Chelobasis Gray 1832: 143

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Chelobasis bicolor Gray.

Diagnosis

Chelobasis 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 with a frontal horn
• antennomere 1 with a spine-like process near apex which is as long as 2 and 3 combined
• prosternum prosternum:
  contains two anterior coxal cavities
  raised between mesocoxae
• pronotum pronotum:
  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
• mesocoxae separated by the diameter of a coxa

Description

Body elongate, parallel; color usually yellow or red with variable black markings, marking may be absent in some specimens.

Head: frontal horn truncate at apex; vertexvertex:
occupies the area behind and between the eyes
impunctate, depressed between eyes.

Antenna: with 11-antennomeres; antennomere 1 lengthened into a spine-like process as long as antennomeres 2 and 3 combined.

Pronotum: quadrate; anterior margin bisinuate, not deeply bilobed; seta present in anterior angle; punctate laterally and basally.

Scutellum: elongate, triangular.

Elytron: margined laterally; apex conjointly rounded; with 10 rows of punctures; non-costate; without apical tooth, expansion or process.

Venter: mesocoxae separated by the diameter of a coxacoxa:
located in coxal cavity, spherical
; prosternal process raised between mesocoxae; pro‑ and mesotibiae expanded at apex.

Distribution

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, Panamá.

World Fauna

Described species: 4 (Staines 2012). Key to species: Staines (2009).

Hosts

Heliconia sp. (Heliconiaceae); Musa sp. (Musaceae).

References

Gray, G. R. 1832. Notices of new genera and species. inE. Griffith & E. Pidegon. The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization by the Baron Cuvier. Vol. 15, The Class Insecta (Part II). London, Whittaker, Teacher & Co. 796 pp.

Staines, C. L. 2009. A review of the genus Chelobasis Gray, 1832 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae; Cassidinae). Zootaxa 2033:58-58.

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