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POT BEETLES

CHRYSOMELIDAE: CRYPTOCEPHALINAE

T

he Cryptocephalinae are a medium-sized

group of leaf beetles found in a wide range of

environments throughout the world, but are most

successful in dry, arid habitats such as maquis,

garrigue, chaparral, cerrado, and semidesert.

The scientific name means “hidden head,” because

the head of the adult is retracted beneath the

pronotum and not very visible from above. They

earn the common name pot beetles because the

larvae build themselves a case out of their own

subfamily

Cryptocephalinae

known species

5,000

distribution

Worldwide except Antarctica

habitat

Usually dry environments, such as plains,

scrub, and semidesert. Some species occur

in tropical forests

size

1–12 mm

diet

Larvae feed on general detritus in the leaf

litter or upper soil layer, sometimes in the

nests of ants. Adults are usually host-specific

on one or several genera of plants

notes

Since most Cryptocephalinae are associated

with warm, dry environments, species that

occur farther north can be quite rare and