Hispines comprise half of the subfamily Cassidinae (sensu lato) in the family Chrysomelidae within the order Coleoptera. The Cassidinae currently consists of approximately 6000 species placed in 42 tribes. The combination of the Hispinae with the Cassidinae (s. str.) is historically recent (2002). Since the union of the two subfamilies causes difficulty in what to call the groups, the name “hispines” is still used to enable quick recognition of the genera and species of the former subfamily Hispinae.

Adult hispine morphology

• Body narrow, parallel
  parallel-sided body
  to broadly ovate
  broadly explanate body
  ; dorsum nearly flat
  body flattened laterally
  to highly convex
  convex body
  . Vary in size from 2 to 40 mm.
• Surface finely to deeply punctate.
• Pronotal and elytral margins narrow to broadly explanate, often serrate
  serrate elytra
  or with spines
  body with spines
  .
• Head broadly
  head broadly exposed
  to narrowly exposed, sometimes hidden
  head hidden by explanate anterior margin of pronotum
  by explanate anterior margin of pronotum.
• Mouthparts in circular cavity
  ventral view of head
  ; frons and clypeus slanted posteriorly
  lateral view of head, frons and clypeus slanted posteriorly
  .
• Mouthparts sometimes hidden
  prosternum projecting forward
  by anterior margin of prosternum.
• Antenna with 3
  3-7 antennomeres
  to 11
  11 antennomeres
  distinct antennomeres, terminal antennomeres sometimes fused to form club (clavate)
  clavate antennae
  ; inserted on frons between eyes.
• Pronotum
  pronotum
  with or without seta in anterior and posterior angles.
• Elytral punctures generally arranged in 8 to 10 rows
  costa between punctures
  and short scutellar row but the punctures and scutellar rows are often modified or absent
  elytra nearly smooth
  .
• Elytral intervals often costate
  costate elytra
  (sometimes tuberculate
  tuberculate elytra
  ) in narrow-bodied species.
• Many genera with stridulatory organs on head and anterior margin of pronotum (Anisodera, Estigmena (Anisoderini), Hispa (Hispini), Botryonopa (Botryonopini), Hispodonta (Callispini), Leptispa (Leptispini), Odontota (Chalepini), Oxycephala (Cryptonychini), Prosopodonta (Prosopodontini), Sceloenopla (Sceloenoplini), and Wallacea (Gonophorini)). These organs are only present in males of Hispodonta imperalis (Baly) (Callispini).

Larval hispine morphology

• Highly variable in form and size (1-40 mm) (e.g. elongate larva
  elongate larva
  , larva with projections
  larva with lateral projections
  , rounded larval form
  rounded larval form
  ).
• Light colored, usually white, green or yellow.
• Live as leaf miners, between leaves or stems of host plants, within fruit clusters on plants, within flower bracts of specific plants, as stem borers, or are free-living.
• Body depressed.
• Antenna with three antennomeres.
• Abdomen with 8 visible segments.
• Abdomen often with lateral projections.
• Last abdominal segment lacks furca (caudal fork).
• Poorly known. Descriptions and biological information is published for about 6% (350 species in 170 genera) of the species.

Distribution

• Nearly worldwide, with more species found in tropical areas. No species have been reported from New Zealand.
• There is little overlap between the Old World and New World faunas.
• There is little published information on the biogeography of hispines.

Food plants

• Most species are monophagous or oligophagous at the generic level. Adults tend to be more polyphagous than larvae. Some species feed on widely separated plant families.
• Most species feed on monocots- in Zingiberaceae, Arecaceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Musaceae, Orchidaceae, and Pandanaceae.
• Some species feed on dicots- in Fabaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Malvaceae, and Asteraceae. This is thought to be a recent shift evolutionarily.

Types of feeding behavior

• Leaf-shelter building has been reported for larval Leptispa (Leptispini) and adult Imatidium (Imatidiini). The substance used to hold the leaves together has not been identified.
• Stem borers have been reported for larvae of Anisodera, Estigmena (Anisoderini), Cryptonychus, and Gyllenhaleus (Cryptonychini).
• Rolled-leaf feeders are found in thirteen genera in the tribes Arescini and Imatidiini.
• Bract scrapers have been reported for the larvae of Xenarescus (Arescini) and some Cephaloleia (Imatidiini). This group is often subsumed into the rolled-leaf feeders, but since they are specialists, they should be treated separately.
• Adpressed leaf feeders have been reported for Stenispa (Imatidiini).
• Leaf miners are known from twenty-two tribes and over 2500 species. The shape and size of the mine vary considerably (e.g. blotch leaf mine
  blotch leaf mine
  , linear leaf mine
  linear leaf mine
  ).
• Open-leaf feeding is rare in larvae and is only reported in Aproida (Aproidini) and Oediopalpa (Spilophorini).

Hispines as plant pests

• Some species are economic pests, most seriously in Africa and Asia, especially on rice, oil palms, and gingers.
• Palms are damaged by Alurnus, Coraliomela, Mecistomela, Platyauchenia (Alurnini), Aulostyrax, Brontispa, Caledonispa, Callistola, Ceratispa, Cryptonychus, Gestronella, Isopedhispa, Octodonta, Plesispa (Cryptonychini), Calyptocephala (Spilophorini), Cephaloleia, Demotispa, Parimatidium (Imatidiini), Coelaenomenodera, Javeta (Coelaenomenoderini), Hispoleptis (Hispoleptini), and Promecotheca (Promecothecini).
• Rice is attacked by Dicladispa armigera (Olivier), Trichispa (Hispini) and Leptispa (Leptispini).
• Gingers are damaged by Anisodera (Anisoderini); Chelobasis, Nympharescus, Xenarescus (Arescini); Hispodonta (Callispini); Platocthispa, Sumitrosis (Chalepini); Pharangispa (Coelaenomenoderini); Cryptonychus, Gyllenhaleus, Oxycephala (Cryptonychini); Agonita, Gonophora, Micrispa (Gonophorini); Dactylispa, Dicladispa (Hispini); Cephaloleia, Demotispa, Parimatidium (Imatiidini); Chaeridionia, Oncocephala, Prionispa (Oncocephalini); and Promecotheca (Promecothecini).
• Sugarcane is attacked by Craspedonispa saccharina Maulik (Chalepini).
• Bamboos are attacked by Anisodera (Anisoderini), Cliniocarispa humeralis (Fabricius), Sumitrosis heringi (Uhmann) (Chalepini, and Callispa (Callispini).
• Soybean is attacked by Odontota dorsalis (Thunberg) and O. horni (Smith) (Chalepini).