Tortoise beetles and their host plants from Pune (Maharashtra State, India) and nearby places (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae)

Abstract

Pune and surrounding area is being surveyed specifically for 'leaf- eating' Cassidinae beetles for over 5 years. So far we have identified 37 different species belonging to 11 genera, two of these species have already been described as new to science. Genus Cassida (11) has maximum number of species and following that are genera like Aspidimorpha (7), Chiridopsis (6) and Laccoptera (5). Genus Notosacantha is represented by 2 species while genera like Epistictina, Craspedonta, Conchyloctenia, Capelocassis, Oocassida and Rhytidocassis are represented by only one species each. An attempt is also made to identify the host plant for most species and it appears that Convolvulaceae is the family selected by many Cassidinae around Pune. In addition record of host plants belonging to families like Bignoniaceae and Apocyanaceae and Rhizophoraceae are interesting.