Chrysolina

Chrysolina is a large genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Chrysomelinae. Most species are distributed in Europe, Asia and Africa with a small number of species inhabiting North America (including introduced European ones) and introduced species in Australia.^[3]

Chrysolina
Chrysolina polita
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Superfamily:	Chrysomeloidea
Family:	Chrysomelidae
Subfamily:	Chrysomelinae
Tribe:	Chrysomelini
Genus:	Chrysolina Motschulsky, 1860
Type species
Chrysomela staphylea Linnaeus, 1758
Subgenera[1]
Allochrysolina Bechyně, 1950 Allohypericia Bechyně, 1950 Anopachys Motschulsky, 1860 Apterosoma Motschulsky, 1860 Arctolina Kontkanen, 1959 Atechna Chevrolat, 1836 Atlasiana Bourdonne & Doguet, 1991 Bechynia Bourdonne, 1977 Bittotaenia Motschulsky, 1860 Cecchiniola Jacobson, 1908 Centoptera Motschulsky, 1860 Chalcoidea Motschulsky, 1860 Chersomela Weise, 1914 Chrysocrosita Bechyně, 1950 Chrysolina Motschulsky, 1860 Chrysolinopsis Bechyné, 1950 Chrysomorpha Motschulsky, 1860 Colaphodes Motschulsky, 1860 Colaphoptera Motschulsky, 1860 Colaphosoma Motschulsky, 1860 Crositops Marseul, 1883 Cyrtochrysolina Kippenberg in Kippenberg & Döberl, 1994 Diachalcoidea Bechyné, 1955 Erythrochrysa Bechyně, 1950 Euchrysolina Bechyně, 1950 Fastuolina Warchalowski, 1991 Ghesquiereita Bechyně, 1950 Gnathomela Jacobson, 1895 Heliostola Motschulsky, 1860 Hypericia Bedel, 1898 Hypochalcoidea Bourdonne, 2012 Jeanclaudia Mikhailov, 2009 Liomela Weise, 1912 Lithopteroides Strand, 1935 Lopatinica Kippenberg, 2012 Maenadochrysa Bechyně, 1950 Medvedevlevna Özdikmen, 2008 Melasomoptera Bechyně, 1950 Naluhia Bechyné, 1948 Omolina Weise in Sjöstedt, 1909 Ovosoma Motschulsky, 1860 Ovostoma Motschulsky, 1860 Palaeosticta Bechyné, 1952 Paracrosita Daccordi, 1982 Paramenthastriella Daccordi, 1980 Pezocrosita Jacobson, 1901 Pierryvettia Bechyně, 1950 Pleurosticha Motschulsky, 1860 Polystictella Bechyné, 1952 Pseudocrosita Lopatin, 1999 Pseudolithoptera Medvedev, 1970 Pseudotimarchomima Daccordi, 1980 Rhyssoloma Wollaston, 1854 Semenowia Weise, 1889 Sibiriella Medvedev, 1999 Sphaerochrysolina Kippenberg, 2010 Sphaeromela Bedel, 1901 Stichoptera Motschulsky, 1860 Sulcicollis Sahlberg, 1913 Synerga Weise, 1900 Taeniochrysea Bechyně, 1950 Taeniosticha Motschulsky, 1860 Threnosoma Motschulsky, 1860 Timarchida Ganglbauer, 1897 Timarcholina Bechyně, 1950 Timarchomela Achard, 1922 Timarchoptera Motschulsky, 1860 Upseleatlasia Bourdonne, 2012 Vittatochrysa Lopatin, 1977 Zeugotaenia Motschulsky, 1860
Diversity
at least 130 species
Synonyms[2]
Altailina Mikhailov, 2000 Anapachys Motschulsky, 1860 Bechynea Medvedev, 1966 Bourdonneana Kippenberg in Löbl & Danilevsky, 2010 Camerounia Jolivet, 1949 Caudatochrysa Bechyně, 1950 Chesomela Weise, 1918 Cobosorina David, 1953 Colophodes Motschulsky, 1860 Craspeda Motschulsky, 1860 Dlochrysa Motschulsky, 1860 Drochrysa Kimoto, 1964 Ghesquièreita Bechyně, 1950 Ghesquierita Bechyně, 1950 Ghesquièrita Bechyně, 1950 Hoplosoma Motschulsky, 1860 Jacobsonia Medvedev, 1970 Lithoptera Motschulsky, 1860 Litoptheroides Bechyne, 1950 Menthastriella Bechyně, 1950 Mimophaedon Bourdonne, 1996 Minckia Strand, 1935 Oreina Monros & Bechyne, 1956 Ovomorpha Motschulsky, 1860 Pachygnatha Weise, 1892 Palaeostricta Seeno, 1976 Paradiachalcoida Daccordi, 1978 Paradiachalcoidea Daccordi, 1978 Parkaniola Bechyně, 1950 Pirryvittia Kimoto, 1964 Polysticha Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 Polysticta Hope, 1840 Pseudotaeniochrysea Daccordi, 1980 Stichosoma Motschulsky, 1860 Timarchomima Bechyně, 1950

The species Chrysolina cerealis and C. graminis are protected in the United Kingdom. All species of Chrysolina are phytophagous, feeding on specific food plants, and some of them have been used for biological control of weeds. To control Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort), C. hyperici was successfully naturalized in Australia in the 1930s^[4][5] and several species, especially C. quadrigemina, were introduced to California in the late 1940s.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}