Toowoomba Field Naturalists: Lamprolina, a genus of Leaf Beetles in the Chrysomelidae family

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Lamprolina, a genus of Leaf Beetles in the Chrysomelidae family - by Glenda Walter

Although this insect season had a late start, I’ve been able to find quite a few leaf beetles on my walks around local parks. Some of these are brightly coloured to warn predators that they are inedible, but others with dull colours rely on not being noticed.

The common name of the Lamprolina genus is “Pittosporum beetles”, most feeding on plants belonging to the Pittosporaceae family including Pittosporum and Bursaria. At first glance many beetles in the Lamprolina genus look the same, but they can be differentiated by the black patterns on the pronotum and head. As I have only been able to identify L. impressicollis, I can’t say for certain that the spot and patch patterns are identifiers for separate species or if there are just local variations on one or more species. The fact that they are found on different food plants may indicate that those in the images below belong to at least several species. Experts on iNaturalist website including Martin Lagerwey, an acknowledged Leaf Beetle expert, are unable to help.

Members of the Lamprolina genus are said to be found in the East and North of Australia. As in many insect families, the taxonomy is in need of revision.

The colour of the elytra (wing covers) varies between dark blue, dark purple and very dark green, and head/ pronotum are shades of crimson to orange and yellow. The pronotum was differently shaped in some, and the beetles also varied in size.

Here is a list of those I have found in South East Queensland:

· Lamprolina impressicollis, with no spot or patch markings, was seen at Bellthorpe and at Stanthorpe.

· Species A – black patches on front of pronotum and back of head - Hartmann Reserve, Rogers Reserve and Withcott.

· Species B – two black spots on pronotum and large patch on head - Federation Park.

· Species C – large black patch on noticeably bright crimson pronotum, and none on head - Peacehaven.

· Species D – black patch at rear of head - Crows Nest National Park.

· Species E – blue elytra and yellow pronotum with grey marks - Lake Broadwater.

· The larva of an unknown Lamprolina species- Rogers Reserve.

Chris Reid in his paper A taxonomic revision of the Australian Chrysomelinae, with a key to the genera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), published in 2006, says that there are 14 described species in the Lamprolina genus. (This number may have changed since 2006, and there may be undescribed species as well.)

Article and photos by Glenda Walter, April 2020