The cylindrical pronotum that is lacking a marginal bead or ridge, the conspicuously hairy body, and the long legs will separate this species from other Chrysomelidae of GSMNP, except for Fidia longipes. Fidia longipes can be easily confused with F. viticida. Fidia longipes is generally a little smaller and the apex of the male genitalia is shaped differently.

Hosts are Vitaceae, associations having been reported for Ampelopsis arborea (L.) Koehne, A. cordata Michx., Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch., Vitis candicans Engel. ex A. Gray, V. longii W. R. & B. Prince [V. acerifolia Raf.], V. solonis Planch. [V. acerifolia], V. aestivalis Michx., V. labrusca L., V. riparia Michx., V. rotundifolia Michx., V. rupestris Scheele, and V. vulpina L. This species has also been associated with many other plants that are not hosts (Clark, et al., in prep.).

ON / AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, WI, VA, WV, [ca] (Riley, et al., 2003). Confirmed for GSMNP.

This species has been recorded as a pest of cultivated grapes. The specimen figured here is from Louisiana.

Clark, S. M., D. G. LeDoux, T. N. Seeno, E. G. Riley, A. J. Gilbert and J. M. Sullivan. 2004. Host plants of leaf beetle species occurring in the United States and Canada (Coleoptera: Megalopodidae, Orsodacnidae, Chrysomelidae exclusive of Bruchinae). Coleopterists Society, Special Publication no. 2, 476 pp.

Riley, E. G., S. M. Clark, and T. N. Seeno. 2003. Catalog of the leaf beetles of America north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Megalopdidae, Orsodacnidae and Chrysomelidae, excluding Bruchinae). Coleopterists Society, Special Publication no. 1, 290 pp.

Walsh, B. D. 1867. The grape-vine Fidia (Fidia viticida, new species). The Practical Entomologist 2: 87-88.