casebearing leaf beetle
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Coleoptera
- Family: Chrysomelidae
- Subfamilies: Cryptocephalinae and Lamprosomatinae
See also list of beetles.
casebearing leaf beetle, (subfamily Cryptocephalinae and Lamprosomatinae), any member of two small groups of leaf beetles known for the distinctive cases of the larvae. As she lays her eggs, the female covers each one with a layer of excrement. After the larvae hatch, they retain this covering (case) as camouflage and add to it throughout their larval life. When disturbed, the larvae pull in their legs and, because of their color and shape, resemble droppings and are ignored by predators. The European species Clythra quadripunicata and the North American Coscinoptera dominicana live in ant nests and feed on plant debris.
(Read Britannica’s Insects That Wear Things)
The poop podA casebearing leaf beetle larva toting a protective case formed of its mother's excrement and reinforced with its own.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
Citation Information
Article Title:
casebearing leaf beetle
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
21 October 2025
Access Date:
November 14, 2026