Paropsine BeetleParopsis maculata Paropsis porosa Paropsis sospita

One of the many species of Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), found along the east coast of Australia. The Leaf Beetle pictured here

Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers
Leaf Beetles (Paropsis sospita), Southwest QLD © Dianne Bickers

Some of the Paropsis genus display bright colours and patterns on the flamboyant scale, whilst other have a colour and pattern palette that appear to mimic leaf galls, and most likely aid them in camouflage against the foliage and trees that they are found on.

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Subclass: Pterygota
  • Order: Coleoptera
  • Suborder: Polyphaga
  • Infraorder: Cucujiformia
  • Superfamily: Chrysomeloidea
  • Family: Chrysomelidae
  • Subfamily: Chrysomelinae
  • Tribe: Gonioctenini
  • Subtribe: Paropsina
  • Genus: Paropsis
  • Species: Paropsis sospita

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs © Dianne Bickers, Nature Photos from My Garden, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086275255680
  2. Genus Paropsis, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/201883-Paropsis
  3. Paropsis sospita, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/776547-Paropsis-sospita
  4. A Study of Genus Paropsis Leaf Beetles, Martin Lagerwey (B.Sc. App.Biol.), https://sites.google.com/site/paropsispages/home

Paropsine BeetleParopsis maculata Paropsis porosa Paropsis sospita

ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae Carphurus Cerambycidae Chalcopteroides (Chalcopterus Beetle) Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles) Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Hydrophilus Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Lycidae Neospades sp Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Phorticosomus sp Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhipiceridae Scarabaeidae Tenebrionidae Xylophilostenus octophyllus

InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub