{"id":5859,"date":"2025-08-05T11:35:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T11:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pawel.stefanoff.pl\/bugs\/?p=5859"},"modified":"2026-08-23T11:03:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T11:03:56","slug":"2025-08-lactina-flea-beetle-of-la-perla-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pawel.stefanoff.pl\/bugs\/posts\/2025-08-lactina-flea-beetle-of-la-perla-en\/","title":{"rendered":"La Perla encounters: Capturing a Lactina flea beetle before it jumped"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Lactina<\/em> is a rare Neotropical genus of flea beetles (<em>Chrysomelidae<\/em>: <em>Alticini<\/em>) established in 1875 by German entomologist Edgar von Harold. Distributed across Central and South America, these small beetles have documented feeding associations with plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). True to their flea beetle heritage, they possess hyper-developed hind legs powered by an internal spring mechanism, allowing them to instantly launch themselves into the air at the first sign of danger. I crossed paths with this beautiful, metallic flea beetle in the La Perla protected forest on the Ecuadorian coast. Luckily, I managed to capture a single crisp frame right before it triggered its ejection seat!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lactina is a rare Neotropical genus of flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticini) established in 1875 by German entomologist Edgar von Harold. 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