Aphthona is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of beetle

Beetle

Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...

, in the leaf beetle

Leaf beetle

Beetles in the family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles. This is a family of over 35,000 species in more than 2,500 genera, one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families....

 family Chrysomelidae, native to Europe and Asia. More specifically, Aphthona are flea beetle

Flea beetle

Flea beetles is a general name applied to the small, jumping beetles of the leaf beetle family . They make up the tribe Alticini, which is a part of the subfamily Galerucinae, though they were historically classified as a subfamily in their own right...

s, meaning they have enlarged hind legs for jumping away from potential danger.
There are 135 species known from the Palaearctic region.

This flea beetle genus is important because of the usefulness of some species in controlling leafy spurge

Leafy spurge

Euphorbia esula, commonly known as the Green Spurge or Leafy Spurge, is a species of spurge native to central and southern Europe , and eastward through most of Asia north of the Himalaya to Korea and eastern Siberia.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1-1.2 m tall, with several stems...

, a major invasive

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

 weed in parts of western North America. Several Aphthona species have been taken from Europe and introduced into localized areas of the United States and Canada, and some success against the weed is being seen. The six species used for this purpose include A. abdominalis, A. cyparissiae, A. czwalinae, A. flava, A. nigriscutis, and A. lacerosa, though A. abdominalis apparently never established a viable population and was never introduced in Canada.

Effectiveness of Control

Control is generally thought to be effective, but results vary from site to site, which has been attributed to soilborn pathogens, phenology of spring, soil texture, and leafy spurge density. Control is less effective in sandy soils. Control may not be reliably observed and measured for 10 years or more.

Species

• Aphthona abdominalis
  Aphthona abdominalis
  Aphthona abdominalis is a species of leaf beetle known as the minute spurge flea beetle. It was used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed leafy spurge , but never established a viable population....
  
  
• Aphthona aeneomicans
• Aphthona albertinae
• Aphthona alcina
• Aphthona atrocaerulea
• Aphthona atrovirens
• Aphthona beauprei
• Aphthona beckeri
• Aphthona biokovensis
• Aphthona bonvouloiri
• Aphthona carbonaria
• Aphthona chinchihi
• Aphthona coerulea
• Aphthona constantini
• Aphthona crassipes
• Aphthona cyparissiae
  Aphthona cyparissiae
  Aphthona cyparissiae is a species of leaf beetle known as the brown dot leafy spurge flea beetle. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed leafy spurge ....
  
  
• Aphthona czwalinae
  Aphthona czwalinae
  Aphthona czwalinae is a species of leaf beetle known as the black leafy spurge flea beetle. It is used as an agent of biological pest control against the noxious weed leafy spurge ....
  
  
• Aphthona delicatula
• Aphthona depressa
• Aphthona erichsoni
• Aphthona espagnoli
• Aphthona euphorbiae
  Aphthona euphorbiae
  Aphthona euphorbiae is a root-feeding flea beetle of the genus Aphthona. It is widely distributed throughout Europe, North Africa, the Caucasuses, Near East, Asia Minor, the southern part of West and...
  
  
• Aphthona flava
  Aphthona flava
  Aphthona flava is a beetle of the genus Aphthona. It is native to Eurasia, and has been introduced into North America as a biocontrol agent for leafy spurge....
  
  
• Aphthona flaviceps
• Aphthona franzi
• Aphthona fuentei
• Aphthona gracilis
• Aphthona herbigrada
• Aphthona illigeri
• Aphthona juliana
• Aphthona konstantinovi
• Aphthona kuntzei
• Aphthona lacertosa
  Aphthona lacertosa
  Aphthona lacertosa is a root-feeding flea beetle of the genus Aphthona. It is one of 5 Aphthona spp. that has been used in Alberta, Canada to control leafy spurge, an invasive plant that reduces pasture quality and degrades natural habitats....
  
  
• Aphthona lubischevi
• Aphthona lutescens
• Aphthona maculata

• Aphthona maghrebina
• Aphthona maldesi
• Aphthona melancholica
• Aphthona microcephala
• Aphthona nigriceps
• Aphthona nigriscutis
  Aphthona nigriscutis
  Aphthona nigriscutis is a root-feeding flea beetle of the genus Aphthona. It is one of 5 Aphthona spp. that has been used in Alberta, Canada to control leafy spurge, an invasive plant that reduces pasture quality and degrades natural habitats. It, along with A. lacertosa, is one of only two...
  
  
• Aphthona nonstriata
• Aphthona occitana
• Aphthona ovata
• Aphthona pallida
• Aphthona parnassicola
• Aphthona perrisi
• Aphthona placida
• Aphthona plenifrons
• Aphthona poupillieri
• Aphthona punctiventris
• Aphthona pygmaea
• Aphthona reitteri
• Aphthona rhodiensis
• Aphthona rugipennis
• Aphthona sardea
• Aphthona sarmatica
• Aphthona semicyanea
• Aphthona seriata
• Aphthona sicelidis
• Aphthona signatifrons
• Aphthona stussineri
• Aphthona subovata
• Aphthona syriaca
• Aphthona testaceicornis
• Aphthona velachica
• Aphthona variolosa
• Aphthona vaulogeri
• Aphthona venustula
• Aphthona violacea
• Aphthona wagneri