Cassidinae

The Cassidinae (tortoise and leaf-mining beetles) are a subfamily of the leaf beetles, or Chrysomelidae. The antennae arise close to each other and some members have the pronotal and elytral edges extended to the side and covering the legs so as to give them the common name of tortoise beetles. Some members, such as in the tribe Hispini, are notable for the spiny outgrowths to the pronotum and elytra.

Cassidinae
Platypria sp.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Infraorder:	Cucujiformia
Family:	Chrysomelidae
Subfamily:	Cassidinae Gyllenhal, 1813
Tribes
see text

The "cassidoids" have a rounded outline with the edges of the pronotum and elytra expanded, spreading out to cover the legs and head. They are often colourful and metallic, with ornate sculpturing; a few species have the ability to change the colour due to water movements within the translucent cuticle. All members of the subfamily have the mouthparts reduced into a cavity in the head capsule, the legs have four segmented tarsi. The hispoids generally have larvae that are leaf miners, while the cassidoids feed externally on the plant surfaces. Within cassidoids, the tortoise beetles are diagnosed by the larvae recycling their feces and cast exuviae into a discrete structure held on the caudal processes (or, urogomphi). Fecal shields are thought to provide protection (thermal, solar, wind, predators, parasites, parasitoids) and the experimental evidence are mixed.

A few species in two closely related tribes (Mesomphaliini and Eugenysini, putative sister taxa) show maternal care of larvae. These species can be viewed as subsocial or parasocial, with evidence pointing to there being two evolutionary origins of subsociality within this one lineage.

It includes both the former subfamily "Hispinae" (leaf-mining beetles), as well as the former more narrowly defined subfamily Cassidinae (familiar as tortoise beetles) which are now split into several tribes that include the tribe Cassidini, and in all include over 125 genera. The traditional separation of the two groups was based essentially on the habitats of the larvae and the general shapes of the adults. The name Cassidinae for the merged subfamily is considered to have priority.

The former grouping of "Hispinae" (sometimes called leaf-mining beetles, or "hispoids") included the tribes Alurnini, Anisoderini, Aproidini, Arescini, Bothryonopini, Callispini, Callohispini, Cephaloleiini, Chalepini, Coelaenomenoderini, Cryptonychini, Cubispini, Eurispini, Exothispini, Gonophorini, Hispini, Hispoleptini, Hybosispini, Leptispini, Oediopalpini, Oncocephalini, Promecothecini, Prosopodontini, Sceloenoplini and Spilophorini. Most members of these tribes are elongated, slightly flattened beetles with parallel margins, and antennal bases close together on their small heads. They often have punctate elytra and pronotum, sometimes with spines both on and along the edges. The former grouping of Cassidinae (sometimes called tortoise beetles, or "cassidoids") included the tribes Aspidimorphini, Basiprionotini, Cassidini, Delocraniini, Dorynotini, Eugenysini, Goniocheniini, Hemisphaerotini, Mesomphaliini, Notosacanthini, Omocerini and Physonotini.

BioLib currently (March 2024) includes the following tribes:

Aspidimorphini

Auth. Chapuis, 1875; genera:

1. Aspidimorpha Hope, 1840
2. Conchyloctenia Spaeth, 1902
3. Hybosinota Spaeth, 1909
4. Laccoptera Boheman, 1855
5. Mahatsinia Weise, 1910
6. Nilgiraspis Spaeth, 1932

Basiprionotini

Auth. Gressitt, 1952; genera:

1. Androya Spaeth, 1911
2. Basiprionota Chevrolat, 1837
3. Cassidopsis Fairmaire, 1899
4. Craspedonta Chevrolat, 1837
5. Epistictina Hincks, 1950
6. Megapyga Boheman, 1850
7. Metriopepla Fairmaire, 1882
8. Pseudandroya Spaeth, 1952

Cassidini Gyllenhal, 1813
Delocranini Spaeth, 1929
Dorynotini Monrós & Viana, 1949
Eugenysini Hincks, 1952
Goniocheniini Spaeth, 1942
Hemisphaerotini Monrós & Viana, 1951

Imatidiini

Auth. Hope, 1840 (= Cephaloleiini); genera:

Notosacanthini

Auth. Gressitt, 1952

1. Herminella Spaeth, 1913
2. Hermosacantha Borowiec & Świetojańska, 2014
3. Notosacantha Chevrolat, 1837

Omocerini Hincks, 1952
Physonotini Spaeth, 1942 = synonyms Ischyrosonychini and Physonotini
Spilophorini Chapuis, 1875 (= Oediopalpini)

Stolaini

Auth. Hincks, 1952

In addition, Borowiec et al. included:

Aproidini
Chalepini (= Uroplatini)
Cryptonychini
Cubispini

The subfamily names Cassidinae and Hispinae are both founded by Gyllenhal in the same 1813 book, but following the Principle of the First Reviser, Chen in this case, priority is given to the name Cassidinae.

•  
  Deloyala guttata, mottled tortoise beetle, showing typical shape and patches of metallic coloration
• Hispella testacea in copula (Hispini)
•  
  Leaf beetle Chalepus sanguinicollis, Grand Cayman
•  
  Blue and orange tortoise-beetle Stolas cf. conspersa from Brazil
•  
  Stolas lebasii, Panama
•  
  Stolas lebasii, Panama
•  
  Plagiometriona clavata
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  Charidotella sexpunctata, larva protected by fecal shield
•  
  Charidotella sexpunctata, adult

• List of Cassidinae genera

 

Wikispecies has information related to Cassidinae.

• Hispines of the world
• Photo atlas and interactive key to world Cassidinae