Leaf beetle (Pachnephorus)

This beetle is a very small but beautiful insect hidden in nature. It is mainly known as 'Leaf beetle' or leaf-eating insect to nature lovers and macro photographers. In English, it is often called Pachnephorus beetle by its genus name. It easily catches everyone's attention because of the beautiful metallic sheen or metallic color on its small body.

​Scientific name:
According to the scientific classification, the genus name of this wonderful beetle is Pachnephorus. There are numerous species of them spread in different regions, such as Pachnephorus villosus or Pachnephorus bistriatus. The beetle that you see in your photos is basically a member of the Pachnephorus genus.
​Family and Genus
This beetle is a small member of the Arthropoda phylum and the Insecta class of the animal kingdom. They belong to the family Chrysomelidae under the order Coleoptera. Their subfamily is Eumolpinae and the tribe is Bromiini. The genus was first described by the scientist Chevrolat in 1836.
​Size and body structure
This beetle is very small in size, usually a few millimeters. Their body structure is quite elliptical. Their upper part of the head and dorsal wings or elytra are very hard and have a fine uneven texture. The golden-coppery-bronze metallic sheen that they see in the pictures is mainly due to the special structure of their body. Their six legs are quite strong and the antennae are somewhat long. This metallic body mainly serves as a defense mechanism for them, which can confuse predators by shining in the sunlight.

​Home and Habitat:
These insects of the genus Pachnephorus or leaf beetles are widely distributed across Africa, Asia and Europe. They are especially common in South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. They can be easily found basking in the sun on the young leaves of citrus or fruit trees in your garden or farm. A humid and warm environment is most suitable for their survival.

​Food:
As the name suggests, these beetles mainly prefer plant foods. Their main food is the young leaves and flower buds of various plants. They use their sharp jaws to make small round holes in the leaves of the plants and eat them. In some cases, they have a special weakness for certain plants, but they are generally dependent on various types of wild plants and agricultural crops.

​Reproduction:
Their reproduction process mainly revolves around the host plant or host plant. The adult beetles lay eggs on the leaves of the plants. The eggs hatch into small larvae, which, like their mothers, grow by feeding on the sap or tissue of the plant's leaves. When the larval stage is over, they enter the pupa stage in the soil or in a safe groove on the leaf. Finally, the full-fledged beetle emerges from there.

​Benefits:
It is difficult to find any direct benefits of these beetles in nature. However, as an integral part of the ecosystem, they serve as food for various types of birds, which helps to maintain the natural flow of food. In addition, many of their species also play a minor role in pollination.

​Disadvantages:
These beetles can be a bit of a headache for farmers. When they attack a tree in groups, they cause extensive damage to the leaves and reduce the vitality of the tree. If their prevalence is high in vegetable gardens or nurseries, the growth of the tree is hampered. The leaf-eating behavior disrupts photosynthesis in plants, ultimately reducing yields. Therefore, when their numbers in crop fields get out of control, farmers usually resort to biological or physical control methods.

I learned about them from various sites including iNaturalist, Wikipedia and Google.

(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.)
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Camera Used	Samsung SM-G973F
F-Stop	F2.4
ISO speed	ISO
Focal length	26mm
Flash	No
Editing app	Mix
Photography	(Pachnephorus)
Photographer	Hive account@mshbd
Location	Purulia, Natore, Bangladesh