Diet

• Adults: Primarily herbivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers and tender plant tissues. Host plants vary among species, and many species have fairly specific plant associations.

• Larvae: Develop in a protective case, feeding on plant material and organic debris while moving through leaf litter and low vegetation.

Range

• Pachybrachis is a diverse genus of case-bearing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae.

• The genus occurs throughout Mexico and much of the Americas, with especially high diversity in warm and subtropical environments.

• Around Zihuatanejo, Pachybrachis beetles are occasional, although individual species may be locally common where their preferred host plants occur. Their small size means they are easily overlooked.

Habitat

• Found in tropical dry forest, tropical deciduous forest, woodland, scrub, forest edges, grasslands, gardens and secondary vegetation.

• Around Zihuatanejo, look closely at shrubs, low trees and herbaceous vegetation, particularly plants growing along sunny forest edges and clearings.

• Adults may also be attracted to lights at night, making illuminated walls and windows useful places to check. Pachybrachis can be an important component of the leaf-beetle community in tropical dry forest.

Size

• Adult length: approximately 2.5–6 mm (0.10–0.24 in), depending on species.

• Body generally short, compact and somewhat cylindrical, with relatively long, thread-like antennae.

• Colouration is highly variable and can include brown, black, cream, yellow, reddish and metallic markings.

• Many species have intricate lines, spots or mottled patterns on the elytra, giving rise to the common name scriptured leaf beetles.