Chalepus Thunberg 1805: 282

Synonomys

Calepus Thunberg (sic).

Cephalodonta (Chalepus) Thunberg.

Anoplitis Kirby 1837: 227 (in part).

Parachalepus Baly 1885: 47.

Type Species

Hispa sanguinicollis Linnaeus.

Diagnosis

Chalepus can be distinguished by the following combination of characters:

• the lateral margins of the pronotumpronotum:
  occupies all of dorsal part of the prothorax; in anterior angles or posterior angles there may be a small tubercle or pore with a seta
  and the elytra without long, stiff spines
• the head without a frontal horn
• the pronotumpronotum:
  occupies all of dorsal part of the prothorax; in anterior angles or posterior angles there may be a small tubercle or pore with a seta
  with a seta in each anterior angle, finely margined, without lateral teeth
• the apex of the elytra without a tooth-like projection
• the elytra with 10 rows of punctures for entire length and 4 regular costae, scutellar row absent, humerus rounded without spine or tooth
• the antennae thickened at apex, with 11-antennomeres, antennomere 3 subequal in length to 2 or 4
• leg with apical tarsomere bearing 2 claws
• anterior margin of prosternumprosternum:
  contains two anterior coxal cavities
  not expanding toward mouth

Description

Head: wider than long; vertexvertex:
occupies the area behind and between the eyes
sulcate or micropunctate; frontal carina feebly developed, elongate or diamond‑shaped, extending between antennaantenna:
3 to 11 segments, inserted in antennal pit in front of eyes
and joining clypeal base; clypeusclypeus:
usually quadrangular, elongate; joined to the labrum
large and usually longer than wide, triangularly elevated, apex feebly arcuate, surface finely punctate or coarsely granularly tuberculate with long white setae.

Antenna: with 11-antennomeres; basal antennomere incrassate.

Pronotum: transverse; convex; slight basal depression with ante‑scutellar transverse carina; lateral margin angulate in middle.

Elytron: subelongate, parallel, slightly indented at sides; apex regularly rounded, finely serrulate; with 10 rows of punctures at base and apex, may be reduced after middle, scutellar row absent.

Venter: sparsely, irregularly micropunctate; abdominal sternite 5 apically truncate.

Distribution

Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bequita, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guana, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, México, Mona, Monsterrat, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Vincent, Suriname, Tortola, Union, United States, Venezuela, Vieques.

World Fauna

Described species: 94 (Staines 2012). Key: Butte (1968b); Uhmann (1936e); Monrós & Viana (1947); Staines (1996) 1997, 2006b.

Hosts

Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae); Verbesina (Asteraceae); Arrabidea (Bignoniaceae); Cordia (Boraginaceae); Aloysia, Bauhinia (Caesalpinaceae); Actinostemon sp. (Euphorbiaceae); Benthamantha, Phaseolus (Fabaceae); Chusquea, Dichanthelium, Elymus, Hystrix, Lasiacis, Olyra, Panicum, Pasaplum, Lasiacis, Valota, Yaguapinda, Zea (Poaceae).

References

Baly, J. S. 1885. Hispidae. in F. D. Godman & O. Salvin (eds.). Biologia Centrali‑Americana, Zoology, Insecta, Coleoptera, Phytophaga. 6(2):1‑124. London.

Butte, J. G. 1968b. The revision of the tribe Chalepini of America north of Mexico. II. Genus Chalepus Thunberg (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 75:117‑133.

Kirby, W. 1837. in J. Richardson, Fauna Boreali‑Americana. Part 4, Insects. 325 pp.

Monrós, F. & M. J. Viana. 1947. Revisión sistemática de los Hispidae Argentinos (Insecta, Coleop. Chrysomeloid.). Anales del Museo Argentino Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" 42:125-324.

Staines, C. L. 1996(1997). The Hispinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Nicaragua. Revista Nicaragüense de Entomología 37/38:1-65.

Staines, C. L. 2006b. The hispine beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) of America north of Mexico. VirginiaMuseum of Natural History Special Publication Number 13. 178 pp.

Staines, C. L. 2012. Tribe Chalepini. Catalog of the hispines of the world (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). http://entomology.si.edu/Collections_Coleoptera.html

Thunberg, C. P. 1805. 29. Stud. Den 21. Februar 1805. inGottingen gelehrte Anzeiger. 1805:281‑282.

Uhmann, E. 1936e. Amerikanische Hispinen aus dem Zoologischen Museum der Universität Berlin. V. Teil. Die Gattung Chalepus i. sp. Thunberg. 61. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Hispinen (Col. Chrys.). Festschrift zum 60. Geburtstage von Professor Dr. Embrik Strand 1:613-629.