Chrysomelidae

This is a very large insect group with at least 38000 species (probably more), they are all herbivorous (including larvae), and many are serious pests.

They tend to be small in size (<20mm in length excluding appendages) and some have colourful exoskeletons.

The following help to identify leaf beetles

They tend to be domed and oval shaped in the plan view with a metallic colour.

In most species the antennae are less than half the length of the body . They do not arise from a tubercle (c.f. longhorn), the second segment is of normal length (c.f. longhorn) and the first segment is usually larger than the others. The segments are generally of equal shape (may widen towards the tip)

Tarsal formula is 5-5-5 ( number of segments in the tarsae of the 3 legs) but looks like 4-4-4 because the 4th segment is small and hidden by the 3rd.

The pronotum ( dorsal sclerite of the first segment of the thorax) varies ,but is generally domed and trapezoidal.