Diabrotica relicta Suffrian

Species name

Diabrotica relicta Suffrian 1867: 310

Type locality

Insel Cuba [from title of work]

Type depository

ESUH, lectotype, male, verified

Diagnosis

Body length 5.5-6.6 mm. Body width 2.9-3.2 mm. Head basic color black. Antennae filiformfiliform:
slender antennae with antennomeres of similar shape
, bi- or tricolored, antennomeres 1-3 pale olivine, antennomeres 4-8 gradually infuscated, antennomeres 9-10 sulphur yellow, antennomereantennomere:
"segment" of antenna, more or less clearly separated
11 cinnamon brown. Maxillary palpi black or amber brown, labrumlabrum:
the "upper lip" of beetles, a movable sclerite joined under clypeus
black. Pronotumpronotum:
the notum of the prothorax with highly sclerotized pronotal disc
yellow or mustard yellow, subquadrate, nonfoveate, shagreened with minute wrinkles. Scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
black. Elytra yellow or rufous, maculatemaculate:
(here) marked by maculae or patches of a different shape and size, usually clearly separated from each other
, with five black or amber brown spots on each elytronelytron:
<em>(pl. elytra)</em> the fore highly sclerotized wing of beetle
, one humeral, one around scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
, one in the middle and two behind middle. Elytral epipleura completely yellow, sutural anglesutural angle:
the posterior angle or apex of the elytron near the suture
of elytra round, punctation scattered, fine. Abdomen yellow. Tarsi and tibiae black, femora yellow or yellow ocher. 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

Cuba

Host plants

Unknown

Potential problems with identification

Diabrotica relicta Suffrian is very similar to D. undecimpunctata tenella LeConte and D. venancia Bechyné. Internal sac of aedeagusaedeagus:
the main sclerotized part of the male genitalia; "aedeagus" is used here instead of "median lobe of aedeagus"
allows distinguishing these species with confidence.