Green Potato Beetle
Leptinotarsa haldemani
Observed in Florida Canyon, Sta. Rita Mountains, Arizona, USA. 31 July 2013.
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Many leaf beetles have very colorful elytra, the hardened first pair of wings that protect the soft body and the folded up flight wings. Several plants belonging to the potato family, Solanaceae, are commonly encountered in the sycamore woodlands of southeastern Arizona. These plants are the hosts for a number of insects that may also appear on cultivated potatoes. The green potato beetle is one of the more spectacular species. Blue and purple specimens can also be found, often in the same area.