Spaethiella species 2

Flowers, Wills & Chaboo, Caroline S., 2009, Novel host records of some cassidine leaf beetles from Ecuador (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (95), pp. 1-8 : 2-3

Spaethiella species 2 ( Fig. 3–6 )

Collecting Data. Ecuador, Los Ríos Province: Estación Experimental Tropical Pichilingue, Sector La Isla, 16–VII–2008, 25–X–2008, R.W. Flowers, R. Troya. This is a new species that will be described by Lukas Sekerka (L. Sekerka, pers. comm.).

Host plant. Cyclanthaceae : Carludovica sp. ( Fig. 3, 5 ). The host is well known as the “ Panama hat” plant, as it is the source of fibers for the famous hat (which is actually manufactured in Ecuador) (Wikipedia contributors 2009). Carludovica , known locally as “toquilla,” is also used for covering house roofs in western Ecuador ( Fig. 11 ).

Hemisphaerotines have been previously recorded on Arecaceae , Heliconiaceae and Sterculiaceae ( Chaboo 2007, and citations therein), and our record here of a cyclanthaceaous host represents a new plant family and genus record. Adults, larval cases ( Fig. 4–6 ), and pupae were found on the same plant. Feeding damage comprised long, very narrow trenches between leaf veins; when several trenches oc- curred in proximity, “window panes” were created ( Fig. 5 ). Several larval cases were found with pupal exuviae inside. In two cases, tiny brown spiders were found to be sheltering next to the pupal exuviae.

Seasonality. Adults ( Fig. 6 ) were present throughout the dry season, often on very degraded leaves. Both larvae and pupae retained the bird’s nest type exuvio-fecal shield that is diagnostic for Hemisphaerotini .

Figures

Figure. 1–6. Spaethiella with their hosts. 1) Spaethiella sp. 1 (Body length ca. 4mm), larvae and pupae on Heliconia latispatha. 2) Adult of Spaethiella sp. 1 with trenching feeding pattern. 3) Carludovica sp., host of Spaethiella sp. 2. 4) Spaethiella sp. 2, larva with bird’s nest fecal case. 5) Spaethiella sp. 2, larvae and pupae, and window panes produced from trenching feeding pattern. 6) Spaethiella sp. 2, adult (Body length ca. 5mm).

Figure 7–13. Aslamidium and their Marantaceae hosts in Ecuador. 7) Aslamidium capense adult (Body length ca. 6mm). 8) Feeding damage of A. capense. 9) EETP technicians R. Troya and J. Cedeño under a mature Calathea lutea. 10) Calathea majestica (with author R.W. Flowers). 11) Local house with roof made of Calathea and Carludovica leaves. 12) Aslamidium semicirculare adults (Body length ca. 5 mm) feeding on young C. lutea leaf. 13) Underside of leaf of C. majestica damaged by beetle chewing.