Omocerus bicornis
Encyclopedia
Omocerus bicornis is a species
of tortoise beetle
from South America
. It lives on Cordia
(Boraginaceae
) plants, and is found in Brazil
, Surinam, French Guyana, Suriname
and Venezuela
. It was first described
by Carl Linnaeus in his 1763 work Centuria Insectorum
under the name Cassida bicornis, and was later made the type species
of the genus Omocerus by Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel
and Alcide d'Orbigny
in 1843.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of tortoise beetle
Tortoise beetle
The tortoise beetles are an artificial grouping of tribes within the leaf beetle subfamily Hispinae. In past classifications, they have been variously placed as a family or a subfamily ; when it was recognized that this group was not monophyletic, it was split and the resulting tribes were...
from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It lives on Cordia
Cordia
Cordia is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains about 300 species of shrubs and trees, which are found worldwide mostly in warmer regions. Many of the species are commonly called manjack, while bocote may refer to several Central American species in Spanish...
(Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
) plants, and is found in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Surinam, French Guyana, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It was first described
Alpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
by Carl Linnaeus in his 1763 work Centuria Insectorum
Centuria Insectorum
is a 1763 taxonomic work by Carl Linnaeus, and defended as a thesis by Boas Johansson; which of the two men should be credited with its authorship has been the subject of some controversy. It includes descriptions of 102 new insect and crustacean species that had been sent to Linnaeus from...
under the name Cassida bicornis, and was later made the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of the genus Omocerus by Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel
Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel
Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel was a French soldier and entomologist.Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel was born in 1774 in Valenciennes, Nord and died on 10 January 1846 in Paris. After studies in Douai, he joined, the French Army when he was sixteen years old. He took part in the campaigns...
and Alcide d'Orbigny
Alcide d'Orbigny
Alcide Charles Victor Marie Dessalines d'Orbigny was a French naturalist who made major contributions in many areas, including zoology , palaeontology, geology, archaeology and anthropology....
in 1843.