# Chrysochus

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***Chrysochus*** is a genus of [leaf beetles](/source/Leaf_beetle) in the subfamily [Eumolpinae](/source/Eumolpinae). It is known from [North America](/source/North_America), [Europe](/source/Europe) and [Asia](/source/Asia).

## Etymology

The name of the genus is derived from the [Greek](/source/Greek_language) word χρυσοχόος (*chrysochóos*), meaning "goldsmith".[1]

## Taxonomic history

In 1836, the genus *Chrysochus* was first established by [Louis Alexandre Auguste Chevrolat](/source/Louis_Alexandre_Auguste_Chevrolat) in [Dejean](/source/Pierre_Fran%C3%A7ois_Marie_Auguste_Dejean)'s *Catalogue des Coléoptères*, including the species *Chrysomela asiatica* Pallas, 1771, *C. aurata* Fabricius, 1775 and *C. pretiosa* Fabricius, 1792 (now *[Chrysochares asiaticus](/source/Chrysochares_asiaticus)*, *[Chrysochus auratus](/source/Chrysochus_auratus)* and *[Chrysochus asclepiadeus](/source/Chrysochus_asclepiadeus)*, respectively). *Chrysomela praetiosa* was designated as the [type species](/source/Type_species) of the genus by [Sylvain Auguste de Marseul](/source/Sylvain_Auguste_de_Marseul) in 1864.[2]

The generic name *Chrysochus* Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 is a [conserved name](/source/Conserved_name). It was threatened by *[Eumolpus](/source/Eumolpus_(beetle))* in the sense used by [Kugelann](/source/Johann_Gottlieb_Kugelann) in [Illiger](/source/Johann_Karl_Wilhelm_Illiger), 1798, which included *Chrysomela praetiosa*. An application to conserve *Chrysochus* and other names by suppressing *Eumolpus* Illiger, 1798 was accepted by the [International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature](/source/International_Commission_on_Zoological_Nomenclature) in 2012.[3][4]

## Species

There are at least eight described species in *Chrysochus*. Six are found in the [Palearctic realm](/source/Palearctic_realm),[5] and only two are found in [North America](/source/North_America).

List of Chrysochus species Scientific name Authority Range Common name Image Chrysochus asclepiadeus (Pallas, 1773) Widespread across Europe, also found in Kazakhstan and Turkey Chrysochus auratus (Fabricius, 1775) Eastern North America Dogbane beetle Chrysochus brevefasciatus Pic, 1934[6] Shanghai, China Chrysochus chinensis Baly, 1859[7] Central, North and Northeast China, Japan, Mongolia and the Russian Far East Chrysochus cobaltinus LeConte, 1857 Western United States and British Columbia Blue milkweed beetle Chrysochus globicollis Lefèvre, 1888 Northeast China, the Russian Far East and North Korea Chrysochus goniostoma Weise, 1889 North and Northeast China, Mongolia, and the Russian Far East Chrysochus sikhima Jacoby, 1908[8] Sikkim, India

Another species, *Chrysochus mniszechi*, was described in 1877 by [Édouard Lefèvre](/source/%C3%89douard_Lef%C3%A8vre), from three specimens he had seen (one in the collection of [Georges Mniszech](/source/Georges_Mniszech), and two from Henry Deyrolle's). While he did not know where the specimens were collected from, Lefèvre thought that they probably came from North America.[9]

The following species, all from the [Oriental realm](/source/Oriental_realm), were formerly included in *Chrysochus*. They were transferred to the genera *[Parheminodes](/source/Parheminodes)* and *[Platycorynus](/source/Platycorynus)* in 2021:[10]

- *Chrysochus conspectus* [Lefèvre](/source/%C3%89douard_Lef%C3%A8vre), 1890: moved to *[Parheminodes](/source/Parheminodes)*
- *Chrysochus hageni* [Jacoby](/source/Martin_Jacoby), 1884:[11] moved to *[Parheminodes](/source/Parheminodes)*
- *Chrysochus languei* [Lefèvre](/source/%C3%89douard_Lef%C3%A8vre), 1893: moved to *[Platycorynus](/source/Platycorynus)*
- *Chrysochus massiei* [Lefèvre](/source/%C3%89douard_Lef%C3%A8vre), 1893: moved to *[Parheminodes](/source/Parheminodes)*
- *Chrysochus mouhoti* [Baly](/source/Joseph_Sugar_Baly), 1864: moved to *[Parheminodes](/source/Parheminodes)*
- *Chrysochus nilgiriensis* [Jacoby](/source/Martin_Jacoby), 1908:[8] moved to *[Parheminodes](/source/Parheminodes)*
- *Chrysochus pulcher* [Baly](/source/Joseph_Sugar_Baly), 1864:[12] moved to *[Parheminodes](/source/Parheminodes)*

## Biology

All species of *Chryochus* feed on plants in the [Apocynaceae](/source/Apocynaceae) (dogbane) and [Asclepiadaceae](/source/Asclepiadaceae) (milkweed) families. A small mutation has allowed the two North American species, *[C. auratus](/source/Chrysochus_auratus)* and *[C. cobaltinus](/source/Chrysochus_cobaltinus)*, in particular to feed on the plant species containing [cardenolides](/source/Cardenolide), while all other species of the genus feed on plant species without cardenolides.[13]

*Chryochus* beetles by location differ in their exoskeleton color due to varying factors such as temperature, humidity, diet, and adaptation to predators. For example, *Chryochus* larvae as they [pupate](/source/Pupa) regulate the chemicals involved in pigment control that depend on the temperature.[14]

## Cultural impact

Naturalist and artist [Christopher Marley](/source/Christopher_Marley) has used species of *Chrysochus* as the [artistic medium](/source/Artistic_medium) in his mosaic art pieces.[14]

## References

1. Chevrolat, L.A.A. (1843). ["Chrysochus"](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/57479718). *Dictionnaire Universel d'Histoire Naturelle*. Vol. 3. d'Orbigny, C. (ed.). [Paris](/source/Paris): MM. Renard, Martinet et Cie. p. 652.

