Xenochalepus (Neochalepus) Staines & Riley 1994: 219

Synonomys

Xenochalepus (Xenochalepus) Uhmann 1938b: 426.

Type Species

Odontota medius Chapuis.

Diagnosis

Xenochalepus (Neochalepus) can be distinguished by the following combination of characters:

• body wedge-shaped or oblong
• 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, scutellar row present or absent, with four costae, costae 1, 2, and 4 complete, costa 3 visible at base and apex, humerus angulate without spine or tooth, apex regularly conjointly rounded, sutural angle emarginate
• the antennae thickened at apex, with 11-antennomeres, antennomere 11 pointed at apex
• leg with apical tarsomere bearing 2 claws
• abdominal sterna 1 and 3 without medial sulcus
• anterior margin of prosternumprosternum:
  contains two anterior coxal cavities
  not expanding toward mouth

Description

Head: slightly wider than long; vertexvertex:
occupies the area behind and between the eyes
sulcate; longitudinal carina between antennaantenna:
3 to 11 segments, inserted in antennal pit in front of eyes
reaching base of clypeusclypeus:
usually quadrangular, elongate; joined to the labrum
; clypeusclypeus:
usually quadrangular, elongate; joined to the labrum
large; labrumlabrum:
triangular, joined to the clypeus and the oral orifice
prominent, wider than long; outer margin of mandible rather broadly and evenly arcuate; eyeeye:
elongate, slightly prominent, multifaceted; usually slightly kidney-shaped
convex, elongate‑oval.

Antenna: with 11-antennomeres; antennomere 1 incrassate.

Pronotum: wider than long; lateral margin bisinuate, angulate at middle; transversely convex; slight basal impression with transverse carina present.

Elytron: elongate‑oval; apex conjointly rounded, deeply subquadrate‑emarginate at suture; lateral and apical margins serrulate; with 10 rows of punctures plus scutellar row; with four costae, 1, 2, and 4 complete 3 visible at base and apex.

Leg: last tarsomere produced between bases of claws into a narrow triangular, truncate process.

Distribution

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, British West Indies, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela.

World Fauna

Described species: 69 (Staines 2012). Key: Uhmann 1936e, Monrós & Viana 1947, Staines 1996(1997).

Hosts

Schubertia (Asclepiadaceae); Brassica (Brassicaceae); Cecropia (Cecropiaceae); Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae); Bahuinia, Canavalia, Inga, Lathyrus, Mucuna, Nissolia, Phaseolus, Robinia, Wisteria (Fabaceae); Oryza, Olyra (Poaceae); Urea sp. (Urticaceae).

References

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

Staines, C. L. & E. G. Riley. 1994. Nomenclature and status of Xenochalepus and Hemichalepus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Hispinae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 67:218-220.

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.

Uhmann, E. 1938b. Amerikanische Hispinen aus dem Zoologischen Museum der Universität Berlin. VII. Teil. Die Gattung Xenochalepus Weise. 70. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Hispinen (Col. Chrys.). Revista de Entomología Rio de Janerio 8:420‑440.