Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber

Species name

Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber 1947: 153

Common name

12-spotted cucumber beetle, southern corn rootworm

Type locality

Unknown

Type depository

ZMUC, lectotype, female, verified

Synonyms

12-punctata Fabricius 1775: 103 as Chrysomela (type locality: not designated; type depository: ZMUC, lectotype, female, verified)

6-punctata Fabricius 1792: 4 as Crioceris (type locality: Cap. Bon. Spei; type depository: BMNH)

Diagnosis

Body length 5.2-7.5 mm. Body width 2.8-3.9 mm. Head basic color black. Antennae filiformfiliform:
slender antennae with antennomeres of similar shape
, bi- or tricolored, antennomeres 1-3 sulphur yellow, antennomeres 4-11 black. Maxillary palpi and 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 sulphur yellow, subquadrate, bifoveate, with small round foveae, shagreened with minute wrinkles. Scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
black. Elytra green, yellow or rufous, maculatemaculate:
(here) marked by maculae or patches of a different shape and size, usually clearly separated from each other
with 12 round black maculae. 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 black. Tibiae and femora bicolored: yellow, from 1/2 to 2/3 is darkened with black or brown. 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

USA: AL, AZ, AR, CO, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME.

Host plants

Corn (Zea mays L.), Cucurbitaceae (Clark et al., 2004)

Potential problems with identification

D. undecimpunctata howardi can be separated from other subspecies by the following features: abdomen and legs, usually only femora, partly pale in D. undecimpunctata howardi, entirely black in D. undecimpunctata undecimpunctata and abdomen black in the middle in D. undecimpunctata duodecimnotata; spots on elytra in D. undecimpunctata howardi are smaller than in D. undecimpunctata undecimpunctata, but larger, than in D. undecimpunctata duodecimnotata and D. undecimpunctata tenella. D. undecimpunctata howardi is larger and more robust than D. undecimpunctata tenella.