Cephaloleia semivittata Baly, 1885

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 242-243

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia semivittata Baly, 1885 Fig. 234

Cephaloleia semivittata Baly 1885: 16. Blackwelder 1946: 720 (catalog); Papp 1953: 22 (catalog); Uhmann 1957a: 25 (catalog); Wilcox 1983: 137 (catalog); Staines 1996: 59 (Central America species), 2004: 312 (host plants), 2011: 50 (faunal list); Staines and Staines 1999: 524 (Baly species list); McKenna and Farrell 2005: 120 (phylogeny); García–Robledo et al. 2013a: 3 (biology).

Cephalolia semivittata Baly. Donckier 1899: 551 (catalog); Weise 1911a: 9 (catalog), 1911b: 12 (catalog).

Description.

Elongate; subparallel; subdepressed; head, antennae, scutellum, pronotum (except anterior margin and anterior angle margined in black), and venter (except pro-, meso-, and metasterna reddish-brown medially) black; elytra reddish-yellow on basal ½, apical ½ with black vitta from lateral margin to suture, extends between puncture rows 5-10, lateral margin reddish-yellow. Head: vertex densely punctate, medial carina present; frons finely, sparsely punctate, not projecting; not depressed between eyes. Antenna: reaches to humerus; slender; antennomeres 1 and 3 elongate, subequal in length; 2 transverse; 4-10 transverse, subequal in length, each longer than 2; 11 2 × length of 10, rounded at apex; 1-3 punctate with scattered setae; 4-11 setose. Pronotum: quadrate; lateral margin straight then rounding to anterior angle, slightly canaliculate; anterior angle obtuse, produced; posterior angle angulate; anterior margin emarginate behind head; disc subconvex; surface strongly punctate, longitudinal section of disc impunctate; basal impression absent; pronotal length 0.9-1.0 mm; pronotal width 1.3 mm. Scutellum: pentagonal, impunctate. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, margined; apex rounded; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, slightly produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; flattened along suture; strongly punctate-striate, rows converge and unite apically; elytral length 3.4-3.6 mm; elytral width 1.7-1.9 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna impunctate medially, punctate laterally; abdominal sterna punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 obsolete medially; last sternite with apical margin emarginate medially in male, truncate in female. Leg: slender; punctate, each puncture with pale seta; tibia with fringe of setae on inner margin of apex. Total length: 4.6-4.8 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia belti , Cephaloleia consanguinea , Cephaloleia erugatus , Cephaloleia triangularis , Cephaloleia trivittata , Cephaloleia variabilis , and Cephaloleia vicina . It can be distinguished by the elytral puncture rows being distinct apically, by antennomere 1 being subequal in length to 2 and 3, by antennomere 2 being transverse, and by the uniform pronotal punctures.

Host plant.

Adults have been collected on Calathea marantifolia Standley ( Staines 1996); Cephaloleia cleistantha Standl., Cephaloleia crotalifera S. Watson, Pleiostachya pruinosa (W. Bull. ex. Regel) K. Schum. ( Marantaceae ).

Distribution.

Costa Rica, Panama.

Type material examined.

Syntype: Type H. T. [white disk with red border]/ Panama, Bugaba, Champion/ B. C. A., Col. VI, 2. Cephaloleia semivittata, Baly/ Cephaloleia/ Cephalolia semivittata Baly, Panama [blue handwritten label] (BMNH, 1).

Specimens examined.

COSTA RICA: Cartago- Turrilba, Santa Teresita, Monumento Nacional Guayabo, 1100-1200 m (INBIO). Guanacaste- Estac. Cacao, 1000-1400 m, SE side Volcán Cacao, 1988-1989, June 1990 (INBIO); Est. Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S Sta. Cecilia, P.N. Guanacaste, December 1989, July 1991 (INBIO); Río San Lorenzo, 1050 m, Tierras Morenas, Z. P. Tenorio, 28 March- 21 April 1992, July 1992 (INBIO). Heredia- La Selva Biol. Sta., 3 km S Pto. Viejo, 23 July 1992 (USNM); Est. Biol. La Selva, 07 July 2001 (USNM); Rara Avis Biological Station, 15 November 2011 (USNM). Limón- Sector Cerro Cocorí, Fca. de E. Rojas, 150 m, November 1991, March 1992 (INBIO); Cerro Tortuguero, P.N. Tortuguero, December 1989 (INBIO); Est. Cuatro Esquinas, 0 m, P.N. Tortuguero, August 1991 (INBIO). Puntarenas- Est. Biol. Las Alturas, 1500 m, Coto Brus., November 1991 (INBIO); Coto Brus, Las Cruces Biological Station, 10 March 2012 (USNM); Rancho Quemado, Pen. Osa, February 1991, April 1991, May 1991, November 1991, 21 March- 7 April 1992, May 1992 (INBIO); Est. Sirena, 0-100 m, P.N. Corcovado, January 1990, September 1990, April 1991, October 1991, July 1991, September 1991, November 1991, December 1991 (INBIO); Aguirre, Quepos, P.N. Manuel Antonio, 0-100 m (INBIO). PANAMA: Colón- Porto Bello, 17 February 1911, 18 February 1911, 27 February 1911, 6 March 1911 (USNM). Total: 73.