Platyauchenia

Introduction

Platyauchenia Sturm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) contains two species from Brazil. The genus was reviewed by Staines (2007). Platyauchenia latreillei (Castelnau) has been associated with palms.

Distribution

Platyauchenia latreillei is found in Brazil (Districto Federal and Rio de Janeiro).

Hosts

Platyauchenia latreillei feeds on Cocos nucifera L., Diplothemium caudescens Mart. (Maulik 1933, 1940; Bondar 1924); and Cocos botryophora Mart. (Lepesme 1947) (Arecaceae). Maulik (1933, 1937) incorrectly listed the host plant as Theobroma cacao L. (Maulik 1940).

Damage

Adults and larvae destroy the parenchyma on young leaves and the rachis. In severe infestations the upper part of the plant may be completely defoliated. Adult damage is linear feeding channels in young leaves and is less damaging than damage from larvae. Damage from heavy infestation results in almost total leaf skeletonization (Bondar 1940).

Life history notes

There is no published information on life history of this species.

Bibliography

Bondar, G. 1924. Nota addicional sobre insectos damninhos ao coqueiro. Correio Agricola 2 (4): 111-112.

Bondar, G. 1940. Pragas do coqueiro da família dos Chrysomelideos (comedores de fôlhas). Chacaras e Quintaes 62 (5): 611-614.

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

Maulik, S. 1933. On the structure of larvae of hispine beetles-III. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 669-680.

Maulik, S. 1937. Distributional correlation between Hispine beetles and their host plants. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, Ser. A: 129‑159.

Maulik, S. 1940. The food plant of Platyauchenia latreillei (Castelnau) (Hispinae, Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera). The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11) 5: 256.

Staines, C. L. 2007. A new species of Platyauchenia Sturm, 1843 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) from Brazil. Insecta Mundi 0012: 1-7.