May 15, 2011 (Vol. 31, No. 10)
URL:
http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/Coleoptera/fleabeetles/fleas.htm
Rating:
Strong Points: Nice introduction to Paleoarctic flea beetle genera
Weak Points: Content is somewhat sparse
Summary:
Be honest now—how many times have you glanced at your bookcase and mused, “Wow, what I’m really missing is a good guide to the Palearctic flea beetle genera”? Well now you can learn about these little critters, and you don’t even need to sacrifice space on your shelf. This online guide written by two members of the Systematic Entomology Laboratory of the USDA-ARS provides descriptions, statistical information, and images for 58 Palearctic flea beetle genera. (Who knew there were so many?) While there isn’t too much additional information on this site, there is a nice description of morphology, as well as a list of host plants and their associated genera. I do wish there were descriptions or images of the plants themselves, but visitors to the site are only given their names.
