DRYOPHTHORINAE, Schoenherr, 1825

Peck, Stewart B., Thomas, Michael C. & Robert H. Turnbow, Jr., 2014, The diversity and distributions of the beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) of the Guadeloupe Archipelago (Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre, La Désirade, Marie-Galante, Les Saintes, and Petite-Terre), Lesser Antilles, Insecta Mundi 2014 (352), pp. 1-156 : 109-111

SUBFAMILY DRYOPHTHORINAE

TRIBE DRYOPHTHORINI

Dryophthorus guadelupensis Hustache 1932: 336 ; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 4. Distribution. Dominica, Guadeloupe; Lesser Antilles endemic.

Dryophthorus nanus Hustache 1932: 336 ; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 4. Distribution. Dominica, Guadeloupe; Lesser Antilles endemic.

TRIBE ORTHOGNATHINI

Mesocordylus porriginosus (Boheman) 1838: 811 ( Sipalus ); Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 456; Hustache 1932: 386; Vaurie 1970: 56-58; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 5. Distribution. Dominica, Guadeloupe; Lesser Antilles endemic. Notes. Reported from the trunks of Ormosia dasycarpa Jacks. (Fabaceae) as well as in the trunks of other trees, and under cut wood ( Vaurie 1970: 58).

TRIBE RHYNCHOPHORINI

SUBTRIBE RHYNCHOPHORINA

Rhynchophorus palmarum (L.) 1758: 377 ( Curculio ); Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 453; Hustache 1932: 376; Bennett and Alam 1985: 30; Perez-Gelabert 2008: 134; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 5. Distribution. Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Martinique, St. Vincent. USA (CA, TX), Mexico to Panama, South America ; widespread New World. Notes. These large weevils are primarily associated with a wide variety of palms. According to Wattanapongsiri (1966), Rhynchophorus palmarum has been associated with species of the palms Acrocomia sp. , Attalaea sp., Bactris sp. , Chrysalidocarpus sp. , Cocos sp. (including coconut palm), Desmoncus sp. , Elaeis sp. (including oil palm), Euterpe sp. , Guilielma sp. , Manicaria sp. , Maximiliana sp. , Oreodoxa sp. , Ricinus sp. , and Sabal sp. as well as non-palms such as Gynerium sp. , and Saccharum sp. (sugar cane) (Graminae), Carica papaya L., and Jaracatia sp. (Caricaeae) , Ananas sp. (pineapple) ( Bromeliaceae ) and Musa sp. (banana) ( Scitamineae ). Adult females lay eggs in the base of leaf sheaths, terminal shoots or in cuts made in the trunk. Larvae tunnel through the softest parts of the trunk, generally destroying the heart. Once they have finished feeding the top of the palm is weakened and may topple. Larvae prepare a cocoon around themselves inside the base of the trunk made from the fibers in the stem. The species develops throughout the year. The complete life cycle varies from 45 to180 days depending on location. Economic significance. This species is a serious pest of coconut palms and other crops including banana, papaya, cacao, and sugarcane throughout Central and South America and the West Indies. Damage is due to the feeding habits of the larvae which generally weaken the trunk or stem to the point at which the plant is easily broken or toppled.

SUBTRIBE LITOSOMINA

Sitophilus granarius (L.) 1758: 378 ( Curculio ); Hustache 1932: 385 ( Calandra ); Perez-Gelabert 2008: 137. Distribution. Barbados, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola; cosmopolitan; widespread New World; probably native to the Old World, introduced to New World, introduced to Lesser Antilles. Notes. The grain weevil. Species in this genus are cosmopolitan pests of stored products.

Sitophilus linearis (Herbst) 1797: 5 ( Rhynchophorus ); Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 456 ( Calandra ); Hustache 1932: 385; Cooter 1983: 185; Bennett and Alam 1985: 30; Valentine and Ivie 2005: 281; Ivie et al. 2008b: 276; Perez-Gelabert 2008: 137; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 5. Distribution. Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Guana, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Barthélemy, St. Croix. USA (FL, LA), Costa Rica, South America ; native to Old World; widespread New World; introduced to Lesser Antilles. Notes. Adults are often found in fallen tamarind pods.

Sitophilus oryzae (L.) 1763: 395 ( Curculio ); Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 455 ( Calandra ); Hustache 1932: 385; Miskimen and Bond 1970: 100; Perez-Gelabert 2008: 137. Distribution. Barbados, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, St. Croix. Cosmopolitan; native to Old World; widespread New World; introduced to Lesser Antilles. Notes. A pest in stored food products such as rice.

