Genus Aulacophora

I found a small, brightly colored beetle that caught my attention. After I looked closely, it turned out that this insect came from the genus Aulacophora, a type of leaf beetle from the Chrysomelidae family.

The characteristic that is immediately visible is its small, bright orange body, with smooth and shiny elytra (hard wings). Some Aulacophora species also have black spotting patterns on their backs, but the individual I encountered looked plain without any markings. Its size is around 6–8 mm, quite small and agile in moving on the surface of the leaves.

This beetle appears to be eating the leaves of the pumpkin plant, which is one of its favorite host plants. The Aulacophora genus is known as a mild pest on several agricultural crops such as pumpkins, cucumbers and watermelons.

I took several photos from various angles, including when he chewed on the edge of a leaf. This is quite difficult because this beetle is easily startled and quickly hides behind leaves when approached. However, small moments like this always make exploring nature exciting and full of surprises.

NOTE: I first wrote the article above in Indonesian, which is my own language, then I translated it using English with the help of Goggle.