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Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2002 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Leaf beetles are among the most agriculturally important insects to the US. Many are serious pests feeding on crops and destroying valuable plants; others are important biological control agents that can be used to control noxious weeds. Among leaf beetles associated with aquatic habitats is a flea beetle (Agasicles hydrophila), a biological control agent effectively used to control a serious alligator weed in North America. This work provides a key to genera and a list of species of aquatic leaf beetles known to occur in China accompanied with data on the general distribution and host plants. It also illustrates morphological features of these beetles important for their identification. This study will be useful to biological control workers, taxonomists, ecologists, and anyone interested in identifying phytophagous beetles. Technical Abstract: An overview of the fauna of aquatic leaf beetles of China is provided. A key to genera and a list of species of this fauna are presented. The list of species contains relevant taxonomic and distributional data followed by the known host plants. Expansion of an original range of Agasicles hydrophila is reported. |
