Diabrotica championi Jacoby

Species name

Diabrotica championi Jacoby 1887: 507

Type locality

Panama, Bugaba

Type depository

BMNH, lectotype, male, verified

Diagnosis

Body length 5.4-6.1 mm. Body width 2.8-3.2 mm. Head basic color black. Antennae serrateserrate:
in reference to antennae, saw-like, often with a sharp ridge on the outer margin
(sometimes only slightly so), bi- or tricolored, antennomeres 1-3 yellow, antennomeres 4-8 gradually infuscated by brown, antennomeres 9 - 11 yellow ocher. Maxillary palpi black or chestnut, labrumlabrum:
the "upper lip" of beetles, a movable sclerite joined under clypeus
black. Pronotumpronotum:
the notum of the prothorax with highly sclerotized pronotal disc
yellow or light cadmium, subquadrate, nonfoveate, not shagreened. Elytra yellow or rufous, with 2-3 black or metallic black blue bandsbands:
(here) transverse maculae on the beetle elytra
on the base and behind middle. Elytral epipleura completely yellow. Sutural anglesutural angle:
the posterior angle or apex of the elytron near the suture
of elytra round, punctation scattered, fine. Abdomen yellow. Legs yellow. Aedeagusaedeagus:
the main sclerotized part of the male genitalia; "aedeagus" is used here instead of "median lobe of aedeagus"
symmetric, with four internal sac scleritessclerites:
(here) the sclerotized hooks, spines or plates in the internal sac
.

Known distribution

Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama

Host plants

Unknown

Potential problems with identification

Diabrotica championi Jacoby is similar to D. g1n, D. regularis Jacoby and D. viridifasciata Jacoby. D. regularis is on average smaller than D. championi. The shape of the internal sac scleritessclerites:
(here) the sclerotized hooks, spines or plates in the internal sac
allows distinguishing Diabrotica championi from both other species.