Aulacophora nigripennis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Aulacophora nigripennis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Genus: | Aulacophora |
| Species: | A. nigripennis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aulacophora nigripennis Motschulsky, 1857 | |
Aulacophora nigripennis is a species of leaf beetle in the genus Aulacophora.[1]
The beetle is relatively small with a hard, black exoskeleton containing faint yellowish dots around the sides. The head is a deep, bright orange, while A. nigripennis has a large orange compartmentalized thorax.[2][better source needed]
Feeding
A. nigripennis is a pest that feeds on species of the plant genera Dianthus and Trichosanthes by creating a circular "trench" using its mandibles. After circularly cutting through the leaf, the trench overflows with sticky phloem sap that, through cohesion, sticks to form a semicircle around the beetle. The beetle then sucks the sap using its mouth.[2][better source needed]