Neochlamisus bebbianae ( Brown, 1943 ) II

Chaboo, Caroline S., Brown, Christopher G. & Funk, Daniel J., 2008, Faecal case architecture in the gibbosus species group of Neochlamisus Karren, 1972 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Chlamisini), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 152 (2), pp. 315-351 : 323

Neochlamisus bebbianae ( Brown, 1943) II :

Alnus host form ( Fig. 6 )

Egg case ( Fig. 6B–D ): Size (N = 9): L, 1.37–1.68 mm; W at roof, 0.89–0.94 mm. Colour: brownish black. Shape: bell-like; symmetrical in lateral aspect; ventral, lateral, and dorsal surfaces not apparent. Apex: dome-like; attachment stalk, present, creamy brown, translucent, not coiled. Roof: thin-walled, shallowly convex; internal and external surface textures similarly rough; flange, thin and ragged. External wall: coarse, with faeces arranged as overlapping plates; plates with apical margins exposed and arcuate; shallow uneven longitudinal ridges present; ridges evenly spaced, edges ragged. Trichomes: apparent within matrix, simple, arranged randomly and horizontally. Internal surface: texture lacking apparent plates and ridges; narrow space between case wall and egg.

Larva-I case ( Fig. 6E ): Size (N = 5): L, 1.45–1.70 mm; W at base opening, 1.09–1.7 mm. Colour: unevenly dark brown, with larval addition in basal section and in ventral wall darker, almost blackish. Egg case: generally intact; egg stalk present or absent. External surface of instar-I section: with faeces deposited in rows. Ventral wall: distinct in late instar I with insertion of ventral suture and faeces; suture extending subapically through egg case to basal margin. Lateral and dorsal walls: as in egg case, basally, with narrow addition of faecal rows; rows arranged transversely. Base opening: transverse, margin simple. Internal surface: relatively smooth; plates and rows not apparent. Wall thickness: evenly thin; apex approximately two times thicker than wall.

Larva-II case ( Fig. 6F ): Size (N = 9): L, 2.75–2.77 mm; W at base opening, 1.23–1.60 mm. Colour: unevenly dark brown. Shape: tubular; apex, dome-like; egg stalk, absent. Egg case: apparent, accounting for half of the total case length; shape, position, and external texture of plates and weak longitudinal ridges, generally intact; flange of original egg case somewhat abraded. Larval-built case section: distinct from maternal section in colour (blackish), surface texture (coarser, in rows), and trichomes (more protuberant). External surface of larval sections: coarse with fine and even faecal rows. Trichomes: present, sparse, deeply embedded into faecal matrix, some more protuberant in larval section. Ventral wall: with suture extending from apex through egg case to base opening; suture and adjacent faecal insertion protuberant. Walls: evenly thick, slightly thicker at base. Base opening: slightly oblique, margin simple. Internal surface: smooth; plates, ridges, and rows not apparent.

Larva-III case ( Fig. 6B ): Size (N = 8): L, 3.03– 3.06 mm; W at base opening, 1.62–1.87 mm. Case III resembles case II, with larval section II similar to larval section I.

Larva-IV case ( Fig. 6G ): Size (N = 8): L, 3.27– 3.73 mm; W at base opening, 2.06–3.40 mm. Colour: light brown in egg section, dark brown/black in larval sections. Shape: tubular, asymmetrical in lateral aspect, ventral wall longer than dorsal wall; apex forming elongate dome. Egg and larval sections: distinguishable; external plates of egg case not apparent, longitudinal ridges vague; larval section with fine rows. Ventral wall with suture extended from apex to basal margin; ventral field quadriform, not triangular as in earlier instars. Base opening: transverse, margin simple. Internal surface texture: relatively smooth, instar sections not distinct. Wall thickness of egg case and sections I–III evenly narrow; wall of instar IV approximately twice as thick. Trichomes: present, sparse, deeply embedded in faecal matrix.

Pupal case ( Fig. 6H–J ): Size (N = 7): L, 5.42– 5.56 mm; W at base opening, 4.05–4.15 mm. Colour: dark-brown/black, base lighter brown. Shape: barrellike, asymmetrical in lateral view with ventral wall shorter than dorsal wall. Egg case: occupying c. 1/8th of the total case length, shape completely distorted, split hemispherically and inclined ventrad; surface plates not apparent. External surface: with fine faecal rows arranged longitudinally on ventral wall, obliquely on lateral wall, and transversely on dorsal wall. Ventral wall: with suture extended from apex to base opening; larval insertions coarse, occupying most of ventral wall. Base opening: oblique, margin simple, completely sealed; seal flattened and discoid, texture rough externally and internally, comprised of faeces and trichomes; exuviae IV positioned internally on top of seal. Trichomes: present, sparse, incorporated deeply into matrix.

Figures

Figure 6. Neochlamisus bebbianae II: Alnus (alder) host form. A, adult habitus with prothorax unnaturally distended while preserved. B, case series from egg case (left) to pupal case (right). C, egg case apex showing egg stalk. D, egg case, sealed roof. E, instar-I case, lateral aspect. F, instar-II case, ventral aspect. G, instar-IV case, lateral aspect. H, pupal case, dorsolateral aspect. I–J, pupal case, surface textures, scanning electron micrographs.