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Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Cryptocephalus irroratus
Cryptocephalus irroratus

-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)​​

-Case-bearing Leaf Beetles (Subfamily Cryptocephalinae)

-Tribe Cryptocephalini

-Subtribe Cryptocephalina

-Genus Cryptocephalus

-Cryptocephalus irroratus


Cryptocephalus irroratus is a Case-bearing Leaf Beetle species belonging to the family Chrysomelidae. Adults primarily feed on the leaves of plants, particularly those in the Asteraceae family, such as daisies and sunflowers. Their feeding can cause noticeable damage, including leaf holes and defoliation.

Diet

  • Adults: Feed primarily on leaves, flowers, and pollen of their host plants.

  • Larvae: Develop in a portable case and feed on decaying plant material, fungi, and organic debris associated with leaf litter.

  • Host-plant associations can vary geographically and are not well documented for all populations.

Range

  • Cryptocephalus irroratus is a New World species, occurring in Mexico and Central America.

  • In Mexico, it has been recorded from tropical and subtropical regions, including the Pacific slope and Guerrero.

  • Its distribution is associated primarily with warm forest and woodland habitats.

Habitat

  • Found in tropical dry forests, tropical deciduous forests, woodland edges, secondary vegetation, scrublands, and open forest clearings.

  • Adults occur on foliage and flowers, while larvae develop among leaf litter and plant debris.

  • Often associated with sunny vegetation at forest edges.

Size

  • Adult length: approximately 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in).

  • Body compact and cylindrical to oval, with the dark, irregularly spotted or "sprinkled" appearance suggested by the species name irroratus.

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