Cephaloleia placida Baly, 1885

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 212-214

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia placida Baly, 1885 Fig. 210

Cephaloleia placida Baly 1885: 11. Calvert and Calvert 1909: 394 (noted); Blackwelder 1946: 712 (catalog); Papp 1953: 20 (catalog); Uhmann 1957a: 23 (catalog); Wilcox 1983: 137 (catalog); Staines 1996: 50 (Central America species), 2004: 312 (host plants), 2011: 50 (faunal list); Staines and Staines 1997: 17 (types), 1999: 524 (Baly species list); McKenna and Farrell 2005: 119 (phylogeny); García–Robledo and Horvitz 2009: 116 (host plants), 2011: 978 (biology), 2012: 40 (biology); García–Robledo et al. 2010: 51, 2013a: 3 (biology); (larva, biology); Barrett and Heil 2012: 283 (noted).

Cephalolia placida Baly. Donckier 1899: 550 (catalog); Weise 1910: 87 (noted), 1911a: 9 (catalog), 1911b: 11 (catalog); Calvert and Calvert 1917: 394 (noted).

Cephaloleia placida variicornis Weise 1910: 88 (type: Panamá, ZMHB, not seen). Weise 1911a: 9 (catalog), 1911b: 11 (catalog); Uhmann 1957a: 23 (catalog), 1968: 248 (faunal list).

Description.

Elongate; slightly expanding apically; subdepressed; shining; reddish-brown, eyes and antennae (except antennomeres 1-2) darker. Head: vertex punctate, medial sulcus present; wide keel present between antennal bases; frons not projecting; depressed between eyes. Antenna: ½ body length; slender; antennomere 1 clavate, compressed, longer than 2; 2 transverse, robust, subequal in length to 3; 4-10 transverse; subequal in length, each shorter than 3; 11 2 × length of 10, rounded at apex; 1-4 punctate with scattered setae; 5-11 setose. Pronotum: subquadrate; lateral margin straight then rounding to anterior angle, margined; anterior angle obtuse, produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin curved posteriorly; disc flattened; surface finely, sparsely punctate; basal impression absent; pronotal length 1.3-1.4 mm; pronotal width 1.9-2.0 mm. Scutellum: elongate, acutely triangular; impunctate. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, margined; apex rounded; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, slightly produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; flattened along suture; shallowly punctate-striate, punctures large, rows converge and unite at apex; last segment of pygidium u-shaped in male, slightly acuminate in female; elytral length 4.4-5.4 mm; elytral width 2.3-2.6 mm. Venter with pro-, meso-, and metasterna impunctate medially, punctate laterally; abdominal sterna punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 complete; last sternite with apical margin sinuate medially in male, rounded, entire in female. Leg: robust; sparsely punctate; tibia with fringe of setae on inner margin of apex. Total length: 6.1-7.1 mm; male larger than female.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia mauliki , Cephaloleia simplex , and Cephaloleia sulciceps . It can be distinguished by the suture between abdominal sterna 1 and 2 being complete, by the larger size, and by the pronotal disc being impunctate.

Host plant.

Adults have been collected on Heliconia sp. ( Heliconiaceae ) (Calvert and Calvert 1909); Renealmia sp. ( Staines 1996); Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Maas, Renealmia cernua (Sw. ex. Roem. and Schult.) J. F. Macbr. ( García–Robledo and Horvitz 2009); Alpinia purpurata K. Schum., Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig ( Zingiberaceae ).

Immatures.

Color when live (Figs 43-46) brownish-yellow with body proper reddish, margins translucent; venter paler. Color when dead dirty-brown with paler margins. Dorsum with longitudinal medial setose ridge extending from anterior to posterior margins. Pronotum without diagonal carinae on central raised area; central area slightly raised, micropunctate; lateral areas micropunctate. Mesonotum without carinae, micropunctate. Metanotum with transverse carina in middle of each side. Abdominal tergites 1-6 slightly narrowed medially; with transverse carina in middle of each side just off central elevation; spiracles appear as darker brownish macula without darker margin. Abdominal tergites 7-10 with two carinae along margin on each side; surface micropunctate. Venter: surface of expansions rugose-punctate. Head surface punctate; clypeus slightly rugose, with fringe of setae at apex; 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 elongate, cylindrical, longer than 3; 3 elongate, 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: 7.3 mm; width 4.4 mm. ( García–Robledo et al. 2010).

