Aulostyrax

Introduction

The genus Aulostyrax Maulik (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) contains two species from the Solomon Islands (Staines 2012); one species has been associated with palms. Gressitt (1960) presented a key to the species.

Distribution

Aulostyrax nuciferae Maulik is found in the Solomon Islands (Bougainville, Malaita).

Hosts

Aulostyrax nuciferae feeds on Cocos nucifera L. (Maulik 1929); Metroxylon sp. (Gressitt 1957); and Pinanga sp. (Gressitt 1960) (Arecaceae).

Damage

undocumented

Life history notes

Adults of A. nuciferae have been collected feeding in the base of unopened leaflets of coconut palm (Maulik 1929).

Bibliography

Gressitt, J. L. 1957. Hispine beetles from the South Pacific (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Nova Guinea n. s. 8: 205‑324.

Gressitt, J. L. 1960. Papuan-West Polynesian hispine beetles (Chrysomelidae). Pacific Insects 2: 1-90.

Maulik, S. 1929. Injurious Hispinae from the Solomon Islands. Bulletin of Entomological Research 20: 233-239.

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