Nisotra


Nisotra is a genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. They are found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. There are around 90 described species in Nisotra, including about 70 in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. Many of these species are agricultural pests.

Description

Nisotra can be recognised by: a thickset and distinctly convex body; the pronotum as wide of the elytra basally; the pronotum anterior margin with two longitudinal groove-like impressions, often deeply impressed and sometimes reaching middle of pronotum.

Diet

Nisotra feed on plants in the families Malvaceae, Bombacaceae, Tiliaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae and Orchidaceae.
Larvae feed on roots, while adults feed on leaves.

Pests

In the Solomon Islands, N. basselae is a pest on bele. Its impact is so severe that bele is no longer grown in many places on the islands.
Nisotra chrysomeloides is a pest on okra. Its abundance varies depending on temperature, relative humidity and rainfall. Another okra pest is Nisotra sjostedti.

Species

These species, among others, belong to the genus Nisotra:Nisotra apicalis Jacoby 1899Nisotra aruwimiana WeiseNisotra basselae Nisotra bicolorata Csiki, 1940Nisotra breweri Baly, 1877Nisotra brunnea Jacoby 1894Nisotra ceylonensis Jacoby 1899Nisotra chapuisi Jacoby 1876Nisotra chrysomeloides Jacoby 1885Nisotra dilecta Nisotra dohertyi Maulik, 1926Nisotra fulva Nisotra gemella Nisotra goudoti Harold, 1875Nisotra insulana Medvedev, 2008Nisotra javana Motschulsky, 1866Nisotra javanicaNisotra klugii Jacoby 1892Nisotra lineella Weise, 1916Nisotra madagascariensis Jacoby 1901Nisotra madurensis Jacoby, 1896Nisotra malayana Medvedev, 2016Nisotra mera Weise, 1916Nisotra nigripennis Jacoby 1903Nisotra nigripes Jacoby 1894Nisotra obliterata JacobyNisotra oneili Jacoby 1906Nisotra orbiculata Motschulsky, 1866Nisotra pallida Jacoby, 1898Nisotra semicoerulea Jacoby 1903Nisotra sjostedti Jacoby 1903Nisotra sordida Weise, 1916Nisotra spadicea Nisotra striatipennis JacobyNisotra submetallica Blackburn, 1894Nisotra terminata Jacoby 1894Nisotra theobromae Laboissiere, 1920Nisotra uniformis Jacoby 1906Nisotra xinjiangana Zhang & Yang, 2007