Octotoma Chevrolat 1836: 390

Synonomys

Octotoma Dejean.

Octotoma Suffrian.

Type Species

Hispa plicatula Fabricius.

Diagnosis

Octotoma 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
• the apex of the elytra without a tooth-like projection
• the elytra with 8 or 10 rows of punctures, some species with 3 regular costae, others with lateral and transverse carinae which are almost tuberculate, humerus rounded
• the antennae thickened at apex, short, clavate, with 8-antennomeres, antennomere 7 as wide as 8
• the prosternumprosternum:
  contains two anterior coxal cavities
  does not expand anteriorly to partly cover the mouth
• tarsomere 3 bilobed

Description

Body wedged‑shaped.

Head: medial sulcus present or absent.

Antenna: with 8‑antennomeres; reaching to base of 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
; antennomere 1 subglobose; 7 as wide as 8; 8 oval, subacute at tip.

Pronotum: transverse; tooth present in anterior angle; margined laterally; four depressions present, two before and two after midline.

Elytron: with 8 or 10 rows of punctures plus scutellar row; costae may be developed; some species with transverse and lateral carinae, these species having asymmetrical sculpture.

Leg: femurfemur:
largest part of the leg; more or less cylindrical, attached at base to trochanter and at apex to tibia
distinctly sinuate beneath near apex; tibiatibia:
variable in length; joins femur and tarsus
curved at base, protibia more dilated than others and with outer edge sinuate; tarsomeres dilated, densely pubescent beneath, tarsomere 1 small, 2 twice as long as wide, 3 longer than 2 and deeply bilobed, 4 little longer than lobes of 3; claws divergent.

Distribution

Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México Nicaragua, Panamá United States.

Introduced into: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Ghana, Guam, Hawaii, India, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, South Africa.

World Fauna

Described species: 10 (Staines 2012). Key: Staines 1989b, 1994c, 1996(1997), 2006b.

Hosts

Perezia (Asteraceae); Campsis (Bignoniaceae); Lantana (Verbenaceae).

References

Chevrolat, L. A. A. 1836. in P. F. M. A. Dejean, Catalogue des Coléoptères de la collection de M. le comte Dejean. Troisième edition, revue, corrigée et augmentée, livr. 5, pp. 385‑503. Mequignon-Marvis. Paris.

Staines, C. L. 1989b. A revision of the genus Octotoma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Hispinae). Insecta Mundi 3:41‑56.

Staines, C. L. 1994c. A new species of Octotoma Chevrolat, 1837 from Guatemala (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Hispinae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 102(2):249-250.

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