Lilioceris cheni explained

Lilioceris cheni, the air potato leaf beetle, is a species of beetle in the genus Lilioceris that feeds on air potato plants. Air potatoes and the beetles are both native to Asia but have been introduced elsewhere. The air potato plants are an invasive species found throughout Florida, and the beetles were introduced in 2012 by biologists in Florida to help control the spread of the air potato.^[1]

See also

• Lilioceris egena, another species being introduced in Florida from Nepal and China. The females lay eggs on the air potato tibers ans the larvae feed on them

Further reading

• Air Potato Leaf Beetle (Suggested Common Name), Lilioceris cheni Gressitt and Kimoto (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae) Ted D. Center and William A. Overholt2 University of Florida IFAS Extension
• common name: air potato leaf beetle (suggested common name) scientific name: Lilioceris cheni Gressitt and Kimoto (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae) Featured Creatures, University of Florida IFAS

Notes and References

1. Nature Conservancy Magazine February / March 2015