Cephaloleia vagelineata Pic, 1926c

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 275-276

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia vagelineata Pic, 1926c Fig. 264

Cephalolia vagelineata Pic 1926c: 10.

Cephaloleia vagelineata Pic. Uhmann 1957b: 27 (catalog), 1964a: 404 (catalog); Descarpentries and Villiers 1959 a: 139 (types); Genty et al. 1978: 332 (biology); Angel 1989: 81 (museum list); Couturier and Kahn 1992: 720 (host plants); Mariau 1999: 233 (noted), 2001: 132 (noted); Howard and Abad 2001: 100 (host plants).

Cephaloleia near vagelineata Pic. Sandino 1972: 77 (biology); Sandino 1972: 75 (biology), 1974: 21 (control), 1975: 20 (biology).

Description.

Small; narrow; elongate; depressed; shining; black; pronotum margined in red; elytra with broad Y-shaped yellow vitta on disc and lateral margins red. Head: vertex densely punctate, medial sulcus present; frons not projecting; depressed between eyes. Antenna: reaches to humerus; slender; antennomeres 1-2 thicker than others; 1 elongate, cylindrical; 2 transverse, shortest; 3-5 elongate, cylindrical; 3 2 × length of 2; 4 slightly shorter than 3; 5 ¾ length of 4; 6-10 transverse, decreasing in length; 11 2 × length of 10, acutely pointed at apex; 1-2 punctate with scattered setae; 3-11 setose. Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin straight and divergent for basal ¾ then rounding to anterior angle, margined, serrulate; anterior angle angulate, not produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin straight; disc subconvex; surface densely coarsely punctate laterally, finely punctate medially; basal impression absent; pronotal length 0.9-1.0 mm; pronotal width 1.2-1.3 mm. Scutellum: pentagonal; punctate. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, narrowly margined; apex strongly truncate; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; constricted behind humerus; strongly punctate-striate, rows converge and unite apically; interspace 5 slightly cari nate behind humerus, flattening posteriorly; elytral length 3.5-3.6 mm; elytral width 1.3-1.4 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna punctate; abdominal sterna sparsely punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 complete; last sternite with apical margin broadly concave in male. Leg: slender; punctate; tibia with fringe of setae on inner margin of apex. Total length: 4.9-5.0 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia formosus and Cephaloleia gracilis . It can be distinguished by the serrulate lateral margins of the pronotum, by the angulate anterior angles of the pronotum, and by the suture between abdominal sterna 1 and 2 being complete.

Host plant.

Elaeis guineensis Jacq., Corozo oleifera (H.B.K.) Bailey, Cocos nucifera L. ( Sandino 1972); Astrocaryum chonta Matrius ( Couturier and Kahn 1992) ( Arecaceae ).

Biology.

The recently hatched larva feeds on the interior surface of the basal part of the young rachis of the palm. This damage has the appearance of superficial scrapings in the form of longitudinally lengthened maculae. These maculae are initially light (or clear) in color and darken with time. The adult beetles seek out the youngest leaves of the host palm, rasping the surface of the leaflets. This class of damage, which commonly is in the form of longitudinal bands or lines, can cause a yellowing and drying of the foliage, which can be afterwards be invaded by fungi ( Sandino 1972).

The eggs are deposited individually in the internal surface of the base of the young rachis of the host palm. The larva prefers this humid medium that is protected from the direct action of the sun. Pupae are found in the internal basal part of the rachises. The adults are found in the youngest leaves of the palm and which are beginning to open. There they stay hidden among the leaflets. It is very rare to encounter the insect in old leaves or those that have already opened completely; possibly this is owing to their preference for humidity and protection from the effects of the sun, which are present on the leaves which they barely are beginning to separate their leaflet. The mechanical damage caused by the adults of Cephaloleia vagelineata although apparently insignificant, is important when the insects are present in abundance, in those cases, the affected areas can coalesce resulting in the withering of much of the foliage ( Sandino 1972).

The eggs are yellow, flattened, ellipsoid and about 2 mm long. The larvae are whitish, flattened, and ellipsoid, with the last instar nearly 6 mm long. The pupa is similar in form and size to the larva and is distinguished by being thicker and having a cream color, which changes to black, in its central part, as it matures ( Sandino 1972).

Distribution.

Brazil ( Goiás, Matto Grosso), Colombia.

Type material.

Type: Brazil, Goyaz, Jatahy (MNHN, not seen).

Specimens examined.

Brazil: Goiás- Jatahy (MNHN). Matto Grosso- no further data (USNM). Total: 2.