Monoxia sp. 3

Eiseman, Charles S., Feldman, Tracy S. & Palmer, Michael W., 2024, New larval host records, parasitoid records, and DNA barcoding data for North American leaf-mining leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomeloidea), Zootaxa 5549 (1), pp. 1-60 : 48

Monoxia sp. 3

( Figs. 116–117 , 170 )

Collected specimen. CALIFORNIA: San Diego Co., Wind Canyon , 11.iii.2017, C.S. Eiseman, on Isocoma acradenia , # CSE3274 ( 1 adult, MLBM) .

Host. Asteraceae : Isocoma acradenia (Greene) Greene.

Biology. A single adult was found on an Isocoma acradenia plant with empty leaf mines that were generally consistent with Monoxia mines we have found on other hosts ( Figs. 116–117 ). Most were confined to the upper leaf surface, although one in a small, narrow leaf was full-depth. Each mine had an entry hole in the upper epidermis at its basal end, and a few round to elongate fecal pellets were scattered either within the mine or on the leaf surface outside this hole.

Notes. S.M. Clark ( in litt.) suggested that this beetle might be Monoxia beebei Blake , a species with which he is not familiar; the specimen matches many (but not all) of the published characters. Monoxia beebei was described from Santa Inez Island ( Baja California), where the vegetation was dominated by Amaranthus watsonii Standl. and Atriplex barclayana (Benth.) D.Dietr. ( Amaranthaceae ), and it was presumed that one or both of these was the host plant ( Blake 1937). This is the first report of Isocoma as an apparent larval host of a Monoxia species, but three species have been caught as adults on Isocoma : M. apicalis Blake on I. menziesii (Hook. & Arn.) G.L. Nesom ; M. schizonycha Blake on I. menziesii var. vernonioides (Nutt.) G.L. Nesom ; and M. sordida on I. veneta (Kunth) Greene ( Clark et al. 2004) .

Figures

FIGURES 107–117. Leaf mines and larvae of Monoxia spp.; 107: M. elegans on Atriplex canescens; 108: same (transmitted light); 109: M. inornata on Grindelia squarrosa; 110: same; 111: Monoxia sp. 1 on Atriplex hymenelytra (vacated); 112: same (with larva); 113: Monoxia sp. 2 on Eurybia glauca; 114: same mine in transmitted light, showing larva at lower left; 115: externally feeding larva of Monoxia sp. 2 on Eurybia glauca; 116: Monoxia sp. 3 on Isocoma acradenia; 117: same (transmitted light).

FIGURES 162–173. Chrysomeloidea adults; 162: Dibolia cf. obscura; 163: Mantura floridana; 164: Phyllotreta liebecki; 165: Phyllotreta sp. 2; 166: Monoxia elegans; 167: M. inornata; 168: Monoxia sp. 1; 169: Monoxia sp. 2; 170: Monoxia sp. 3; 171: Yingabruxia brisleyi; 172: Zeugophora puberula; 173: Z. varians.