Cephaloleia consanguinea Baly, 1885

Naczi, R. F. C. & Staines, C. L., 2011, Noteworthy Records of Hispines from Belize (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Insecta Mundi 2011 (190), pp. 1-6 : 2

Cephaloleia consanguinea Baly [Tribe Cephaloleiini ].

Belize. Toledo District: ca. 9 mi NNE of Medina Bank, N side of Bladen Branch, 16 o 33’35”N, 88 o 43’50”W, 6 Jan 2006, R. Naczi and T. Pop; in rolled leaves of Heliconia bourgaeana Petersen (Heliconiaceae) ; (6 specimens, USNM). Same locality data except N side of Bladen Branch, 16 o 33’21”N, 88 o 42’35”W, 4 Jan 2007, Keyona Gonzalez and Patricia Jackson; in rolled leaves of Heliconia collinsiana Griggs (Heliconiaceae) ; (1 specimen, USNM). Same locality data except Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education property, 16 o 33’21”N, 88 o 42’29”W, 4 Jan 2007, Keyona Gonzalez and Patricia Jackson; in rolled leaves of Heliconia latispatha Benth. (Heliconiaceae) ; (1 specimen, USNM). Same locality data except Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education property, 16 o 33’N, 88 o 42’W, 4 Jan 2007, Keyona Gonzalez and Patricia Jackson; in rolled leaves of Heliconia wagneriana Petersen (Heliconiaceae) ; (1 specimen, USNM). New Country Record. New Host Records.

Cephaloleia consanguinea was previously known only from Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama ( Staines 1996). Thus, these collections are new country records and extensions of the known range to include Belize. In the focus area for field work in southern Belize, four species of Heliconia occur ( H. bourgaeana , H. collinsiana , H. latispatha , and H. wagneriana ). Adults of C. consanguinea were common in the rolled, expanding leaves of all four species.

Previously reported host plants for C. consanguinea are Heliconia imbricata (Kuntze) Baker , H. latispatha , H. mariae Hook. , H. pogonantha Cuford , and H. tortuosa Griggs ( Strong 1977) . Staines (2004) mentioned that examination of Strong’s voucher specimens showed that the species studied was C. belti Baly rather than C. consanguinea . The collections cited are the first definitive hosts for C. consanguinea : H. bourgaeana , H. collinsiana , H. latispatha , and H. wagneriana . Given the collection of the beetle species from all locally available Heliconia species in Belize, C. consanguinea appears to be relatively general in its feeding preferences within the plant genus.