Chaetocnema brunnescens jamaicensis Blake

Clark, Shawn M., Lillrose, Tiffany & Belo Neto, Luiz A., 2013, Leaf Beetles of the Cayman Islands (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Insecta Mundi 2013 (279), pp. 1-41 : 20-21

Chaetocnema brunnescens jamaicensis Blake

( Figure 12)

[ Chaetocnema brunnescens Horn 1889: 259 – extralimital nominotypical subspecies].

Chaetocnema brunnescens jamaicensis Blake 1969: 166 .

Diagnosis. The body of this species is small (less than 2 mm long), the hind femora are greatly enlarged, the vertex is conspicuously, evenly punctate, and the elytra are striately punctate and not pubescent. This combination of characters is not found in any other species of Chrysomelidae known to occur in the Cayman Islands.

Material examined. Cayman Islands, Cayman Brac, West End Point , 7-VI-2008, R. Turnbow (1, RHTC) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, CI Botanic Garden , 8-VI-2008, Thomas & Turnbow, bl trap (1, RHTC) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman , Georgetown, UCCI, 29-V-2009, Thomas, Turnbow & Ball, blacklight trap (1, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman , Georgetown UCCI, 3-VI-2008, R. Turnbow, at light (1, RHTC) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Governor Gore’s Pond , 28-V-2009, R. Turnbow (1, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Gun Bay, 20-V-2009, M. C. Thomas (24, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Mastic Trailhead S, 20-V-2009, R. Turnbow (2, BYUC; 6, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Mastic Trailhead S, 21-V-2009, R. Turnbow & Ball, bl trap (12, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Meagre Bay Pond , 4-IV-1997, S. A. Wells (10, BYUC) ; Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, 0.7 mi. N. Sand Bluff , 20-V-2009, R. Turnbow (4, BYUC; 16, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Little Cayman , 2.4 km E Blossom Village, 26-V-2009, R. Turnbow (1, BYUC; 2, FSCA) ; Cayman Islands, Little Cayman, North Coast Rd., 0.1km W jct. Olivine Kirk Rd. , 27-V-2009, Thomas, Turnbow & Ball, bl trap (1, FSCA) .

Extralimital distribution. This species has been recorded from The Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the U.S.A. (Florida) ( Takizawa 2003, Peck 2005). Specimens from Florida are referable to C. brunnescens brunnescens , while those from the West Indies are referable to C. brunnescens jamaicensis .

Plant associations. Outside of the Cayman Islands, this species has been reported in association with Conocarpus erectus L. and Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. f. (both Combretaceae ) and with Rhizophora mangle L. ( Rhizophoraceae ) ( Clark et al. 2004).

Comments. Chaetocnema brunnescens brunnescens from Florida differs only slightly from C. brunnescens jamaicensis , the nominate subspecies being paler and with slightly coarser punctation ( Blake 1969, White 1996).