Platyauchenia latreillei

Platyauchenia latreillei (Castelnau 1840)

Figure 1, 3, 4

1

Cassida latreillei Castelnau 1840: 510 [Brazil, type depository unknown].

Himatidium latreillei (Castelnau). Spaeth 1914: 14 (catalog).

Imatidium latreillei (Castelnau). Papp 1953: 125 (catalog).

Platyauchenia latreillei (Castelnau). Spaeth 1917: 24 (distribution), 1935: 65 (distribution); Maulik 1933: 669 (immatures), 1937: 133 (host plants), 1940: 256 (host plants); Bondar 1940a: 98 (biology), 1940b: 27 (note), 1940c: 37 (note), 1940d: 847 (note); Blackwelder 1946: 733 (faunal list); Costa Lima 1955: 205 (faunal list); Uhmann 1957: 48 (catalog); Godofredo d’Araújo e Silva et al. 1968: 450 (faunal list); Jolivet and Hawkeswood 1995: 145 (host plants); Mariau 1999: 233 (host plant), 2004: 605 (biology); Cox 1996: 212 (pupa).

Sphaeropalpus cincta Guérin-Méneville 1844: 285 [Brazil, type depository unknown]. Boheman 1850: 7 (synonym); Baly 1866: 7 (note); Maulik 1933: 669 (synonymy).

Sphaeropalpus deyrollei Baly 1866: 6 [Brazil, BMNH]. Spaeth 1914: 4 (catalog), 1935: 65 (nomenclatural note); Maulik 1933: 669 (synonymy); Lepesme 1947: 529 (biology).

Platyauchenia deyrollei (Baly). Pic 1921: 2 (comparative note); Costa Lima 1928: 188 (faunal list), 1936: 317 (faunal list); Blackwelder 1946: 733 (faunal list); Lepesme 1947: 529 (biology); Mariau 1999: 233 (host plant).

Platyauchenia deyrollei (Guérin-Méneville). Bondar 1924: 111 (biology), 1925: 48 (biology).

Platyauchenia limbata Stürm 1843: 359 [Brazil, type depository unknown]. Boheman 1850: 7 (redescription); Spaeth 1914: 4 (catalog), 1917: 24 (synonymy); Maulik 1933: 669 (nomenclature).

Platyauchenia titubans Dohrn 1880: 153 [Brazil, type depository unknown]. Spaeth 1914: 5 (catalog), 1917: 24 (nomenclatural note), 1935: 66 (synonymy); Maulik 1933: 670 (nomenclature); Blackwelder 1946: 733 (faunal list).

Platyauchenia quinquemaculata Pic 1921: 2 [Brazil, MNMH?]. Blackwelder 1946: 733 (faunal list); Uhmann 1957: 49 (catalog). New synonymy.

Description. Oblong-ovate; moderately convex. Vertex of head black, interocular space brownish (blackish in some specimens); antennae and mouthparts black; pronotum brown with medial black macula on raised area from anterior margin to posterior margin near scutellum, the size and development of the macula variable; scutellum black; elytra margined in black, with black markings along suture and lateral margins, but never completely black, sutural vitta narrow to apex, some specimens with transverse brown band which may be well defined or obscure; venter brown; tarsi and tibio-tarsal joint black, some specimens having black patches on femora and tibiae. Head: vertex punctate; medial sulcus present; slightly depressed between eyes. Antenna: less than ¼ length of body; antennomere I cylindrical, twice as long as II; II short, transverse; III cylindrical, as long as I & II combined; IV-VI cylindrical, decreasing in length; VII-X cylindrical subequal in length; XI as long as X, rounded at apex. Pronotum: more than twice as wide as long; widest at base; lateral margin broadly rounded, converging from base to apex; anterior angle with obtuse tooth; posterior angle acute; apical margin notched behind head; coarsely, sparsely punctate; base convex medially, with some rugose punctures; remainder depressed; pronotal length 4 mm; pronotal width 9-10 mm. Scutellum: subovate; with few scattered punctures. Elytron: slightly expanding posteriorly; lateral margin smooth, slightly rimmed; exterior apical angle rounded; apical margin smooth; elytral apices individually rounded; densely, coarsely punctate, punctures not in regular rows; extra punctures present in middle between basal rows 7-8; short sutural row present; three slight costae present, 1 st between puncture rows 3-4 from near base to just beyond middle, 2 nd between rows 6-7 from just behind humerus to apical ¼, 3 rd between rows 10-11 in middle; humerus slightly produced, rounded; elytral length 14-19 mm; elytral width 10-11 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna punctate; abdominal sterna punctate. Leg: femur punctate. Total length: 17-20 mm.

