Lema (Petauristes) trivittata trivittata Say, 1824

Lee, Chi-Feng & Matsumura, Yoko, 2013, On newly and recently recorded species of the genus Lema Fabricius (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Criocerinae) from Taiwan, ZooKeys 262, pp. 17-38 : 32-33

Lema (Petauristes) trivittata trivittata Say, 1824

Material examined.

Taiwan: 2 exs.: Taitung, Lanyu island, 5.V.2012, leg. S.-F. Yu (TARI); 16 exs.: Yunlin, Pichiao, 16.VI.2010, leg. H. Lee (TARI); 2 exs., same locality (= Tuku), 30.VI.2010, leg. H. Lee (TARI); 2 exs., same locality, 9.VII.2010, leg. H. Lee (TARI).

Remarks.

This species is also an introduced one for Taiwan because its original distribution is limited to the United States and Canada ( White 1993). Recently Aoyagi (2012) and Kawaji (2012) reported occurrence of Lema trivittata from Miyako and Iriomote islands of Japan. Although they did not mention the subspecies name, from the pictures in the papers we considered that they are same subspecies. Considering the geographic placement of the two islands and Taiwan, the origin of invasion could be once and rapidly spread.

Beetles were found to feed on leaves of Physalis angulata L. ( Figs 51-52 ) and Physalis peruviana L. in Taiwan. Both plants are introduced species for Taiwan originally from the United States. Aoyagi (2012) also mentioned that the probable host plant is Physalis angulata L. in Miyako island of Japan and warned that it is a potential pest for cultivation of a leaf tabacco which is one of popular cultivation in the island.

Distribution.

United States and southern Canada, Taiwan (new record), and Japan (Ryukyu: Miyako and Iriomote islands).

Key to species of the genus Lema from Taiwan (modified after Kimoto and Takizawa 1997)

A key to 11 known species of Lema from Taiwan was presented by Kimoto and Takizawa (1997). Of these species, Lema postrema Bates, 1866 is a junior synonym of Lema fortunei Baly, 1859 ( Schmitt 2010); Lema coromandeliana (Fabricius, 1798) is a junior synonym of Lema praeusta (Fabricius, 1792) ( Warchałowski 2011).

1	Elytron without scutellar row of punctures	(subgenus Petauristes ) 2
-	Elytron with a short scutellar row of punctures	(subgenus Lema ) 7
2	Elytron blackish-blue	3
-	Elytron yellowish-brown	5
3	Entire elytron blackish-blue	4
-	Lateral margin of elytra yellow, with transverse yellow band at middle	Lema solani Fabricius
4	Generally reddish-brown except antenna black	Lema fortunei Bates
-	Generally black except head and prothorax reddish-brown	Lema honorat a Baly
5	Entire elytra yellowish	Lema pectoralis Baly
-	Elytra with black spots or stripes	6
6	Elytra with three black, longitudinal stripes	Lema trivittata trivittata Say
-	Elytra with large, black spots at base and subapex; in some specimens entire elytra black except apex	Lema koshunensis Chûjô
7	Mesotibia with a distinct denticulation in middle	Lema coronata Baly
-	Mesotibia without distinct denticulation	8
8	Pronotum with two transverse furrows at basal ½	Lema praeusta (Fabricius)
-	Pronotum with one transverse furrow at basal ½	9
9	Generally blackish-blue	10
-	Generally yellowish-brown	12
10	Pronotum without punctures	Lema cyanea Fabricius
-	Pronotum with punctures	11
11	Abdominal ventrites III-V yellowish-brown, vertex relatively flat	Lema concinnipennis Baly
-	Abdominal ventrites blackish-blue, vertex swollen	Lema cyanella (Linneaus)
12	Middle and hind legs black except front femur reddish-brown	13
-	All legs yellowish-brown	14
13	Body longer (7.5-8.2 mm), abdominal ventrites I-V black (Fig. 2)	Lema diversipes Pic
-	Body shorter (4.5-5.5mm), abdominal ventrites II-V reddish-brown (Fig. 4)	Lema lacertosa Lacordaire
14	Elytron with basal and postmedian black spots	Lema esakii Chûjô
-	Entire elytron yellowish-brown	15
15	Elytron with transverse furrow behind humerus; vertex without pubescence	Lema rufotestacea Clark
-	Elytron without transverse furrow; vertex with dense pubescence	Lema coomani Pic

Figures

Figures 49 - 52. Live adults and larvae in the field. 49 - 50 Lema solani on Solanum americanum 49 adult 50 larvae 51 - 52 Lema trivittata trivittata on Physalis angulata 51 adult 52 larvae.