Diabrotica porracea Harold

Species name

Diabrotica porracea Harold 1875: 93

Type locality

Mexico

Type depository

MNHN, lectotype, female, verified

Synonyms

costatipennis Jacoby 1878: 996 (type locality: Costa Rica; type depository: MCZ, lectotype, male, verified)

Diagnosis

Body length 6.0-6.2 mm. Body width 2.5-3.1 mm. Head basic color green. Antennae filiformfiliform:
slender antennae with antennomeres of similar shape
, bi- or tricolored, antennomereantennomere:
"segment" of antenna, more or less clearly separated
1 pale olivine, antennomeres 2-11 cinnamon brown. Maxillary palpi and labrumlabrum:
the "upper lip" of beetles, a movable sclerite joined under clypeus
black or amber brown. Pronotumpronotum:
the notum of the prothorax with highly sclerotized pronotal disc
paris green or green, subquadrate, deeply bifoveate, not shagreened. Scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
black or amber brown. Elytra green, with diffuse sulphur yellow vitta from humerus to apexapex:
<em>(pl. apices)</em> the far distal end of a structure; opposite of base
, frequently reduced to two fuzzy-edged round maculae on each elytronelytron:
<em>(pl. elytra)</em> the fore highly sclerotized wing of beetle
. Elytral epipleura completely green. Elytral surface with five distinct sinuatesinuate:
curved in some way
sulci, strongest behind the humeral callushumeral callus:
<em>(pl. calli)</em> more or less marked tubercle or knob on the anterobasal angle of elytron
and extending beyond the middle. Sutural anglesutural angle:
the posterior angle or apex of the elytron near the suture
of elytra round, punctation dense, coarse. Abdomen pale olivine or green. Tarsi and tibiae black or amber brown, femora paris green. Aedeagusaedeagus:
the main sclerotized part of the male genitalia; "aedeagus" is used here instead of "median lobe of aedeagus"
symmetric, with four internal sac scleritessclerites:
(here) the sclerotized hooks, spines or plates in the internal sac
.

Known distribution

Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela

Host plants

Cucurbita foetidissima Kunth, C. pepo L., Datura candida (Pers.) Saff., squashes and gourds (Krysan & Smith, 1987a)

Potential problems with identification

Diabrotica porracea Jacoby is similar to D. virgifera zeae Krysan & Smith and D. viridula (Fabricius). They can be separated by the shape of internal sac scleritessclerites:
(here) the sclerotized hooks, spines or plates in the internal sac
4B and 4D.