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Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Two-banded Tortoise Beetle
Agroiconota bivittata

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Beetles (Order Coleoptera​​)

-​Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf, and Snout Beetles (Suborder Polyphaga)

-​Cucujiform Beetles (Infraorder Cucujiformia)

-Leaf Beetles and Allies (Superfamily Chrysomeloidea)

-Leaf Beetles Family (Chrysomelidae)

-Tortoise and Hispine Beetles (Subfamily Cassidinae)

-Tribe Cassidini​

-Genus Agroiconota

-Agroiconota bivittata


The Agroiconota bivittata, also known as the striped tortoise beetle features a striking appearance with two prominent yellowish or pale stripes running down its predominantly black or dark brown body. Its round, domed shell resembles that of a tortoise, which helps shield it from predators. The beetle is an herbivore, feeding on the leaves of various plants. Both larvae and adults are typically leaf-feeders, creating small holes or skeletonizing parts of the leaf.

Diet

  • Larvae: Feed on the leaves of plants in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae), including wild morning glories (Ipomoea spp.) and related vines.

  • Adults: Feed on the leaves of the same host plants, creating small holes or scraped patches in the foliage.

Range

  • Native to Mexico and Central America.

  • In Mexico, it occurs in tropical and subtropical regions, including the Pacific coast of Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Its range extends south through Central America into parts of northern South America.

Habitat

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, woodland edges, secondary forests, coastal scrub, gardens, agricultural areas, and disturbed habitats where host vines are present.

  • Adults are commonly found on the leaves of morning glory vines and other members of the Convolvulaceae.

  • Larvae develop entirely on their host plants.

Size

  • Adult length: 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in)

  • Body broadly oval and shield-shaped, with the expanded margins of the pronotum and wing covers typical of tortoise beetles.

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