The Sagrinae are a subfamily of the

leaf beetle The beetle family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as leaf beetles, includes over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making it one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous s ...

s, or Chrysomelidae.

Description

Beetles of this subfamily are also known as "frog-legged beetles" or "kangaroo beetles". They are very distinctive due to their metafemora, or third pair of legs, which are distinctly larger than other femora and generally sport some type of ridge or tooth on the ventral side. It is theorized that the evolutionary function of the large metafemora is to hold the beetle on vegetation for feeding. These beetles grow to be 1-2 inches in length, and display sexual dimorphism, with the males of the subfamilies being almost twice the size of the females. Males also have significantly larger metafemora than females. Other identifying features include deep sutural stria, a prognathous head without a median sulcus and with cruciform grooves, a narrow pronotum, and commonly deeply indented eyes. They also have functional wings that aren't used often. Most beetles of the subfamily display bright colors.

Distribution and ecology

This subfamily is found in Asia and has been observed in Malaysia, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines. It prefers dense tropical jungles for its habitat. There is fossil evidence that suggests these beetles lived in North America and Europe millions of years ago.

Reproduction

There is not much known about reproduction and development in this subfamily, however species in the subfamily often sport large cocoons in the post-larval stage which are commonly found on vining plants. The cocoons represent a phylogenetic relationship with a type of bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae because the bacteria play a role in the construction of the cocoons. This bacterium also functions as an intracellular symbiont with this subfamily of beetle, and lives in four large blind sacs at the larval foregut. The bacteria provide much needed nutrients throughout the beetle's life cycle.

Genera

* '' Ametalla''

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

, 1840 * '' Atalasis'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Carpophagus'' MacLeay, 1827 * '' Coolgardica''

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...

, 1899 * '' Diaphanops''

Schönherr Schönherr, Schoenherr may refer to: Schönherr * Albrecht Schönherr (1911–2009), Protestant theologian and parish priest * Annemarie Schönherr (1932–2013), German theologian * Carl Johan Schönherr, ( zoological author abbreviation - Schoe ...

, 1845 * '' Duboulaia'' Baly, 1871 * '' Mecynodera''

, 1840 * '' Megamerus'' MacLeay, 1827 * '' Neodiaphanops''

, 1899 * '' Polyoptilus'' Germar, 1848 * '' Prionesthis'' Lacordaire, 1845 (synonym: ''Rhagiosoma'' Chapuis, 1878) * '' Pseudotoxotus''

, 1889 * '' Sagra''

Fabricius Fabricius (, ) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *people from the Ancient Roman Fabricia gens, gens Fabricia: **Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, the first of the Fabricii to move to Rome * Johann Goldsmid (1587–1616), known by his ...

, 1792 * †'' Eosagra'' Haupt, 1950 –

Geiseltal The Geisel valley () is a valley in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated west of Merseburg, Saalekreis district. It is named after the River Geisel which rises in Mücheln and is a tributary of the Saale, just under long. Its main settlements are ...

, Germany, Middle Eocene * †'' Gallopsis'' Legalov, Kirejtshuk & Nel, 2019 –

Menat Formation The Menat Formation is a geologic formation in France. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleocene. It is a maar deposit located on top of an ancient volcano, the extent is very localised with the outcropping area being around 600 by 1000 me ...

, France, Middle Paleocene * †'' Palaeatalasis'' Legalov, 2021 –

Green River Formation The Green River Formation is an Eocene geologic formation that records the sedimentation in a group of intermountain lakes in three basins along the present-day Green River (Colorado River), Green River in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The sedimen ...

, Utah, Eocene (Ypresian) * †'' Pulchritudo'' Krell & Vitali, 2021 – Green River Formation, Colorado, Eocene (Ypresian)

References

Chrysomelidae Polyphaga subfamilies {{chrysomelidae-stub