| Leptinotarsa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) | |
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| Leptinotarsa decemlineata larva | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Tribe: | Chrysomelini |
| Genus: | Leptinotarsa Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 |
| Type species | |
| Leptinotarsa heydeni Stål, 1858 | |
| Species | |
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See text | |
Leptinotarsa is a genus of leaf beetles. The most well-known species is the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), an economically significant invasive crop pest. The closely related genus Stilodes has often[failed verification] been merged with Leptinotarsa, with some dispute about which name applies, but the type species – L.heydeni and "L." humeralis when both placed in Leptinotarsa – do not seem to be particularly close to each other.
Several species in the genus produce leptinotarsin, a toxin similar to the diamphotoxin produced by species of the African leaf beetle genus Diamphidia. Some Leptinotarsa species are parasitised by ground beetles of genus Lebia.
