Stiretrus decemguttatus (Lepeletier & Serville, 1828)

(Fig. 3A, B, C)

Examined material (n: 14). FRENCH GUIANA.—No locality mentioned, 1♀ 3ϐ 1899 Oberthür coll. Bar (coll. MNHN).— Kourou, 3ϐ 1♀ 20-25.IX.1979, J. Carayon leg. ϐ identified as Stiretrus sp., ♀ as Oplomus sp. (coll. MNHN).— Macouria, 4♀ ϐ 22.II, 11.III, 31.III.2015, 7.IV.2015, F. Caillot leg. (photo F. Caillot).— Matoury, ♀ ϐ 19.IV.2015, F. Caillot leg. (photo F. Caillot) with larvae.— Montsinéry-Tonnegrande, ♀ ϐ 3.III.2015, F. Cail- lot leg. (photo F. Caillot). In Macouria and Matoury, it was observed predating larvae of the following Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) belonging to the Cassidinae subfamily: Stolas discoides (L., 1758), Zatrephina lineata (F., 1787), and Cyrtonota lateralis (L., 1758).

Literature data. Kourou, ♀ ϐ X.1979 identified as Stiretrus sp., eating eggs of Chelymorpha cribraria ( Coleoptera Cassidinae) on Ipomoea stolonifera (J. Carayon in Remillet, 1988) .

Distribution. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay.

Comments. New record of this species in French Guiana. In northeastern Brazil (Para & Maranhão states), Paleari (2013) also observed S. decemguttatus predating Z. lineata larvae, as well as Botanochara sedecimpustulata (F., 1781) larvae, two species of leaf-eaters Coleoptera Cassidinae on Ipomoea asarifolia (Convolvulaceae) . In Surinam, Doesburg (1970) observed S. decemguttatus predating on larvae and pupae of the Chrysomelidae species Paraselenis flava (L., 1758) living on Ipomoea .

This species seems to attack specifically the eggs, larvae and pupae of Cassidinae belonging to the Mesomphaliini tribe, living on Convolvulaceae . It is likely that the variable aposematic dorsal patterns of S. decemguttatus adults and larvae are associated with the recovery of toxic defense molecules taken from eggs, larvae or pupae of Cassidinae . S. decemguttatus was only collected from the coastal zone of French Guiana. It was not found in primary forest, which is probably related to the distribution of its preys and/or its host plants preys.