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Dogbane beetle
A pair of dogbane beetles (Chrysochus auratus).
dogbane beetle
insect
Also known as: Chrysochus auratus
dogbane beetle, (Chrysochus auratus), species of leaf beetle native to eastern North America. It feeds on dogbane and milkweed plants and is toxic to other animals that ingest it.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Coleoptera
- Family: Chrysomelidae
- Subfamily: Eumolpinae
- Genus: Chrysochus
See also list of beetles.
The dogbane beetle is oval, convex, and between about 8 to 11 mm (less than 0.5 inch) in length. One of the most brightly colored members of its family, the insect is iridescent blue-green with a metallic copper, golden, or crimson shine. It is closely related to the cobalt milkweed beetle (Chrysochus cobaltinus)
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.

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