Acalymma | |
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Striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Family: | Chrysomelidae |
Subfamily: | Galerucinae |
Tribe: | Luperini |
Genus: |
Acalymma Barber, 1947 |
Acalymma is a genus of leaf beetles found mainly in the New World. Approximately 72 species have been described in the Western Hemisphere.
In the United States, two species are major pests of cucurbits, the striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum), which is mainly found east of the Mississippi River, and Acalymma trivittatum which is mostly found west of the Mississippi. Adults feed on young leaves, and larvae can damage roots.A. vittatum vectors bacterial wilt Erwinia tracheiphila Holland (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) to the plants as it pierces plant stems to suck juices.