Isopedhispa

Introduction

Isopedhispa Spaeth (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) contains two species from New Caledonia (Staines 2012). Gressitt (1960) published a key to the species. Isopedhispa cocotis (Maulik) is the only species associated with palms. Host plant associations with the other species are unreported.

Distribution

Isopedhispa cocotis is found in New Caledonia.

Hosts

Isopedhispa cocotis feeds on Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae) (Maulik 1933) and native palms (Risbec 1942(1944)).

Damage

Beetles attack unopened young fronds; as the spear unfurls the beetle moves on to other palms or the next emerging spear; it does not attack leaves that are already emerged. Larvae chew large areas of the leaflets killing underlying tissues and reducing leaf photosynthesis; photosynthesis may be reduced to zero in the case of heavy beetle attacks. Adult feeding removes strips of tissue from both sides of the leaves, and results in brown patches of various sizes and light brown streaks typically parallel to the mid-rib. As feeding progresses, the feeding lines merge with each other and the remaining tissue dries up and rots. The brown leaves then shrivel and curl giving infested plants a scorched appearance (Risbec (1942(1944)).

Life history notes

none published

Bibliography

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

Maulik, S. 1933. A new Oriental hispine beetle. The Entomologist 46: 90-91.

Risbec, J. 1942 (1944). Observations sur les insectes des plantations en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Secrétariat d’État aux Colonies, Direction des Affaires Économiques Section Technique d’Agriculture Tropicale. Paris. 128 pp.

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