Blepharida rhois

Blepharida rhois
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Chrysomelidae
Genus:	Blepharida
Species:	B. rhois
Binomial name
Blepharida rhois (Forster, 1771)

The sumac flea beetle, Blepharida rhois, is most commonly found in North America and is a member of the herbivorous beetle family, Chrysomelidae.^[1] More specifically, this beetle is part of the Alticinae subfamily, a highly diverse subfamily that includes more than 1000 species in 550 genera. Members of the Chrysomelidae family are distinguished by their enlarged metafemora and their ability to jump up to 100 times their length. This gives the beetle the ability to catapult jump in order to escape approaching predators.^[2] This ability has led to the common name of “flea beetle.”^[3] Both larvae and adults are typically a quarter of an inch long. While adults are cream colored with irregular reddish patterns, larvae are typically gray with yellow stripes.^[4]

This beetle primarily feeds on the external surface of Rhus leaves. Through this diet, larvae are able to digest useful chemical compounds that can be used as a form of chemical defense against predators. This defense system is contained in a fecal shield, a key characteristic of this beetle’s larvae. Because Rhus plants are necessary for the production of this chemical defense system, B. rhois’ geographic distribution often correlates with the presence of Rhus plants.^[5]