Cephaloleia dorsalis Baly, 1885

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 124-126

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia dorsalis Baly, 1885 Fig. 127

Cephaloleia dorsalis Baly 1885: 15. Blackwelder 1946: 719 (catalog); Papp 1953: 16 (catalog); Uhmann 1957a: 18 (catalog); Wilcox 1983: 137 (catalog); Staines 1996: 29 (Central America species), 2004: 312 (host plants), 2011: 49 (faunal list); Staines and Staines 1997: 8 (types), 1999: 523 (Baly species list) Hsaio and Windsor 1999: 43 (phylogeny); Flowers and Hanson 2003: 51 (distribution); McKenna and Farrell 2005: 119 (phylogeny), 2006: 10949 (phylogeny); Meskins 2008: 163 (host plants), 2011: 483 (food web); García–Robledo and Horvitz 2009: 116 (host plants), 2011: 978 (biology), 2012: 40 (biology); García–Robledo et al. 2010: 51 (larva, biology), 2013a: 3 (biology), 2013b: 193 (biology).

Cephalolia dorsalis Baly. Donckier 1899: 549 (catalog); Weise 1911a: 8 (catalog), 1911b: 12 (catalog), 1921a: 263 (noted).

Description.

Elongate; subconvex; subparallel; head, antennae, and pronotum black; elytra yellow with black sutural vitta at base extending to puncture row 3 then narrowing to only suture and darkened after middle; venter with pro-, meso-, and metasterna red medially, dark laterally; legs yellow. Head: vertex densely punctate, faint medial carina present; keel present between antennae; frons not projecting; not depressed between eyes. Antenna: more than ½ body length; slender; antennomere 1 thickened, subequal in length to 2; 2 elongate; 3 elongate, as long as 1 and 2 combined; 4-10 elongate, decreasing in length; 11 2 × length of 10, rounded at apex; 1-2 punctate with scattered setae; 3-11 setose. Pronotum: slightly wider than long; lateral margin straight then rounding to anterior angle, strongly margined; anterior angle slightly produced, rounded; posterior angle angulate; anterior margin weakly emarginate behind head; disc subconvex; disc strongly punctate; basal impression absent; pronotal length 0.7-1.0 mm; pronotal width 1.1-1.6 mm. Scutellum: pentagonal; impunctate. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, margined; apex rounded; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; moderately convex; shallowly punctate-striate; puncture rows complete; elytral length 3.3-4.0 mm; elytral width 1.9-2.3 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna impunctate medially, punctate laterally; abdominal sterna punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 obsolete medially; last sternite with apical margin u-shaped in male, ovoid in female. Leg: slender; femur punctate on top; tibia with fringe of setae on inner margin of apex. Total length: 4.4-5.4 mm; females are larger than males.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia balyi , Cephaloleia deficiens , Cephaloleia linkei , and Cephaloleia suturalis . It can be distinguished by the yellowish pronotum with black longitudinal vitta and by antennomere 3 being larger than 1 and 2 combined.

Comments.

Preliminary analysis of the CO1 gene indicates that cryptic species may be present under the current application of this species name. Further work is needed to resolve this question.

Host plant.

Adults have been collected on Costus sp. ( Costaceae ) ( Staines 1996); Renealmia sp. ( Zingiberaceae ) ( McKenna and Farrell 2005); Cephaloleia pulverulentus C. Presl. ( Meskins et al. 2008); Cephaloleia bracteatus Gleason, Cephaloleia laevis Ruiz and Pav., Cephaloleia malortieanus H. Wendl. ( García–Robledo and Horvitz 2009); Cheilocostus speciosus (J. Koenig) C. D. Specht ( Costaceae ).

Immatures.

Color when live (Figs 35-38) pale yellowish, margins translucent; venter pale yellowish. Color when dead dirty-brown with paler margins. Pronotum surface of central elevation micropustulate; with two diagonal carinae laterally extending to lateral margin, carinae wide at base, narrowing apically to sharp point; surface laterally punctate. Meso- and metanota with base elevated, sloping back to apex, narrowing laterally into sharp point; punctate laterally. Abdominal tergites 1-6 wider than long, decreasing in width; base elevated, sloping back to apex, ending in sharp point; punctate laterally. Tergites 7-9 with two diagonal carinae on each side which extend to lateral margin. Spiracles just off central elevation, with margins darkened. Venter with surface of expansions punctate, rugose-striate. Head surface rugose-punctate; labrum with surface alutaceous, without setae; clypeus with fringe of long setae at apex, with four setae on apical ½, surface alutaceous; mandibles tridentate; maxillary palps with 2 palpomeres and short, robust setae at apex; maxilla robust, clavate, with fringe of long setae at apex; labium densely setose. Antenna with antennomere 1 short, robust; 2 narrower than 1, transverse; 3 elongate, cylindrical, narrower than 2, with fringe of short setae at apex. Pro- and mesosterna wider than long; slightly depressed medially; surface rugose-striate. Metasternum longer than others; depressed medially; with suture along apical margin. Abdominal sternites 1-8 wider than long; decreasing in width; laterally with curved sulcus dividing the sternite into thirds; sterna 9-10 fused, rounded at apex. Leg: femur short, robust; tibiotarsus subconical, with a strong claw and eight setae at apex. Total length:6.4-6.7 mm; width 4.3-4.4 mm. ( García–Robledo et al. 2010).