Larva (from Maulik 1933). Mature length 36 to 38 mm. Ovate, narrowing posteriorly and anteriorly, flat (not exceeding 1 mm in thickness); smooth and shining. Head: elliptical, posterior margin uniformly curved, anterior margin in five lobes, one medial and four lateral (two on each side); medial lobe narrowed in front, completely covering labrum; first lateral lobe rounded on inner margin, sinuate on outer margin, anterior margin ending in sharp point with a little cavity containing the antenna; lateral lobe 2 less pronounced, outer margin with three or four rounded “bumps”, dorsal surface smooth with scattered pits and with fine striations in a longitudinal direction; labrum thick, deeply excavated on underside; mandible without well defined teeth, front margin curving to a point, slightly notched at apex; maxillary palp with 2 palpomeres. Antenna: held in cavity; with 3-antennomeres; basal antennomere large, cylindrical, with four setae; II smaller, cylindrical, with 2 setae; III with pointed projection on outer margin. Thorax: suture between head and prothorax slightly emarginate; prothorax narrowed anteriorly, lateral margins rounded toward venter; mesothorax narrowest in middle; laterally with triangular projection which is backward directed; metathorax similar to mesothorax but larger. Abdomen: segments (except 8 and 9) well defined; segments 1-7 similar in shape and structure; 8 partially fused with 9; 9 shovel-shaped, wider at base, narrower at apex, sides slightly sinuate, upper surface slightly concave, apical margin divided into 2 parts by a blunt projection; apical corner with two sharp spines. Leg: 2-segmented; basal segment larger; with 1 claw. Length 36-38 mm, width 12-13 mm.

Pupa (from Maulik 1933). Oblong-ovate; widest in middle, narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly; dark brown dorsally, lighter ventrally; thorax with large dark spot; surface with numerous transverse wrinkles. Thorax: narrowed anteriorly; lateral margin slanting from base to apex, margin scalloped; basal margin bisinuate; each angle slightly produced, posterior angle more so; anterior margin divided into two parts with margin rounded at base then obliquely straight to apex, surface longitudinally wrinkled dorsally, transversely wrinkled ventrally; at base of division two small, well separated lobes; mesonotum small, short, anterior margin sinuate, posterior margin produced medially into small lobe; metanotum narrowed anteriorly, margin emarginate in middle to receive medial lobe of mesonotum, sides straight, oblique, basal margin nearly straight, but slightly sinuate at each side; head with medially impressed line. Abdomen: segments 1-7 similar in structure, each produced into a process; lateral process directly posteriorly with apex bluntly pointed, darker in color; segment 8 without lateral process, longer than preceding, narrower at apex than base, surface more wrinkled laterally, depressed laterally; segment 9 rectangular, wider than long, sides rounded, apical margin nearly straight but slightly emarginate in middle, edge scalloped, with deep notch in middle of apical margin. Total length: 28 mm; width 15 mm.

Host plants. Cocos nucifera L., Diplothemium (Arecaceae) (Maulik 1933, 1940; Bondar 1924). Maulik (1933, 1937) incorrectly listed the host plant as Theobroma cacao L. (Maulik 1940).

Life history. Bondar (1924, 1925, 1940a) published life history notes on this species. Larvae feed in young buds and axils of new leaves of Cocos. They feed on the epidermal layer of the plant resulting in the excavation of a flat gallery in the leaves and trunk. Mature leaves exhibit a 5-15 mm dark patch on the surface. Pupation occurs in dried leaves of the host plant and occurs in the last larval exuvium. Adults feed on the same plants as the larvae.

Discussion. Platyauchenia latreillei is extremely variable in coloration. Pic (1921) described P. quinquemaculata based totally on coloration. Repeated requests to the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, which houses the Pic type, failed to receive a response. Based on Pic’s description, the species is treated as a synonym of P. latreillei.

Distribution. Brazil.

Specimens examined. Ex. Musaeo E. Allard 1899 (USNM, 1; CLS, 1). Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (USNM, 2); Sao Paulo, Jan. 1949 (USNM, 1). Total: 5.