Omophoita cyanipennis (Fabricius)

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 : 27

Omophoita cyanipennis (Fabricius)

( Figure 20)

Galleruca cyanipennis Fabricius 1798: 97 .

Oedionychis octomaculata Crotch 1873: 60 . NEW SYNONYMY.

Diagnosis. The greatly enlarged hind femora, together with the rather globosely swollen terminal portion of the distal tarsomere of each hind leg, distinguish the two species of this genus from other chrysomelids known to occur in the Cayman Islands. The elytra of Cayman Islands specimens of O. cyanipennis ( Fig. 20) are dark with pale maculae, and the postmedian oblique macula (when present) is shorter and less slender than in O. albicollis ( Fig. 19). Two of the specimens examined have reduced maculation, the subscutellar spot being very small in one specimen and entirely absent in the other, and the oblique postmedian marking being entirely absent in both. Such specimens are not known to occur in O. albicollis , although the maculae of unusual specimens are weakly indicated but still of normal size. Outside of the Cayman Islands, some specimens of O. cyanipennis have entirely immaculate elytra.

Material examined. Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Arboretum , 11-V-2010, K. Palmer, on Clerodendron, Sample #KP59b (2, BYUC; 5, FSCA) ; Cayman Island, Grand Cayman, Bodden Town, Monument Rd. , 18-V-2010, K. Palmer, on black mint, Sample #KP62B (4, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Botanic Garden , 3-VI-2008, M C. Thomas, beating (1, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman , East End, 18-VIII-1964, E. J. Gerberg (1, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman , Georgetown, 18-IX- 1968, E. J. Gerberg (1, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Governor Gore’s Pond , 28-V-2009, R. Turnbow (2, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Mastic Trailhead S., 20-V-2009, R. Turnbow (2, RHTC) ; Grand Cayman , Mastic Trailhead S., 27-V-2009, R. Turnbow (2, BYUC; 2, RHTC) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Queen Elizabeth II Bot. Pk. , 8-IV-2009, N. Hansraj, on Coleus sp. (3, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Queen Elizabeth II Bot. Pk. , 7-XII-2009, N. Hansraj, on Acalypha sp. (2, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman , West Bay, 17-VIII-1964, E. J. Gerberg (1, BYUC; 1, FSCA) .

Extralimital distribution. Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Central America, Mexico, and U.S.A. ( Takizawa 2003; Riley et al. 2003).

Plant associations. This species has been recorded from a rather wide diversity of plants ( Clark et al. 2004). As indicated above, Cayman Islands material has been collected from Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae) , Coleus (Lamiaceae) , black mint ( Mentha x piperita L., Lamiaceae ), and Clerodendron ( Clerodendrum , Verbenaceae ).

Comments. When Blake (1931) studied the taxonomy of this and similar species, she regarded O. octomaculata as a mere variety of O. cyanipennis , distinguishing the two varieties based on the presence or absence of pale elytral maculae. However, in subsequent publications, including the recent catalog of Riley et al. (2003), the two names have been treated as subspecies. Indeed, in some parts of the distribution, such as in the U.S.A., only one of the varieties occurs. In contrast, throughout much of the West Indies, the two occur together. Conceptually, the recognition of subspecies is valid. One subspecies could be characterized by populations including either both color forms together or only immaculate individuals. The other could be characterized by populations including only maculate beetles. However, this approach would not allow for the identification of many singleton specimens, and it would sometimes require very long series to properly classify material. Very likely, populations exist in which the overwhelming majority of specimens are of one color form, but with a few rare individuals being of the other. Such populations would be hard to assign to one subspecies or the other. Here, we have chosen not to recognize subspecies, hence the synonymy proposed above. All of the specimens seen from the Cayman Islands are maculate, but two of them have a reduced number of spots.