Diabrotica tripunctata (Fabricius)

Species name

Diabrotica tripunctata Fabricius 1801: 451 as Crioceris; status restored

Type locality

America meridionali

Type depository

ZMUC, lectotype, female, verified

Diagnosis

Body length 6.9-8.2 mm. Body width 3.6-4.0 mm. Head basic color black. Antennae filiformfiliform:
slender antennae with antennomeres of similar shape
, bi- or tricolored, antennomeres 1-3 yellow, upper sides darkened, antennomeres 4-8 and 11 brussels brown, antennomeres 9-10 sulphur yellow. Maxillary palpi and labrumlabrum:
the "upper lip" of beetles, a movable sclerite joined under clypeus
black or amber brown, penultimate joint of maxillary palpi strongly incrassate. Pronotumpronotum:
the notum of the prothorax with highly sclerotized pronotal disc
yellow or light cadmium, transverse, nonfoveate, not shagreened. Scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
black or amber brown. Elytra yellow or rufous, maculatemaculate:
(here) marked by maculae or patches of a different shape and size, usually clearly separated from each other
with three sharp-edged yellow ocher macula on each elytronelytron:
<em>(pl. elytra)</em> the fore highly sclerotized wing of beetle
, sometimes divided into two parts. Elytral epipleura completely yellow, sutural anglesutural angle:
the posterior angle or apex of the elytron near the suture
of elytra obtuse-angled, punctation dense, coarse. Abdomen yellow or yellow ocher. Tarsi black, piceous or chestnut. Tibiae black, piceous or bicolored, yellow, outer edge with piceous or testaceous line, or extensively darkened. Femora yellow or yellow ocher.

Known distribution

South America

Host plants

Unknown

Remarks

This species has long been considered part of the melanocephala complex (Bechyné 1955b, Smith and Lawrence 1967) and cited as synonym of D. sinuata (Olivier) (Wilcox 1972). We studied the type of D. tripunctata (Fabricius) in ZMUC. The type is a female but all external features allowing for distinguishing two species easily: penultimate joint of maxillary palpi slightly incrassate in D. tripunctata, not incrassate in D. sinuata; elytra are longer and narrower (widest behind the elytronelytron:
<em>(pl. elytra)</em> the fore highly sclerotized wing of beetle
midpoint) in D. tripunctata, shorter and more rounded (widest at the elytronelytron:
<em>(pl. elytra)</em> the fore highly sclerotized wing of beetle
middle) in D. sinuata; pronotumpronotum:
the notum of the prothorax with highly sclerotized pronotal disc
is slightly flattened in D. tripunctata, but convex in D. sinuata; punctation is very coarse and deep, points around scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
are connected in rough wrinkles in D. tripunctata, but surface of elytra and pronotumpronotum:
the notum of the prothorax with highly sclerotized pronotal disc
very shining usually in D. sinuata; D. tripunctata is larger on average than D. sinuata. Because D. tripunctata was cited as synonym D. sinuata for a long time and D. tripunctata is very similar to D. lacordairei Kirsch (both species, D. sinuata and D. lacordairei, are common in the Central America), we included D. tripunctata in the key.

Potential problems with identification

Diabrotica tripunctata (Fabricius) is similar to D. lacordairei Kirsch and to a few South American species (D. consentanea Baly, D. alboplagiata Jacoby, D. javeti Baly, D. pascoei Baly). Diabrotica tripunctata can be separated from D. lacordairei by the following features: femora bicolored in D. tripunctata, but completely yellow in D. lacordairei; penultimate joint of maxillary palpi strongly incrassate in D. tripunctata, but not incrassate in D. lacordairei; elytra margin is yellow in D. tripunctata, but black in D. lacordairei.