Discocera cayennensis Laporte, 1833

Lupoli, Roland, 2019, First catalogue of the Asopinae (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) from French Guiana, Zootaxa 4668 (1), pp. 76-88 : 78

Discocera cayennensis Laporte, 1833

( Fig. 1C & D )

Examined material (n: 15). FRENCH GUIANA.— No locality mentioned, 3♀ 1899 Oberthür coll. Bar, identified as Stiretrus sp. (coll. MNHN) (metallic blue form).— Matoury , ♀ 12.IV.2015, F. Caillot leg. (photo F. Caillot ) (emerald form).— Roura , Montagne de Kaw pK37.5, hand catching, ♀ metallic blue form, 2ϐ mullenhoffi form 6.V.2003 (1ϐ was observed predating on Platyphora aestuans (L., 1758) larva ( Chrysomelidae )), ♀ 19. VI .2003 (metallic blue form), A. Bout leg. (coll. RL); Montagne de Kaw pK38, hand catching, ♀ 22.V.2003 (emerald form was observed predating on Platyphora aulica (Olivier, 1807) larva ( Chrysomelidae )), R. Lupoli leg. (coll. RL); Montagne des Chevaux RN2 pK22, FIT, ♀ 20.IV.2013 (metallic blue form), SEAG leg. (coll. RL).— Saül , Belvédère, FIT, ♀ 30.III.2011, ♀ 7.IV.2011 (emerald forms), ϐ 17.IX.2010 (photo J.H. Yvinec), ϐ 25.VIII.2011 (mullenhoffi forms), SEAG leg. (coll. RL).— St-Georges-de-l’Oyapock, ♀ 1900 (metallic blue form) F. Geay leg., identified as Stiretrus sp. (coll. MNHN) .

Literature data. French Guiana, Cayenne ( Schouteden, 1907; Kirkaldy, 1909; Thomas, 1992).

Distribution. Brazil, French Guiana, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay.

Comments. This species does not seem to be attracted by light, but was only found by sight and captured with interception traps. Thomas (1992) mentioned three color forms of this species: the typical metallic blue form, the orange-red, schumacheri form, and the reddish with large yellow spots on the dorsum, mullenhoffi form ( Fig. 1C ). The schumacheri form was not observed in French Guiana, unlike both the metallic dark blue and the mullenhoffi forms. We also observed a metallic emerald green form that we will name the emerald form ( Fig. 1D ). All of the ob- served blue metallic and emerald specimens are females and the mullenhoffi specimens are males. A link could exist between the color patterns of this species and the adult forms of its larval preys, even if the colors of the larvae are not the same as the adults. We observed an emerald form predating on the Chrysomelidae Platyphora aulica larva, and a mullenhoffi form predating on the Chrysomelidae P. aestuans larva. The emerald form has a similar color as the adults of P. aulica (except the head, orange in P. aulica ). The mullenhoffi form arrays a similar coloration pattern (11 yellow spots, reddish background) to the adults of P. aestuans (8 yellow spots, red background). These resemblances may be mimetic adaptations to take advantage of similarities against predators, and perhaps also to be able to approach surreptitiously the Platyphora larvae preys as closely as possible since adults maternal care was observed in this genus ( Windsor et al., 2013).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Asopinae from French Guiana (except H. lepida). A.—Alcaeorrhynchus grandis (Dallas, 1851).— Remire-Montjoly, Lotissement Amaryllis, UV-MV light trap, ϐ 23.X.2011, SEAG leg. (coll. RL). B.—Coryzorhaphis carneolus Erichson, 1848.—Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Piste crique serpent pK19, ♀ VI.2001, Jean Cerda leg. (coll. RL). C.—Discocera cayennensis Laporte, 1833 mullenhoffi form—Roura, Montagne de Kaw pK37.5, hand catching, ϐ 6.V.2003, A. Bout leg. (coll. RL). D.—D. cayennensis emerald form—Roura, Montagne de Kaw pK38, hand catching, ♀ 22.V.2003, R. Lupoli leg. (coll. RL). E.—Discocera coccinea (Fabricius, 1798) ochrocyanea form.—Maripasoula, Mont Itoupé, FIT, ♀ 23.III.2010, SEAG leg. (coll. RL). F.—Heteroscelis bimaculata (Walker, 1867).—Régina, Nouragues, Inselberg, UV-MV light trap, ϐ 9. X.2012, SEAG leg. (coll. RL). G.—Heteroscelis lepida (Stål, 1862).—EL SALVADOR.—Guazapa, 10.IX.1959, J. Bechyné leg. (coll. IRSNB). H.—Heteroscelis servillei Laporte, 1833.—Mana, Réserve Trinité, DZ Aya, Malaise trap, ϐ 1.VI.2012, SEAG leg. (coll. RL). Photos R. Lupoli. Scale = 5 mm.