Diabrotica virgifera zeae Krysan & Smith

Species name

Diabrotica virgifera zeae Krysan & Smith 1980: 124

Common name

Mexican corn rootworm

Type locality

Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

Type depository

MCZ, holotype, male, verified

Diagnosis

Body length 4.8-5.4. Body width 2.2-2.4. Head basic coloration yellow, clypeusclypeus:
the part of the frontal surface of the head capsule between frons and labrum
black or chestnut. Male antennae filiformfiliform:
slender antennae with antennomeres of similar shape
, as long as body, bicolored, antennomereantennomere:
"segment" of antenna, more or less clearly separated
1 uniformly yellow, antennomeres 2-11 uniformly olive ocher. Pronotumpronotum:
the notum of the prothorax with highly sclerotized pronotal disc
green or pale olivine, subquadrate, deeply bifoveate. Scutellumscutellum:
small, usually triangular shield between the bases of elytra
yellow or amber yellow. Elytra basic color green, maculatemaculate:
(here) marked by maculae or patches of a different shape and size, usually clearly separated from each other
, with two fuzzy-edged sulphur yellow, round maculae on each elytronelytron:
<em>(pl. elytra)</em> the fore highly sclerotized wing of beetle
. Elytral epipleura completely green. Elytra surface with four distinct sinuatesinuate:
curved in some way
sulci, deepest behind the humeral callushumeral callus:
<em>(pl. calli)</em> more or less marked tubercle or knob on the anterobasal angle of elytron
and extending beyond the middle. Humeral plicae distinct, sutural anglesutural angle:
the posterior angle or apex of the elytron near the suture
of elytra rounded, elytral punctation scattered and fine. Tarsi yellow or yellow ocher. Tibiatibia:
<em>(pl. tibiae)</em> the forth part of the beetle leg articulated with femur on the one side and with tarsus on the other side
bicolored, yellow, outer edge with piceous or testaceous line, or almost entirely darkened. Femora bicolored, yellow or green, outer edge chestnut to piceous. Internal sac of aedeagusaedeagus:
the main sclerotized part of the male genitalia; "aedeagus" is used here instead of "median lobe of aedeagus"
with four scleritessclerites:
(here) the sclerotized hooks, spines or plates in the internal sac
.

Known distribution

Central USA (OK, TX), Mexico (excluding northwest), Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua (Krysan et al., 1980; Krysan & Smith 1987a)

Host plants

Zea mays L., was observed associated with flowers of Solanum L., Cucurbitaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, sorghum and others (Clark et al., 2004)

Potential problems with identification

Diabrotica virgifera zeae Krysan & Smith is distinguished from the nominate subspecies, D. v. virgifera, by the green avittate elytra. D. v. zeae has, at most, a thin, weak, short humeral vitta. From the similar D. longicornis (Say) and D. barberi Smith & Lawrence it can be separated by the same features as the nominate subspecies: femora of D. v. zeae are as a rule bicolored with dark, chestnut or piceous, outer edge, while in D. longicornis and D. barberi femora unicolorous green or flavous. The shape of aedeagusaedeagus:
the main sclerotized part of the male genitalia; "aedeagus" is used here instead of "median lobe of aedeagus"
and the internal sac scleritessclerites:
(here) the sclerotized hooks, spines or plates in the internal sac
differentiates all three species as well as other species similarly colored well.