Rhabdopterus is a genus of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) belonging to the diverse subfamily Eumolpinae, with roughly 70 described species distributed across North and South America. Both the adults and their subterranean larvae are strictly phytophagous, feeding voraciously on tender plant tissue, young leaves, and fresh shoots. While a few notorious species within this genus are classified as significant agricultural pests due to the damage they cause to crops, in the wild they are a natural part of the forest canopy. I crossed paths with this glassy-winged beauty while exploring the “La Perla” Protected Forest in La Concordia, located in Santo Domingo province of Ecuador. This remarkable reserve is managed by a dedicated foundation striving to preserve one of the very last remaining pockets of the original coastal rainforest that once covered the entire western shoreline of Ecuador.