Biology of Blepharida-group flea beetles with first notes on natural history of Podontia congregata Baly, 1865 an endemic flea beetle from southern India (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

Abstract

The biology, host plants, and pest status of Podontia Dalman, 1824 species are reviewed. Natural history of Podontia congregata Baly, 1865 a flea beetle endemic to southern India, is reported for the first time. It is distributed from the Western Ghats Mountains westward to the plains. Clusiaceae is reported as a new host plant family for Blepharida-group species, with Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) N. Robson (Clusiaceae) as the host plant for Podontia congregata. Pentatomid bugs attack the larvae but not eggs, pupae, or adults. A new egg parasitoid species, Ooencyrtus keralensis Hayat and Prathapan, 2010 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), was discovered. Aspects of Podontia congregata host selection, life cycle, and larval fecal defenses are consistent with its inclusion in the Blepharida-genus group.

Beetle and plant arrow poisons of the Ju|’hoan and Hai||om San peoples of Namibia (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae; Plantae, Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Burseraceae)

“…Prathapan and Chaboo (2011) summarized the life cycle, biology and known host plants of the Blepharida -group. Blepharidines typically have large colorful adults (~1 cm); eggs are deposited in clusters on host plants, coated with fecal material; larvae that feed on host plant leaves, retain a fecal coat and eventually descend to the ground where they form a sandy underground cocoon; here they remain in a suspended larval stage, ready for pupation.…”

Afrotropical flea beetle genera: a key to their identification, updated catalogue and biogeographical analysis (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

“…The Afrotropical species of Blepharida are generally associated with shrubs of Rhus (Anacardiaceae) (Furth and Young 1988: 496; Prathapan and Chaboo 2011: 97–105; personal data).…”

Generic placement of the African flea beetle Polyclada maculipennis Bryant and the possible occurrence of the genus Procalus Clark in sub-Saharan Africa (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

“…), in a variety of woodland and savannah ecosystems ( Chaboo et al 2007 ; Iannella et al 2021 ). Polyclada is one of the five Afrotropical genera belonging to the Blepharida -group sensu Furth and Lee (2000) and Prathapan and Chaboo (2011) , along with Diamphidia Gerstaecker, Xanthophysca Fairmaire, and the recently re-evaluated Blepharidina Bechyné and Calotheca Heyden ( Biondi et al 2017 , 2019 ; D’Alessandro et al 2018 , 2019 , 2020 , 2021 ). The Blepharida -group currently comprises 21 genera from the Afrotropical, Nearctic, Neotropical, and Oriental regions ( Medvedev 1999 ; Furth and Lee 2000 ; Prathapan and Chaboo 2011 ; Biondi et al 2017 ).…”

“… Polyclada is one of the five Afrotropical genera belonging to the Blepharida -group sensu Furth and Lee (2000) and Prathapan and Chaboo (2011) , along with Diamphidia Gerstaecker, Xanthophysca Fairmaire, and the recently re-evaluated Blepharidina Bechyné and Calotheca Heyden ( Biondi et al 2017 , 2019 ; D’Alessandro et al 2018 , 2019 , 2020 , 2021 ). The Blepharida -group currently comprises 21 genera from the Afrotropical, Nearctic, Neotropical, and Oriental regions ( Medvedev 1999 ; Furth and Lee 2000 ; Prathapan and Chaboo 2011 ; Biondi et al 2017 ). Furth and Lee (2000) provided a morphological synthesis of the group based on adult characters (tarsal claws, procoxal cavities, head, pronotum, hind femora, eye, proepimeron, and metatibia) and larval characters (antenna, mandible, labrum, stemmata, endocarina, coronal suture, and frontal suture).…”