Altica occidentalis Suffrian, REINSTATED GENERIC PLACEMENT, 1868

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 : 17-18

Altica occidentalis Suffrian, REINSTATED GENERIC PLACEMENT

( Figure 9)

Haltica occidentalis Suffrian 1868: 197 . Diagnosis. The unicolorous, metallic blue dorsum is sufficient to distinguish this species from all other chrysomelids known to occur in the Cayman Islands.

Material examined. Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, 25-X-1986, P. Fitzgerald, blacklight trap (1, FSCA); Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, 14-VII-1991, P. Fitzgerald blacklight trap (1, FSCA); Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Botanic Park, 2 km S. of Old Man Bay, 19°192 N, 81°102W, 20-IX-1993, F. J. Burton, with larvae feeding on leaves of Ammania & Asclepias (2, BYUC; 10, USNM); Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Cayman Growers, 3-VII-2010, K. Palmer, Amaranthus sp. , KP69B (1, BYUC; 4, FSCA).

Extralimital distribution. This species has been reported from Cuba, Dominica, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, and the Virgin Islands ( Takizawa 2003). However, our examination of specimens from the more southern islands suggests that they may belong to a different species.

Plant associations. The above-mentioned record from Ammania (Lythraceae) is probably valid, but the occurrences on Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae) and Asclepias (Asclepiadaceae) may have been incidental. Published host records include Cuphea carthaginensis (Jacq.) J. F. Macbr. and Jussiaea [= Ludwigia ] (both Onagraceae ) ( Blake 1964; Virkki and Santiago-Blay 1994, 1998).

Comments. In recent years, this species has been treated in the genus Lysathia Bechyné. This placement may have been extrapolated from Blake’s (1964) statement that, “It is of the same elongate shape as A. ludoviciana Fall ” ( Altica ludoviciana is now correctly placed in Lysathia ). Although Blake’s comment is true, the two species, other than shape, are quite different. Suffrian’s species should be returned to Altica Geoffroy. Based mostly on characters of the male genitalia, José Santisteban (personal communication) concurs with this opinion.