Biology.

Eggs are about 2.5 mm long and are laid singly or in clusters or two or more in the concavity of leaf petioles or the inner surface of inflorescence and are covered with frass. Eggs hatch in 9 to 13 days. The larvae have two instars the first lasting 15 to 34 days and the second 43 to 75 days. The pupal stage lasts from 15 to 19 days. Adults live about 102 days ( García–Robledo et al. 2010).

Distribution.

Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama.

Type material examined.

Syntypes: V. de Chiriqui, 25-4000 ft., Champion/ F. Monros Collection 1959/ Cephaloleia placida Baly, J. S. Baly det. [pink label] (USNM, 2).

Specimens examined.

COSTA RICA: Alajuela- N slope Volcán de Rincón, 2 km W Dos Ríos, 550 m, 22 May 1985 (EMEC); Upala, Aguas Claras, Pque Nal Rincón de la Vieja, Volcán Santa Maria, 600-700 m (INBIO); Upala, Sector San Ramó Dos Ríos, 1.5 km NW Hacienda Nueva Zelandia, 600-700 m (INBIO). Cartago- Turrialba, 650 m, 24 February 1980 (CMNC). Guanacaste- Estac. Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S Sta Cecilia, December 1989 (INBIO); Río San Lorenzo, 1050 m, Tierras Morenas, R. F. Cord. Guanacaste, November 1991 (INBIO); Hda. Sta Moria, 2 February 1993 (INBIO); 3 km SE Río Narnajo, 21-30 June 1992, 1-10 September 1992, 21-30 September 1992 (BYUC). Heredia- Est. El Ceibo, Braulio Carillo, N.P., 400-600 m, April 1990 (INBIO); La Selva, nr. Pto. Viejo, 50 m, 19 February 1980 (CMNC); Sendero Antigua, Est. Carillo, 8 January 1993 (INBIO). Limón- Sector Cerro Cocorí, Fca. de E. Rojas, 150 m, November 1991, January 1992 (INBIO); Est. Exp. Diamantes, Guápiles, 6 February 1992 (MUCR); Est. Hitoy Cerere, 100 m, R. Cerere, Res. Biol. Hitoy Cerere, 28-12 April 1992 (INBIO); Valle la Estrella Pandora, 17 February 1984 (CMNC); Valle La Estella, 100-200 m (INBIO); Pococí, P.N. Colorado, Estación Cuatro Esquinas (INBIO); Llanuras del Tortuguero, Río Sardinas, Barra del Colorado, 0-100 m (INBIO). Puntarenas- Est. Biol. Las Alturas, 1500 m, Coto Brus., October 1991 (INBIO); Monteverde Cloud For. Res., 27-31 May 1984 (EGRC); Rancho Quemado, Peninsula de Osa, 200 m, October 1991 (INBIO); Río Claro, 15 August 1969 (USNM); Est. Sirena, Corcovado N.P., 0-100 m, January 1990 (INBIO); AGUIRRE, Quepos, P.N. Manuel Antonio, 0-100 m (INBIO); Buenos Aires, Sector Altamira, Biolley, 1700-1800 m (INBIO); Estación Esquinas, Peninsula de Osa, 0-100 m (INBIO); Sirena, Corcovado Nat Pk, Osa Peninsula, 0-100 m (INBIO). San José- Pque Nal Braulio Carrillo, 1600-1700 m (INBIO). PANAMA: Chiriquí- 2 km N Sta. Clara, 24-25 May 1977 (CMNC); V. de Chiriquí, 25-4000 ft. (AMNH); Hartmann's finca, St. Clara, 15-18 May 1985 (EGRC). Panamá- Barro Colorado Is., 16 January 1953 (USNM). Vera Paz- Chacoj (AMNH). Veraguas- Cerro Azul, 15 January 1953 (USNM). Total: 75.