Calligrapha amator)
Side Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha pantherina)
Dogwood Calligrapha (Calligrapha philadelphica)
Moon-Marked Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha lunata)
Elm Calligrapha (Calligrapha scalaris)
Common Willow Calligrapha (Calligrapha multipunctata)
Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha pnirsa)
Globemallow Leaf Beetle (Calligrapha serpentina)
Calligrapha amelia
Calligrapha anabelae
Calligrapha ancoralis
Calligrapha alnicola
Calligrapha aeneopicta
Calligrapha aladina
Calligrapha androwi
Calligrapha apicalis
Calligrapha argus
Calligrapha barda
Calligrapha bidenticola
Calligrapha billbergi
Calligrapha californica
Calligrapha catarinae
Calligrapha cephalanthi
Calligrapha confluens
Calligrapha consputa
Calligrapha discrepans
Calligrapha dislocata
Calligrapha diversa
Calligrapha dolosa
Calligrapha elegantula
Calligrapha felina
Calligrapha femorata
Calligrapha floridana
Calligrapha fulvipes
Calligrapha fulvitarsis
Calligrapha geographica
Calligrapha gyllenhali
Calligrapha ignota
Calligrapha incisa
Calligrapha intermedia
Calligrapha knabi
Calligrapha labyrinthica
Calligrapha limbaticollis
Calligrapha matronalis
Calligrapha mexicana
Calligrapha multiguttata
Calligrapha multiplagata
Calligrapha multipustulata
Calligrapha notatipennis
Calligrapha ostryae
Calligrapha panzoensis
Calligrapha pavimentata
Calligrapha polyspila
Calligrapha praecelsis
Calligrapha pruni
Calligrapha ramulifera
Calligrapha rhoda
Calligrapha rowena
Calligrapha sallei
Calligrapha serpens
Calligrapha sigmoidea
Calligrapha simillima
Calligrapha spiraeae
Calligrapha stillatipennis
Calligrapha suboculata
Calligrapha suffriani
Calligrapha suturella
Calligrapha sylvia
Calligrapha synthesys
Calligrapha thermalis
Calligrapha tiliae
Calligrapha tortilis
Calligrapha verrucosa
Calligrapha vicina
Calligrapha vigintimaculata
Calligrapha virginea
Calligrapha wickhami
Calligrapha zapoteca
Calligrapha Beetle
Physical Description and Identification
Adult
Size:0.35-0.47 in (0.9-1.2 cm)
Color: These beetles have varied colors, including black, brown, ivory, orange, red, and yellow. Their elytrae are covered with a series of black markings in the form of curves, dashes, dots, and lines.
Other Characteristic Features: They are small and round and are capable of flight.
Calligrapha
Larva
The larva goes through four instars.
Calligrapha Beetle Larva
Pupa
After feeding, they pupate on the soil or in a leaf litter.
Egg
The eggs are laid in a batch on the undercol3 of the leaves of the host plant.
Quick Facts
Lifespan
10-14 days
Distribution
Central and South America
Habitat
Temperate forests
Predators
Bugs, earwigs, lacewing larvae, and some predatory ground beetles
Seasons active
Year-round
Host Plants
Cheeseweed, copper globemallow, nightshades
Diet of adults
Leaves of certain plants
Calligrapha Beetle Picture
Identifying the Damage Caused by Them
Like other leaf beetles, these beetles can defoliate small plants. While older plants can recover, younger plants may need a little help to survive an attack by these beetles.
Calligrapha Beetle Image
Did You Know
French entomologist Louis Alexandre Auguste Chevrolat first coined this genus in 1836.
