Cephaloleia elaeidis Maulik, 1924

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 126-127

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia elaeidis Maulik, 1924 Fig. 128

Cephaloleia elaeidis Maulik 1924: 245. Maulik 1937: 132 (host plants); Lepesme 1947: 529 (host plants); Uhmann 1948a: 220 (noted), 1957b: 18 (catalog), 1964a: 403 (catalog); Risbec 1950: 380 (host plants); Bondar 1954: 18 (host plants); Speyer 1954: 365 (host plant); Lima 1955: 202 (faunal list); Menezes 1957 a: 86 (pest status); Sandino 1972: 77 (noted); Mariau 1999: 233 (noted), 2001: 132 (noted).

Cephalolia elaeidis Maulik. Lima 1927: 189 (faunal list), 1936: 325 (faunal list); Bondar 1931: 134 (biology), 1940c: 847 (biology); Guérin 1953: 97 (faunal list).

Cephalolia elacidis Maulik. Silva et al. 1985: 36 (misspelling, faunal list).

Description.

Elongate; subparallel; subconvex; shining black, elytral and pronotal margins, legs, and abdominal sterna pitchy-brown; antennomeres 1-2 pitchy-brown, 3-11 darker. Head: vertex punctate, with longitudinal carina; eyes strongly convex; frons not projecting; depressed between eyes. Antenna: reaches to humerus; slender; antennomere 1 incrassate, elongate; 2 elongate, shorter than 1; 3 longest; 4 shorter than 2; 3-6 cylindrical; 7-10 transverse, subequal in length, each shorter than 4; 11 subequal in length to 10, pointed at apex; 1-2 punctate with scattered setae; 3-11 setose. Pronotum: quadrate; lateral margin straight then rounding to anterior angle, serrulate, margined; anterior angle broadly rounded, slightly produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin weakly emarginate behind head; disc subconvex; surface with coarse punctures laterally and fine punctures throughout, longitudinal medial line almost impunctate; basal impression absent; pronotal length 1.0-1.3 mm; pronotal width 1.3-1.4 mm. Scutellum: cuneiform; acutely pointed at apex; alutaceous. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, margined; apex rounded, serrate; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; moderately punctate-striate, punctures becoming confused apically; elytral length 3.2-3.7 mm; elytral width 1.5-1.8 mm. Venter: pro- and mesosterna punctate; metasternum impunctate medially, punctate laterally; abdominal sterna punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 complete; last sternite with apical margin truncate in female, deeply emarginate medially in male. Leg: slender, short; punctate, each puncture with pale seta; tibia with fringe of setae on inner margin of apex; tarsi short; tarsal claw slightly projecting from tarsomere 3. Total length: 4.5-5.0 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia depressa , Cephaloleia donckieri , Cephaloleia tarsata , and Cephaloleia zikani . It can be distinguished by the lack of a medial fovea on the vertex of the head, by the serrulate lateral margins of the pronotum, by the serrulate apical margins of the elytra, by antennomere 1 being incrassate, and by the larger size.

Host plant.

Elaeis guineensis Jacq., Geonoma sp. ( Arecaceae ) ( Maulik 1924).

Distribution.

Brazil (Bahia, São Paulo), Ecuador.

Type material examined.

Holotype: Brazil, Bahia, Bondar [printed label]/ Type [red printed label]/ Cephaloleia elaeidis Mlk., Maulik det. [handwritten label] (BMNH).

Specimens examined.

Brazil:?- Retiro (?), 8 March 1912 (USNM). São Paulo- Cantareira, September 1939 (USNM). Ecuador: Napo- above Papallacta Paramo, 4000 m, 14 February 1983 (USNM);Sacha Lodge, 270 m, 12-22 February 1994, 13-23 June 1994, 25 July- 3 August 1994 (SEMC); San Rafael Falls, 1100 m, 5-6 August 1998 (USNM). Pichincha- E Sto. Domingo, 6-12 May 1990, 8-14 May 1988 (BYUC, USNM); Tinalandia, July 1983 (BYUC), 850 m, 2 February 1983 (USNM); Tinalandia, 15 km SE Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 30 June 1982 (USNM); Tinalandia, nr. St. Domingo, July 1983 (USNM); 12 km E Sto. Domingo, ca. 2500 ft., 11-17 May 1986 (TAMU). Orellana- Estación Cientifica Yasuni, 215 m, 6-10 September 1999 (EGRC). Total: 47.