Biology.

Eggs are about 2.5 mm long and are laid singly or in clusters of two or more on host plant petioles, the surface of bracts, or the inner surface of inflorescence bracts and are covered with frass. Eggs hatch in 10 to 14 days. The larvae have two instars the first lasting 10 to 18 days and the second 36 to 48 days. The pupal stage lasts 14 to 20 days. Adults live about 157 days ( García–Robledo et al. 2010).

Distribution.

Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama.

Type material examined.

Syntype: Bugaba, 800-1500 ft., Champion [printed label]/ Paratipo [handwritten red label]/ F. Monros Collection 1959 [printed label]/ Cephaloleia dorsalis Baly, J. S. Baly det. [handwritten pink label] (USNM, 1).

Specimens examined.

COSTA RICA: Alajuela- 20 km S Upala, 11-20 July 1991 (BYUC); Upala, Sector San Ramón de Dos Ríos, 1.5 km NW Hacienda Nueva Zelandia, 600-700 m (INBIO). Cartago- Quebrada Segunda, Ref. Nac. Fauna Silv. Tapantí, 1250 m, April 1992 (INBIO). Guanacaste- Est Cacao, 1000-1400 m, Lado SO Vol. Cacao, P.N. Guan., 21-29 May 1992 (INBIO); Est. Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S Sta. Cecilia, P.N. Guanacaste, February 1990, September 1991, (INBIO); Río San Lorenzo, 1050 m, Tierras Morenas, Z. P. Tenorio, 23 March- 21 April 1992 (INBIO); Volcán Cacao, 1100 m, Est. Mengo, pasture, 11 September 1989 (INBIO); 3 km SE Río Naranjo, 19 May 1993 (BYUC). Heredia- Est. El Ceibo, Braulio Carillo, N.P., 400-600 m, November 1989 (INBIO); La Selva Biol. Sta., 2 km. S. Pt. Viejo, 3-5 June 1984 (EGRC); Est. Magasasay, 200 m, P. N. Braulio Carillo, May 1991 (INBIO); Rara Avis Biological Station, 9 November 2011, 13 November 2011, 17 November 2011 (USNM). Limón- Amubri, 70 m, Talamanca, 5-26 January 1993 (INBIO); Sector Cerro Cocorí, Fca. de E. Rojas, 150 m, April 1991, May 1991, August 1991, October 1991, November 1991, December 1991, January 1992, 31 January- 21 February 1992, March 1992, 26 March- 24 April 1992, 28 May- 17 June 1992, 26 June- 16 July 1992, October 1992, 9-30 November 1992, December 1992, January 1993, February 1993, April 1993, May 1993 (INBIO); Río Sardinas, 10 m, R. N. F. S., Barra del Colorado, 25 August 1992, 10 October 1992 (INBIO); Valle de la Estrella Pandora, 17-20 February 1984 (CMNC); A. C. Llanuras del Tortuguero, Pococí, 0-100 m (INBIO); Pococí, Sector Cerro Cocorí, 30 km N Cariari, 100-200 m (INBio). Puntarenas- Fca Cafrosa, Est Las Mellizas, P.N. Amistad, 1300 m, April 1991 (INBIO); Finca Las Cruces, 6 km. S. San Vito de Java, 4200 ft., 28 September- 2 October 1986 (FSCA); Est Sirena, 0-100 m, P.N. Corcovado, December 1989, June 1991, July 1991, September 1991, October 1991, June 1992 (INBIO); Estación Altamira, 1 km S Cerro Biolley, 1400-1500 m (INBIO); Osa, Sierpe, Rancho Quemando, 200-300 m (INBIO). San José- Perez Zeledón, Santa Elena Las Nubes, 1200-1300 m (INBIO). GUATEMALA: Zacapa- 3.5 km S.E. La Unión, 1500 m, 4 June 1991 (CMNC), 23-25 June 1993, 25-27 June 1993, 27 June 1993 (SEMC). PANAMA: Bocas del Toro- 6 km N Punta Peña, 28 May 1993 (CDFA). Chiriquí- Dst. Recacimiento, Santa Clara, 4000-4200', 4 July 1976 (EGRC); Reserva Fortuna, Continental Divide Trail, 26 May 1993, 29 May 1993 (CDFA, EGRC). Coclé- Cerro Gaital, 4000', 1 June 1993 (AJGC, CDFA). Colón- Skunk Hollow nr. Ft. Sherman, 28 May 1980 (EGRC). Panamá- Cerro Campana, 29 July 1970 (CMNC), 30 May 1970, 11 May 1974, 11-15 May 1980 (EGRC), 17 May 1993 (CDFA). Total: 144.