Caledonispa

Introduction

Caledonispa Uhmann (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) contains two species found in New Caledonia (Staines 2012). Gressitt (1960) presented a key to the species.

Distribution

Caledonispa sarasini (Heller) is found in New Caledonia.

Hosts

Caledonispa sarasini feeds on Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae) (Lepesme 1947) and Pandanus sp. (Pandanaceae) (Gressitt 1960).

Damage

unknown

Life history notes

Apparently the larvae and adults have separate hosts. Adults are found only in Pandanaceae. Since many crowns were examined without finding larvae or any indications of larval feeding, it is reasonable to look for larvae on other hosts (Gressitt 1960).

The adults feed in the crowns of a Pandanus with very pale, partly pinkish leaves in wet forest at fairly high altitudes (Gressitt 1960). Gressitt (1960) suggested than it is very unlikely that the larvae have the same niche, and they may feed in Ptychosperma palms which grow in the same plant community.

Bibliography

Gressitt, J. L. 1960. Hispine beetles from New Caledonia (Chrysomelidae). Pacific Insects 2: 101‑123.

Lepesme, P. 1947. Les insectes des palmiers. Lechevailer, Paris. 903 pp.

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