1. Bousquet, Yves & Bouchard, Patrice (2013). "The genera in the second catalogue (1833–1836) of Dejean's Coleoptera collection". *[ZooKeys](/source/ZooKeys)*. '***(282): 1–219. [doi:10.3897/zookeys.282.4401](https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.282.4401). [PMC 3677338](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3677338). [PMID 23794836](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23794836)***

1. Moseyko, A.G.; Sprecher-Uebersax, E.; Löbl, I. (2010). "Case 3519 *Eumolpus* Weber, 1801, *Chrysochus* Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 and *Bromius* Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 (Insecta, Coleoptera, chrysomelidae): proposed conservation of usage". *[The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature](/source/The_Bulletin_of_Zoological_Nomenclature)*. **67** (3): 218–224. [doi:10.21805/bzn.v67i3.a10](https://doi.org/10.21805/bzn.v67i3.a10). [S2CID 83763033](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:83763033)

1. ICZN (2012). "Opinion 2298 (Case 3519) *Eumolpus* Weber, 1801, *Chrysochus* Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 and *Bromius* Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 (Insecta, Coleoptera, chrysomelidae): usage conserved". *[The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature](/source/The_Bulletin_of_Zoological_Nomenclature)*. **69** (2): 147–149. [doi:10.21805/bzn.v69i2.a6](https://doi.org/10.21805/bzn.v69i2.a6). [S2CID 83692416](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:83692416) The Commission has conserved the usage of the generic names *Eumolpus* Weber, 1801, *Chrysochus* Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 and *Bromius* Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836 by suppressing the name *Eumolpus* Illiger, 1798.

1. Moseyko, A. G. & Sprecher-Uebersax, E. (2010). ["Eumolpinae"](https://books.google.com/books?id=qt8zDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA620). *Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera. Volume 6. Chrysomeloidea*. Löbl, I. & Smetana, A. (eds.). Stenstrup, Denmark: Apollo Books. pp. 619–643. ISBN 978-87-88757-84-2.

1. Pic, M. (1934). ["Nouveautés diverses"](http://brittlebooks.library.illinois.edu/brittlebooks_open/Books2011-09/picmau0001melexo/picmau0001melexov00000i00063/picmau0001melexov00000i00063.pdf). *Mélanges Exotico–Entomologiques*. **63**: 1–36.

1. Baly, J. S. (1859). "Descriptions of new genera and species of Phytophagous insects". *[Annals and Magazine of Natural History](/source/Annals_and_Magazine_of_Natural_History)*. **4** (20): 124–128. 3. [doi:10.1080/00222935908697096](https://doi.org/10.1080/00222935908697096)

1. Jacoby, M. (1908). [*Coleoptera. Chrysomelidae. Vol. 1*](https://archive.org/details/coleopterachryso00jacoiala). [The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma](/source/The_Fauna_of_British_India,_Including_Ceylon_and_Burma). Bingham, C. T. (ed.). London: [Taylor & Francis](/source/Taylor_%26_Francis)

1. Lefèvre, E. (1877). ["Descriptions de Coléoptères nouveaux ou peu connus de la Famille des Eumolpides (2e partie)"](https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8244637). *[Annales de la Société Entomologique de France](/source/Annales_de_la_Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_Entomologique_de_France)*. **7**: 309–326. 5.

1. Moseyko, A.G. (2020). "Notes on Asiatic Eumolpinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)". *Entomological Review*. **100** (6): 843–862. [doi:10.1134/S0013873820060123](https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873820060123). [S2CID 234621478](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:234621478)

1. Jacoby, M. (1884). ["Descriptions of new genera and species of phytophagous Coleoptera collected by Dr. B. Hagen at Serdang (East Sumatra)"](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9635686). *Notes from the Leyden Museum*. **6**: 201–230.

1. Baly, J. S. (1864). [*Descriptions of new genera and species of Phytophaga*](https://books.google.com/books?id=lQkAAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1). Stationer's Hall: J.S. Baly.

1. Jolivet, Pierre & Verma, Krishna K. (2008). ["Eumolpinae – a widely distributed and much diversified subfamily of leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)"](http://www.bio-nica.info/biblioteca/jolivet2008eumolpinae.pdf). *Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews*. **1** (1): 3–37. [doi:10.1163/187498308X345424](https://doi.org/10.1163/187498308X345424)

1. Gambino, Megan. ["10 Gorgeous Mosaics Made From Real Animal Specimens"](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/10-gorgeous-mosaics-made-from-real-animal-specimens-180954976/). *[Smithsonian Magazine](/source/Smithsonian_Magazine)*. Retrieved 2025-10-03.

## Further reading

- Dolgovskaya, M.Y.; Volkovitsh, M.G.; Reznik, S.Y. et al. (2016). "Host specificity of Asian *Chrysochus* Chevr. in Dej. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) and their potential use for biological control of invasive *Vincetoxicum* species". *Entomological Review*. **96** (7): 826–830. [doi:10.1134/S0013873816070022](https://doi.org/10.1134/S0013873816070022). [S2CID 41525270](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:41525270)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chrysochus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysochus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysochus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.