Discocera coccinea (Fabricius, 1798)

Lupoli, Roland, 2019, First catalogue of the Asopinae (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) from French Guiana, Zootaxa 4668 (1), pp. 76-88 : 79

Discocera coccinea (Fabricius, 1798)

( Fig. 1E )

Examined material (n: 19). FRENCH GUIANA.—Locality not mentioned, 5♀ 2ϐ 1899 Oberthür coll. Bar, identified as Discocera ochrocyanea (coll. MNHN) ( ochrocyanea form); ♀ 1913 Dr. Bongrand leg. (coll. MNHN) ( coccinea form).— Kourou, les Roches de Kourou, ♀ 1907 E. Le Moult leg., identified as D. ochrocyanea (coll. MNHN) ( ochrocyanea form).— Maripasoula, Mont Itoupé, FIT, ♀ 23.III.2010, SEAG leg. (coll. RL) ( ochrocyanea form).— Matoury, Mont Grand Matoury, FIT, ♀ 8 IX.2014, ♀ 28.IX.2014, SEAG leg. (coll. RL) ( ochrocyanea form).— Régina, Nouragues , FIT, ϐ 8.X.2010, SEAG leg. (coll. RL) ( ochrocyanea form).— Roura, Montagne des Chevaux RN2 pK22, FIT, ♀ 16.II.2013, ♀ 13.XII.2014 SEAG leg. (coll. RL) ( ochrocyanea form).— Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, St-Jean-du-Maroni, Forêt domaniale (70m), hand catching, ϐ 1.II.2004, J.C. Streito leg. (coll. JCS) ( ochrocyanea form).— Saül, Belvédère, beating sheet, ϐ 6.X.2010, P.H. Dalens leg. (photo J.H. Yvinec), FIT, ϐ 23.II.2011, ♀ 7.III.2011, SEAG leg. (coll. RL) ( ochrocyanea form).

Literature data. French Guiana, but no locality mentioned ( Schouteden, 1907; Kirkaldy, 1909) identified as D. ochrocyanea (Lepelletier & Serville, 1825) .

Distribution. Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam.

Comments. Similarly to D. cayennensis , this species does not seem to be attracted by lights, but was only collected by sight and with interception traps. Thomas (1992) mentioned three color forms of this species: the typical ochrocyanea form (ochraceous anteriorly, cyaneous posteriorly) ( Fig. 1E ), the coccinea form entirely ochraceous and the nigra form entirely cyaneous. The nigra form was not observed in French Guiana, but 18 ochrocyanea form specimens and one coccinea form were nonetheless detected. The ochrocyanea form in French Guiana has a characteristic aposematic pattern—ochraceous head, dark blue cyaneous metallic body surrounded by an ochraceous border—very similar to those of some neotropical Erotylidae and Endomychidae Coleoptera . Since D. cayennensis is a predator of Chrysomelidae larvae of the genus Platyphora , and their adults appear similar, added to the fact that Stiretrus decemguttatus as well as Stiretrus decastigmus are predators of Cassidinae Mesomphaliini larvae and resemble their adults, it is possible that D. coccinea might also be a predator of larvae of Erotylidae and Endomychidae species to which they would look alike as adults. Based on the species on the above, these resemblances may be mimetic adaptations to take advantage of similarities against predators, and perhaps also to be able to approach more easily larvae preys as closely as possible to predate them. In order to argue this hypothesis, it is interesting to stress out that a specimen of the Erotylidae Olygocorynus cinctus Herbst, 1799 was caught on 23.II. 2011 in Saül, as well as a specimen of an Endomychidae Corynomalus sp. on 7.III.2011 also in Saül, at the same time as two D. coccinea specimens. They each represent less than 10 occurrences out of 1500 Erotylidae and Endomychidae collected (J.H. Yvinec pers. com.) and D. coccinea represents 8 occurrences out of 16,400 Pentatomidae (coll. RL).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Asopinae from French Guiana (except H. lepida). A.—Alcaeorrhynchus grandis (Dallas, 1851).— Remire-Montjoly, Lotissement Amaryllis, UV-MV light trap, ϐ 23.X.2011, SEAG leg. (coll. RL). B.—Coryzorhaphis carneolus Erichson, 1848.—Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Piste crique serpent pK19, ♀ VI.2001, Jean Cerda leg. (coll. RL). C.—Discocera cayennensis Laporte, 1833 mullenhoffi form—Roura, Montagne de Kaw pK37.5, hand catching, ϐ 6.V.2003, A. Bout leg. (coll. RL). D.—D. cayennensis emerald form—Roura, Montagne de Kaw pK38, hand catching, ♀ 22.V.2003, R. Lupoli leg. (coll. RL). E.—Discocera coccinea (Fabricius, 1798) ochrocyanea form.—Maripasoula, Mont Itoupé, FIT, ♀ 23.III.2010, SEAG leg. (coll. RL). F.—Heteroscelis bimaculata (Walker, 1867).—Régina, Nouragues, Inselberg, UV-MV light trap, ϐ 9. X.2012, SEAG leg. (coll. RL). G.—Heteroscelis lepida (Stål, 1862).—EL SALVADOR.—Guazapa, 10.IX.1959, J. Bechyné leg. (coll. IRSNB). H.—Heteroscelis servillei Laporte, 1833.—Mana, Réserve Trinité, DZ Aya, Malaise trap, ϐ 1.VI.2012, SEAG leg. (coll. RL). Photos R. Lupoli. Scale = 5 mm.