Chalepus sanguinicollis (Linnaeus)

Clark, Shawn M., Lillrose, Tiffany & Belo Neto, Luiz A., 2013, Leaf Beetles of the Cayman Islands (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Insecta Mundi 2013 (279), pp. 1-41 : 10-12

Chalepus sanguinicollis (Linnaeus)

( Figure 3)

Hispa sanguinicollis Linnaeus 1771: 530 .

Odontota axillaris Jacquelin du Val 1857: 313 .

Odontota stigmula Chapuis 1877: 11 .

Chalepus (Chalepus) scutellaris Pic 1931: 14 .

Chalepus sanguinicollis, var. australis Uhmann 1935: 239 .

Chalepus hebalus Sanderson 1951: 160 .

Diagnosis. Adults are black with the prothorax and base of the elytra red. This coloration alone is sufficient to distinguish this species from all other chrysomelids known to occur in the Cayman Islands. The red elytral markings vary dramatically in extent. In some specimens they are limited to the humeri and adjacent area. In others, they extend most of the elytral length, leaving only the elytral apex black. In most, they are intermediate between these extremes.

Material examined. None from the Cayman Islands. The specimen illustrated in Figure 3 is from Cuba. Extralimital distribution. This species occurs in the United States (Florida) and is widespread in the West Indies, as well as in mainland America from Mexico to Argentina ( Takizawa 2003, Staines 2009).

Plant associations. This species has been associated with various species of Poaceae , including Digitaria insularis (L.) Mez ex Ekman, Panicum leucophaeum Kunth , Paspalum densum Poir. , and Sorghastrum setosum (Griseb.) Hitchc. ( Clark et al. 2004) .

Comments. Although we have not examined any Cayman Islands specimens and are not aware of any literature records, Lyle Buss (personal communication) has sent us a photograph of a specimen that was collected there. He did not send an actual specimen, but we have no doubt regarding the identification. Some publications, such as Wilcox (1975), recognize three subspecies of C. sanguinicollis : C. sanguinicollis sanguinicollis (Linnaeus) , C. sanguinicollis axillaris Jacquelin du Val , and C. sanguinicollis australis Uhmann. However , in a personal communication from Charles L. Staines, a taxonomic specialist on leaf mining Cassidinae , he states that he regards all of these as mere color forms of a single variable species, and that he cannot find any consistent morphological characters to warrant their separation into distinct taxa.