Metachroma clarkei Blake

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 : 29-30

Metachroma clarkei Blake

( Figures 23, 24, 39, 47)

Metachroma clarkei Blake 1970: 40 .

Diagnosis. In this species, the hind femora are not greatly enlarged in comparison to those of the front and middle legs, the pronotum has well developed lateral and posterior beads, and the elytral punctures are arranged in regular striae. The pronotum is light brown with four dark spots, these sometimes coalescing to form only two spots. The elytra are usually light brown with the suture dark and also with dark discal spots. However, these spots may coalesce to form a somewhat reticulate pattern, or they may unusually be weakly indicated or absent. Unlike M. adustum , the elytra are never entirely dark or with only the apical area pale. These characters distinguish M. clarkei from all other chrysomelid species known to occur in the Cayman Islands.

Material examined. Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, Songbird Drive , 6-VI-2008, M. C. Thomas (1, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, West End Point , 6-VI-2008, M. C. Thomas (1, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, West End Point , 6-VI-2008, R. Turnbow, on Rhizophora mangle L. (2, BYUC; 13, RHTC) ; Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, West End Point , 7-VI-2008, M. C. Thomas (12, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, West End Point , 7-VI-2008, R. Turnbow, on Rhizophora mangle L. (4, RHTC) ; Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, West End Point , 22-V-2009, M. C. Thomas (3, BYUC; 11, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, West End Point , 22-V-2009, R. Turnbow (16, RHTC) ; Cayman Islands, Little Cayman, Coot Marsh , 27-V-2009, Thomas, Turnbow & Ball, blacklight trap (9, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Little Cayman, Coot Marsh area , 26-V-2009, M. C. Thomas (2, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Little Cayman, Guy Banks Road, 2.4 km east of Blossom Village , 26-V-2009, M. C. Thomas (9, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Little Cayman , 2.4 km east Blossom Village, 26-V-2009, R. Turnbow (4, BYUC; 4, RHTC) .

Extralimital distribution. Mexico and U.S.A. (Florida) ( Peck and Thomas 1998).

Plant associations. Many of the specimens listed above were collected from Rhizophora mangle L. ( Rhizophoraceae ). In Florida, this beetle species has been reported in association with Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. ( Combretaceae ). In Costa Rica, “ Metachroma nr. clarkei ” has been reported from Avicennia germinans (L.) L. ( Avicenniaceae ) and Conocarpus erectus L. ( Combretaceae ) ( Flowers and Janzen 1997).

Comments. This beetle species is presumably native to Mexico. It is likely an accidental introduction in Florida and the Cayman Islands.