Diabrotica gratiosa Baly

Species name

Diabrotica gratiosa Baly 1886b: 215

Type locality

Sta. Carlos

Type depository

MNHN, lectotype, male, verified

Diagnosis

Body length 6.0-6.6 mm. Body width 3.0-3.4 mm. Head basic color black. Antennae filiformfiliform:
slender antennae with antennomeres of similar shape
, bi- or tricolored, antennomeres 1-3 yellow, antennomeres 4-8 gradually infuscated, antennomeres 9-10 sulphur yellow, antennomereantennomere:
"segment" of antenna, more or less clearly separated
11 brussels brown. Maxillary palpi black or piceous, 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 sulphur yellow, subquadrate, nonfoveate, shagreened with minute wrinkles. Scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
piceous or black. Elytra yellow or rufous, with three black bandsbands:
(here) transverse maculae on the beetle elytra
, connected together forming two round yellow maculae in basalbasal:
of or pertaining to the base, as in the first, or basal segment of an appendage; opposite of apical
area of elytra. 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. Tarsi black or amber brown, tibiae black or chestnut, femora uniform 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

Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia

Host plants

Unknown

Potential problems with identification

Diabrotica gratiosa Baly is very similar to D. adelpha Jacoby. They can be separated by the following features: the body of D. adelpha is more convex than in D. gratiosa; aedeagusaedeagus:
the main sclerotized part of the male genitalia; "aedeagus" is used here instead of "median lobe of aedeagus"
in D. adelpha is asymmetric, but symmetric in D. gratiosa; the armament of the internal sac is quite different in both species.