Diabrotica novemmaculata Jacoby

Species name

Diabrotica novemmaculata Jacoby 1878: 995

Type locality

Costa Rica

Type depository

MCZ, lectotype, female, verified

Diagnosis

Body length 7.4-8.9 mm. Body width 3.4-4.1 mm. Head basic color black. Antennae filiformfiliform:
slender antennae with antennomeres of similar shape
, bi- or tricolored, antennomeres 2-3 yellow, antennomeres 4-8 gradually infuscated, antennomeres 9-10 yellow ocher, antennomereantennomere:
"segment" of antenna, more or less clearly separated
11 dark apically. 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, quadrate, weakly bifoveate, with wide shallow foveae, shagreened with minute wrinkles. Scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
black or amber brown. Elytra yellow or rufous, maculatemaculate:
(here) marked by maculae or patches of a different shape and size, usually clearly separated from each other
, with three short lines or small spots (one before, two - behind the middle of each elytronelytron:
<em>(pl. elytra)</em> the fore highly sclerotized wing of beetle
), associated with short humeral and sutural black vittae. 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 five internal sac scleritessclerites:
(here) the sclerotized hooks, spines or plates in the internal sac
.

Known distribution

Costa Rica, Panama

Host plants

Unknown

Potential problems with identification

Diabrotica novemmaculata Jacoby is similar to D. apicicornis Jacoby, D. brevilineata Jacoby and D. fulvicornis Jacoby. They can be separated by the following features: scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
is black or amber brown in D. novemmaculata, but yellow in D. apicicornis, D. brevilineata and D. fulvicornis; the head is black in D. novemmaculata, but yellow in D. apicicornis and D. brevilineata; the tibiae are yellow in D. novemmaculata, but black in D. apicicornis; D. novemmaculata is visibly larger than all these similar species.