top of page

Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Coptocycla - Tortoise Beetles
Coptocycla (Genus)

-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

-Tortoise Beetle (Genus Coptocycla)


Coptocycla is a genus of beetles within the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as Tortoise Beetles. This group of beetles is characterized by their distinctive, rounded, and often dome-shaped appearance, resembling a tortoise shell. Adults primarily feed on the leaves of various plants, often preferring species within the Asteraceae and Fabaceae families.

Diet

  • Adults: Feed primarily on leaves, with many species associated with plants in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae) and related host plants.

  • Larvae: Feed on the leaves of their host plants, often remaining on the undersides of foliage.

  • Depending on the species, hosts may include Ipomoea and other herbaceous vines.

Range

  • The genus Coptocycla is distributed throughout the Americas, particularly in Central and South America, with species extending north into Mexico.

  • Numerous species occur in Mexico, including tropical regions of the Pacific coast and Guerrero.

  • Greatest diversity occurs in tropical and subtropical habitats.

Habitat

  • Found in tropical dry forests, tropical rainforests, woodland edges, secondary forests, scrublands, grasslands, gardens, and agricultural areas.

  • Adults and larvae are closely associated with their host plants and are usually found directly on foliage.

  • Many species favour warm, sunny forest edges and disturbed vegetation.

Size

  • Adult length: approximately 4–8 mm (0.16–0.3 in).

  • Body broadly oval and flattened, with expanded margins of the pronotum and elytra that give the characteristic tortoise-like profile.

bottom of page