SUBTRIBE SPHENOPHORINIA

Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) 1824: 299 ( Calandra ); Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 455; Hustache 1932: 383; Bennett and Alam 1985: 30; Wibmer and O’Brien 1989: 24; Ivie et al. 2008b: 276; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 5. Distribution. Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Croix. USA (FL), Mexico to Panama, South America , native to Old World; widespread New World; introduced to Lesser Antilles. Notes. One common name is the banana corm weevil. This species is primarily, if not exclusively, associated with bananas ( Musa spp. ). According to Woodruff (1969), there are some citations of the species also being associated with manilla hemp, plantain, sugar cane and yam but these may be in error, or these plants may be attacked only if bananas are not present. Eggs are laid singly between the leaf sheaths as well as around the corm. Newly emerged larvae bore into the corm. The complete life cycle takes from 30 to 40 days with the egg stage lasting 5 to 7 days, the larval stage 15 to 20 days, and the pupal stage 6 to 8 days. Adults are primarily nocturnal. The immature stages were described by Anderson (1948). Economic significance. This species is also commonly called the banana root borer but its status as a primary pest of bananas needs to be confirmed since most dryopthorids only attack plants that are already sick, weakened or injured. Damage to the banana plants consists of extensive tunneling by the larvae in the corm, thus weakening the plant and making it susceptible to damage or blowdown from winds or other factors.

Metamasius cornurostris (Chevrolat) 1880f: 316 ( Odontorhynchus ); Hustache 1932: 379 ( Sphenophorus ); Vaurie 1966: 282-283. = Metamasius puncticollis (Chevrolat) 1880f: 316 ( Odontorhynchus ) of Guadeloupe. Distribution. Guadeloupe; single island endemic.

Metamasius hemipterus (L.) 1758: 377 ( Curculio ); Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 454; Hustache 1932: 380; Ivie et al. 2008b: 276; Perez-Gelabert 2008: 137; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 5. = Metamasius sericeus Olivier 1807: 84 ; Blackwelder 1944-1957: 913. Distribution. Antigua, Barbados, Bequia, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Vincent. Mexico to Panama, South America ; widespread Antilles and Latin America . Notes. The common name is West Indian sugarcane borer ( Vaurie 1966). This species is associated with a variety of monocot plants, especially those that are rotting, broken, damaged or weakened. Banana and sugarcane are the two plants most frequently mentioned in the literature; however, the species has also been recorded from coconut and royal palm sheaths, stumps of Iriartea ventricosa Martius and Jessenia batua Burret in Brazil, and has been intercepted at customs in a stem of Chamaedorea sp. In Costa Rica, numerous adults have been collected on fermenting palm trunks. Adults have also been recorded on a variety of rotting fruits. Economic significance. Woodruff and Baranowski (1985) report that there is debate over the economic status of this species. Certainly the species has been associated with both banana and sugarcane but its impact, especially on the former, is uncertain. The beetles appear to prefer unhealthy or injured plants and thus may not be primary pests but rather of a secondary nature. Regardless, the adult feeding and larval infestations cause serious damage, at least in sugarcane, especially if the plants have already been damaged by other insects or rats. Populations may build in damaged plants left out to rot and may reinfest subsequent crops.

Metamasius liratus (Gyllenhal) 1838: 914 ( Sphenophorus ); Coquerel 1849: 445; Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 455; Hustache 1932: 378 ( Sphenophorus ); Vaurie 1966:279-281. Distribution. Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique; Lesser Antilles endemic. Notes. Vaurie (1966) note s that in Guadaloupe this species is common on ‘balisiers’ (canna or canna lily, Canna indica L; also Heliconius spp. ) and has been found in rain-soaked banana trunks lying on the ground.

Metamasius maurus (Gyllenhal) 1838: 912 ( Sphenophorus ); Vaurie 1966: 281-282; O’Brien and Wibmer 1982: 218; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 6. Distribution. Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Croix, St. Vincent; Lesser Antilles endemic. Notes. Vaurie (1966) reports specimens (including larvae and pupal cells) taken from rotting trunks of banana in Martinique. No larvae have been found in healthy trunks and it has been suggested that this species could prove useful in hastening decomposition of old trunks.

Metamasius quadrisignatus (Gyllenhal) 1838: 907 ( Sphenophorus ); Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 454; Hustache 1932: 381; Vaurie 1966: 277-278; Ivie et al. 2008b: 276; O’Brien and Turnbow 2011: 6. = Metamasius bisignatus Hustache 1932: 382 of Guadeloupe. = Metamasius tetraspilosus (Chevrolat) 1880h : XXXII ( Sphenophorus ) of Guadeloupe. Distribution. Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat. Panama; Lesser Antilles and North and/or Central America . Notes. Vaurie (1966) reports specimens taken from the crowns of Tillandsia sp. in Montserrat.

Sphenophorus erythrurus Chevrolat 1880 : XXXII; Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 452 ( Nanus ). Distribution. Guadeloupe; single island endemic.

Sphenophorus rusticus Gyllenhal 1838: 937 . Distribution. Guadeloupe. Widespread South America ; Lesser Antilles and Latin America .

Sphenophorus tetraspilosus Chevrolat 1880 : XXXI. = Sphenophorus tetraspilotus: Chevrolat 1880: 315 [error] of Guadeloupe. Distribution. Guadeloupe; single island endemic.