Psapharochrus jaspideus, (GERMAR)

Mondaca, José & Zavala, Jaime, 2016, Psapharochrus jaspideus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthoderini), a New Exotic Longhorn Beetle in Chile, The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (2), pp. 391-394 : 391-394

PSAPHAROCHRUS JASPIDEUS (GERMAR) ( COLEOPTERA : CERAMBYCIDAE : LAMIINAE: ACANTHODERINI ), A NEW EXOTIC LONGHORN BEETLE IN CHILE

JOSÉ MONDACA Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero Avenida Portales N° 3.396, Santiago, CHILE [e-mail]

AND

JAIME ZAVALA Sociedad Chilena de Entomología Casilla 21132 (Moneda), Santiago, CHILE [e-mail]

Cerambycidae are an economically and ecologically important family of insects found in nearly all parts of the world ( Dodds et al. 2015). Adults of this family are commonly known as longhorn or timber beetles ( Machado et al. 2012). Most larvae feed on dead, dying, or decaying wood, but some species feed on living plants and can cause considerable economic harm ( Martins 1997). They usually have a long larval period, with some species developing in woody material for several years after the death of the tree. For this reason, they are likely to be transported with solid wood packaging used in international trade, which facilitates their introduction and establishment in new regions (Cocquempot and Lindelöw 2010; Haack et al. 2014). Examples of introduced cerambycids that have successfully invaded various countries have been mentioned by Di Iorio (2004), Haack (2006), Cocquempot and Lindelöw (2010), Haack et al. (2010, 2014), and Dodds et al. (2015), among others.

Currently, seven species of adventive Cerambycidae have been reported in Chile, each of which was apparently accidentally introduced to the country as a result of international trade or other human activity. These species are Phoracantha semipunctata Fabricius , Phoracantha recurva Newman , Nathrius brevipennis (Mulsant) , Lagocheirus obsoletus (Thomson) [cited as L. undatus (Voet) ], Ceresium unicolor unicolor (Linnaeus) , Xylotrechus rusticus (Linnaeus) [cited as Rusticoclytus rusticus (L.)], and Ambeodontus tristis (Fabricius) ( González 1989; Cerda 1991; Sandoval 2002; Barriga and Cepeda 2007; Mondaca 2008; SAG 2008).

During examination of the Cerambycidae material housed in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Santiago, Chile and two private collections, we found five specimens of Psapharochrus jaspideus (Germar) ( Fig. 1 ), some of which were captured over 50 years ago in urban parks of Viña del Mar (Región de Valparaíso) ( Fig. 2 ). As far as we know, P. jaspideus had not been reported from Chilean territory. The aim of this note is to provide a new country record, notes on host plants and biology, and remarks about the possible origin of this introduction to Chile.

The Cerambycidae key of Morillo (2007) was used to determine the species. The photograph of the adult was taken with a Canon digital camera SX160 with 16 megapixels.

Material Examined. C H I L E: R e g i ó n d e Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, near Colegio Alemán, 8-XI-1964, col. L. Campusano (1 male). Viña del Mar , Parque Quinta Claude , 33°1 ′ 50.88 ″ S, 71°32 ′ 13.25 ″, I-1987, col. J. Zavala B. (1 male). Viña del Mar, Quinta Vergara, 4-I-2006, on Washingtonia filifera , col. S. Larrea (1 female). Viña del Mar, Quinta Vergara, 33°1 ′ 43.25 ″ S, 71°33 ′ 10.54 ″, 26-I-2012, on Washingtonia filifera , col: J. Zavala B. (1 male). Viña del Mar , Plaza Miraflores, 25-I-2014, col. A. Núñez (1 female). New country record .

Distribution. The native range of P. jaspideus includes Argentina (Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, Mendoza, Misiones, Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, La Pampa), Bolivia, Brazil (Ceará to Rio Grande do Sul), Paraguay, and Uruguay ( Monné 2014). The species is introduced in the Azores Islands ( Portugal) (Serrano 1982; Borges et al. 2013).

Host Plants. Psapharochrus jaspideus is a polyphagous species that infests numerous host plants in South America, including forest, ornamental, and fruit tree species belonging to 56 genera and 29 families ( Monné 2001; Di Iorio and Farina 2009; Machado et al. 2012). Moreover, it represents a serious threat to guapuruvu trees ( Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke , Fabaceae ) in Brazil (Sousa et al. 2005), eucalypt plantations in Brazil and Uruguay ( Berti Filho 1985; Monné et al. 2002), and avocado orchards in Brazil ( Garcia et al. 1992). In the Azores Islands, it has been cited attacking chestnut tree ( Castanea sativa Mill. , Fagaceae ) (Luna de Calvalho 1984). The more recently collected adults found in Chile were captured from young palms ( Washingtonia filifera (Lindl.) H. Wendl. , Arecaceae ) with a beating sheet and flying at lights in urban parks of Viña del Mar (S. Larrea and J. Zavala, personal communication).

Biology. The life cycle of this species has not been studied in detail. Psapharochrus jaspideus can affect branches by adult feeding, oviposition, and larval tunneling ( Medina et al. 1978). Adults oviposit on apparently healthy plants, using their mandibles to make a slit in the bark through which they lay eggs. The foliage on infested branches turns yellow and eventually the affected branch dies and breaks off, which favors the larvae because it typically develops in dry wood. The larvae complete their development in the dry branch, even if it falls to the ground (Reis and Souza 1982; Peña et al. 2013).

Remarks. Repeated collections of P. jaspideus for more than 50 years in the coastal locality of central Chile provide strong evidence that a population of P. jaspideus has successfully established in Chile. The introduction of this cerambycid into Chile probably occurred from elsewhere in South America where the beetle is native (e.g., Argentina or Brazil). The beetle could have arrived on an international shipment of goods on trucks from overland locations or via marine shipments to the port city of Valparaíso, which is only a few kilometers away from the collection sites, or even in automobiles and baggage associated with tourists who visit and vacation in the city of Viña del Mar.

Figures

Figs. 1–2. Psapharochrus jaspideus. 1) Female, dorsal view; scale bar = 10 mm; 2) Capture localities at Viña del Mar, Chile (yellow dots).