Eugenysini Hincks 1952

Chaboo, Caroline S., Frieiro-Costa, Fernando A., Gómez-Zurita, Jesús & Westerduijn, Rob, 2014, Origins and diversification of subsociality in leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Chrysomelinae), Journal of Natural History 48 (37 - 38), pp. 2325-2367 : 2335

Tribe Eugenysini Hincks 1952 (three genera, 35 species)

Only two of the 35 known species are documented as subsocial – Eugenysa coscaroni Viana in Panama ( Windsor et al. 1992) and Eugenysa columbiana (Boheman) in Costa Rica ( Chaboo 2002). We report a third subsocial species, Agenysa peruviana Spaeth from Peru. These three species conduct their life cycle on vines of Mikania Willd. (Asteraceae) . Adults are 1–2 cm long and colourful; the females are oviparous and guard all juveniles, including gregarious pupae ( Figure 1A–B ). Documented larval broods ranged from 16–111 individuals, suggesting high maternal female fecundity and intense predation. Larvae have well-developed urogomphi and exuviofaecal shields and form cycloalexic rings. Courtship and mating are undescribed.

Figures

Figure 1. Subsocial Cassidinae (tortoise beetles). (A) Agenysa peruviana Spaeth, Peru (photograph, R. Westerduijn); (B) Eugenysa columbiana (Boheman) female with pupal group, June, Costa Rica (photograph, M. Schlaepfer); (C) Acromis sparsa Boheman female guarding her larval group, June, Panama, with parasitoid wasps on her back (photograph, A. Trillo); (D) Acromis spinifex (L.), male courting female who is guarding eggs, July, Trinidad (photograph, W. Shepard); (E) Acromis venosa Erichson several individuals on same leaf, including female guarding eggs, January, Peru (photograph, R. Westerduijn); (F) Acromis new species 2, female guarding eggs, January, Brazil, (photograph, F. Frieiro-Costa).