Nature’s lace makers: The intricate world of the skeletonizing leaf beetle

This skeletonizing leaf beetle (Paratriarius adonis) belongs to the family of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and is primarily found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. They earn their common name because both adults and larvae consume the softer tissues of plant leaves, leaving behind a delicate, lacelike network of tough veins. The adults’ bright, contrasting coloration serves as aposematic “warning coloration” to deter predators. While adults are conspicuous foliage feeders, the larvae of many related leaf beetles often feed hidden on the undersides of leaves or safely underground on plant roots. I encountered this handsome beetle in the protected forest of “La Perla,” located in the Santo Domingo province of Ecuador.

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