Diabrotica pulchella (Jacquelin-du-Val)

Species name

Diabrotica pulchella Jacquelin-du-Val 1857: 307; as Phyllobrotica

Type locality

Cuba

Type depository

Unknown

Diagnosis

Body length 6.3-6.5 mm, width 3.1-3.7 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 uniformly light cadmium, antennomereantennomere:
"segment" of antenna, more or less clearly separated
11 dark apically. Maxillary palpi black, yellow, chestnut, yellow ocher or amber brown, labrumlabrum:
the "upper lip" of beetles, a movable sclerite joined under clypeus
black or chestnut. Pronotumpronotum:
the notum of the prothorax with highly sclerotized pronotal disc
yellow, mustard yellow or light cadmium, subquadrate, weakly bifoveate, with wide shallow foveae, not shagreened. Scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
yellow, amber yellow or yellow ocher. Elytra yellow or rufous, with two metallic black blue bandsbands:
(here) transverse maculae on the beetle elytra
, one basalbasal:
of or pertaining to the base, as in the first, or basal segment of an appendage; opposite of apical
and one behind the middle. The last one is usually interrupted in sutural area, so two large round macula are behind the middle of elytra. Epipleura completely yellow, sutural anglesutural angle:
the posterior angle or apex of the elytron near the suture
of elytronelytron:
<em>(pl. elytra)</em> the fore highly sclerotized wing of beetle
round, punctation scattered, fine. Abdomen yellow or yellow ocher. Legs yellow or yellow ocher. 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

Mexico, Honduras, Cuba

Host plants

Unknown

Remarks

Smith and Lawrence (1967) have not been able to identify the type specimens of D. pulchella . They presumed the type is missing. Nevertheless, D. pulchella has been well described by Jacquelin-du-Val (1857) and then Suffrian (1867). Jacquelin-du-Val provided the color image allowing to recognize the species. We examined male specimens of D. pulchella from Cuba with typical coloration pattern and we treat these males as the males of D. pulchella. The specimens with typical coloration pattern and the same shape of internal sac armament from Mexico and Honduras are in Allard collection in MNHN and in USNM collection. Thus, we assume the species D. pulchella is distributed not only in Cuba, but also in continental America.

Potential problems with identification

Diabrotica pulchella (Jacquelin-du-Val) is very similar to D. godmani Jacoby. They can be separated by the following features: Diabrotica godmani is smaller in size, antennae of D. godmani are thinner and longer, slightly moniliformmoniliform:
(here) antennae with bead-like, slightly elongate and swollen antennomeres
, usually bearing the longitudinal costae on the inner margin of antennomeres, posteriorposterior:
the region of the body parts of the beetle furthest from the head
maculae are transverse in D. godmani, but round in D. pulchella. Internal sac in D. pulchella is very similar to D. circulata Harold. The internal sac sclerite 5B is elongate handle-like hook, bearing 2-3 big teeth apically in D. pulchella, but elongate handle-like hook slightly widened apically and bearing 5-8 big teeth apically in D. circulata. Antennae are yellow in D. circulata, but bicolored in D. pulchella; posteriorposterior:
the region of the body parts of the beetle furthest from the head
maculae on elytra are sickle-shaped or oculate in in D. circulata, while usually round in D. pulchella.