Remarks.

Windsor

Donald M.

Dury

Guillaume J.

Frieiro-Costa

Fernando A.

Susanne Lanckowsky

Pasteels

Jacques M.

Subsocial Neotropical Doryphorini (Chrysomelidae, Chrysomelinae): new observations on behavior, host plants and systematics¹

Zookeys199201320133327193

10.3897/zookeys.332.5199

Proseicela

spectabilis

http://species-id.net/wiki/Proseicela_spectabilis

(Baly, 1858)

Remarks.

Observations of Proseicela spectabilis were taken by G.D. while walking the main trail leading to the Cascadas de San Rafael, Reventador, Napo province, Ecuador (1300 m elevation; 0°6.07'S, 77°35.18'W) on July 17, 2011. A single female (Fig. 3g), was perched half above its larvae and half on the branch of its food plant. Six of the seven larvae in the formation were tightly aggregated around the thin stem of the plant, while the seventh larva was on a leaf a few centimeters away. A tachinid fly was present on the dorsal surface of a larva located on the side opposite the mother (Fig. 3h). The fly departed when the observer approached but promptly returned to land on the larva opposite the mother. The host plant (Fig. 3i) was later identified as a nightshade, Solanum sp. section Dulcamara.

Figure 3.

Maternal care providing Proseicela species, a Proseicela vittata adult (Photo by D.W.) b Proseicela vittata female and larvae from two cohorts. Insert shows detail of vein pinching along approximately 1cm of the primary vein (Photo by D.W.) c Proseicela vittata female with late stage larvae (Photo by D.W.) d Proseicela bicruciata adult female, (photo by G.D.) e Proseicela bicruciata female tending larvae (photo by G.D.) f Proseicela bicruciata food plant, Solanum abitaguense (photo by G.D.) g Proseicela spectabilis adult (photo by G.D.) h Proseicela spectabilis with nearly full-grown larval brood and tachinid parasitoid (photo by G.D.) i. Proseicela spectabilis host plant, Solanum sp. (photo by G.D.) j Proseicela sp. n. adult female (photo by G.D.) k the same female tending three feeding larvae feeding on Cuatresia sp. (Solanaceae) (photo by G.D.) l wider view of the host plant (photo by G.D.).