# Shiny Flea Beetle (*asphaera lustrans*) The Shiny Flea Beetle (Asphaera lustrans) is a small, brilliantly colored member of the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae. Renowned for its dazzling metallic coloration and remarkable jumping ability, this tiny insect is a captivating find for nature enthusiasts. These beetles are primarily found in warm, subtropical regions, where they can be observed clinging to the foliage of their favorite host plants. Despite their diminutive size, Shiny Flea Beetles play an active role in their local ecosystems as specialized herbivores, feeding on leaves to help regulate plant growth while serving as a vital food source for a variety of insectivorous birds, spiders, and predatory insects. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Typically found in subtropical scrublands, forest edges, and fields, particularly where host plants in the verbena or mint families are abundant. ![Shiny Flea Beetle](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/376838053/medium.jpg) Photo: Dan Johnson, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/376838053) ## Appearance The Shiny Flea Beetle is characterized by its striking, high-contrast coloration, featuring a bright orange-red pronotum and head that contrasts sharply with its deep, metallic blue or greenish-black elytra. Its body is highly convex and oval, typically measuring around 1 centimeter in length. Like other flea beetles, it possesses noticeably enlarged, muscular hind thighs adapted for leaping, and its antennae are long, dark, and highly active. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Chrysomelidae - **Genus:** Asphaera ## Interesting facts - Despite their name, flea beetles are true beetles and are not closely related to actual fleas; they only share the incredible jumping mechanism. - The feeding damage they leave on leaves is often called 'shothole' damage because it looks like the plant was hit by tiny pellets. - Their bright, metallic colors do not come from pigments, but from microscopic structures in their exoskeleton that refract light. - Their jumping power comes from a tiny, spring-like structure in their hind legs called the metafemoral spring, which releases energy instantly. ## Special abilities - **Flea-Like Leaping:** Equipped with highly enlarged hind femora containing a spring-like mechanism, this beetle can launch itself many times its body length into the air to instantly escape predators. - **Reflective Aposematism:** The brilliant metallic blue and orange coloration serves as warning coloration to visually hunting predators, signaling that they may be unpalatable. - **Chemical Defense:** When threatened or seized, the beetle can reflexively bleed or exude noxious chemicals from its joints to deter ants and small predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 1 cm - **Wingspan:** 1-2 cm - **Weight:** 0.00001-0.00003 kg - **Lifespan:** 1 years - **Clutch Size:** 20-100 - **Incubation:** 7-14 days ## Diet & Feeding Feeds almost exclusively on the leaves of specific host plants, particularly within the Verbenaceae and Lamiaceae families, chewing small, characteristic holes in the foliage. - **Age differences:** Larvae feed underground on the roots of host plants, whereas adults feed aerially on the foliage. - **Primary Foods:** Lantana leaves, Verbena foliage, Wild sage leaves - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Host plant:** [Common Lantana](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-lantana) (*Lantana camara*) — Adult beetles feed on the leaves, while larvae feed on the roots of this plant. - **Eaten by:** Green Lynx Spider (*Peucetia viridans*) — An active predator in the same foliage that frequently captures and eats flea beetles. - **Eaten by:** Spined Soldier Bug (*Podisus maculiventris*) — Nymphs and adults of this predatory stink bug prey upon the larvae and adult beetles. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Shiny Flea Beetle? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Shiny Flea Beetle? 1 cm ### What is Shiny Flea Beetle's wingspan? 1-2 cm ### How much does Shiny Flea Beetle weigh? 0.00001-0.00003 kg ### How long does Shiny Flea Beetle live? 1 years ### What does Shiny Flea Beetle eat? Feeds almost exclusively on the leaves of specific host plants, particularly within the Verbenaceae and Lamiaceae families, chewing small, characteristic holes in the foliage. ### Where is Shiny Flea Beetle usually found? Typically found in subtropical scrublands, forest edges, and fields, particularly where host plants in the verbena or mint families are abundant. ### How does Shiny Flea Beetle hunt? Grazing ## Where to spot - [Secessionville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/secessionville-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Shiny Flea Beetle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiny-flea-beetle)