First record of leaf-hole shelters used and modified by leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), with descriptions of two new Orthaltica Crotch species from southern India

By

Prathapan, Kaniyarikkal
Konstantinov, Alexander S, 1955-
Shameem, K.
Balan, A.P.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2013

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

336

Pages

47-59

Subjects

faeces , host plant , leaf beetles , Leaf-hole shelter , new species

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.336.5435

 

Abstract

Behavioural novelties observed in adult leaf beetles of two new Orthaltica Crotch species include: 1) the use of low cost leaf-hole shelters, either in pre-formed holes produced by larger beetles that fed on the same leaf, or artificially created holes as part of an experiment; and 2) the use of faeces to partition the hole. Two new southern Indian species of the genus Orthaltica are described and illustrated: O. syzygium and O. terminalia. Host plants are identified for both species. A key to the Indian species of Orthaltica is provided.