CHRYSOMELA newsletter Dedicated to information about the Chrysomelidae Report No. 46 August 2006 Galerucinae of Malaysia Cerophysa viridipennis Jacoby Sarawakiola ajaib Mohamedsaid (See Story page 3) Research Activities and Interests Nélida Gómez (Ancon, Panama) is working on the the subtribe Diboliina (composition, morphology, taxo- chemical ecology of chrysomelid larvae and beetles in nomic position). Panama, and semiochemistry among plants and insects. Kenji Nishida (San Jose, Costa Rica) studies many Marcela Osorio Beristain (Morelos, Mexico) has aspects of biology, including Chrysomelidae life history; several ongoing projects: Reversal sexual selection and Nature Conservation; Nature photography; and gall- mate guarding strategies in Leptinotarsa lacerata; Does inducing Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. egg coloration amount to aposematism in Leptinotarsa Robert Woodruff (Gainesville, USA) is retired but lacerata?; the chemo-ecology of herbivory-host interac- continues work as an Emeritus Taxonomist at Florida State tion: Leptinotarsa lacerata and their host, Montanoa Collection of Arthropods. He still enjoys field work in grandiflora (Asteraceae); and population ecology and Central America and the Caribbean. He has Chrysomelidae reproductive success in Ogdoecosta biannularis. from this area to loan for revisionary studies. Konstantin Nadein (St. Petersburg, Russia) is Thulasingam Kalaichelvan (India) works generally on interested in the taxonomy, morphology, phylogeny, the taxonomy and biology of Chrysomelidae, especially on paleontology, and genetics of Galerucinae s.l. (Galerucinae the Indian subcontinent. He is is currently occupied with and Alticinae). His current projects include reviewing the the biology of Lema species. Palearctic species, classification and phylogenetic position Stefano Zoia (Milan, Italy) is interested in Palaearctic of Psylliodes, revisions of Aeschrocnemis and Mniophila, and Afrotropical Eumolpinae. He is currently working on a morphological study of Galerucinae s.l., and a revision of revision of Pachnephorus from Africa south of Sahara and is collecting material for a revision of Mecistes. The Editor’s Page Inside This Issue Caroline S. Chaboo (USA) Greetings Colleagues! I hope everyone is well. This issue is full of useful information and 1- Research updates positive developments for Chrysomelid research. Mohamedsaid’s 2- Beetle Tree of Life detailed view of Malaysian Chrysomelids and particularly of fascinating 3- Malaysian Galerucinae secondary sexual modifications in Galerucinae is based on 20 years of 7- Ecuador field stations research in a special part of the globe. Ryan Hill’s review of field stations 10- New chrysomelid book series and permits in Ecuador should be valuable to those looking for new areas 12- New chrysomelid literature to explore. Two special announcements promise top-quality research in 15- Meetings the next few years. The Beetle Tree of Life grant (BToL) invites your 16- CHRYSOMELA membership participation. The development of a book series on Chrysomelidae 18- CHRYSOMELA submission increases venues for formal publications. requirements I look forward to contributions for the December 2006 issue! Please use my address: [email protected]. We are unable to use the previous ‘chrysomela’ address. - CSC Assembling the Beetle Tree of Life An invitation to contribute specimens Duane D. McKenna & Brian D. Farrell (USA) The beetle tree of life (BToL) project, funded by the solicit your help in obtaining specimens for DNA sequenc- United States National Science Foundation’s “Assembling ing. Among the Chrysomeloidea we are currently seeking the Tree of Life” program, seeks to develop a phylogenetic for DNA are several Cerambycidae: Chelodorus, Distenia, hypothesis for beetle suborders, superfamilies, families, Oxypeltus, Vesperus, Migdolus, Philus, and any member of and most subfamilies, based on nuclear and mitochondrial the subfamily Apatophyseinae. In addition to the taxa on DNA sequences from over 3000 species, and morphologi- our preliminary sampling list (soon available on the BToL cal data from over 400 species. In addition to training website), we are interested in known or potential students and other researchers in integrated beetle Gondwanan relicts, and other rare, and/or unusual speci- systematics and evolution, major goals of the BToL project mens, including representatives of other beetle groups that are to forge new collaborations and to reinforce existing may be difficult to come by. Specimens contributed for ties between beetle researchers. Principal investigators are DNA sequencing should be recently collected (last 5 years Brian Farrell (Lead PI; Harvard University), David or so), and preserved in ethanol or dried in silica gel (other Maddison (Co-PI; University of Arizona), Adam Slipinski methods of preservation may also suffice). If you have (Co-PI; CSIRO), and Michael Whiting (Co-PI; Brigham specimens to contribute, or are otherwise interested in the Young University). Eleven taxonomic working groups (see project but have not yet been “connected”, please send us website) are responsible for coordinating taxon sampling. an e-mail ([email protected] or As taxonomic working group leaders, together with [email protected]). For more detailed information Adriana Marvaldi (IADIZA, Argentina), for the about the project, please see the BToL website http:// Curculionoidea and Chrysomeloidea, we would like to insects.oeb.harvard.edu/ATOL/index.htm. The Newsletter CHRYSOMELA-Founded 1979-is published semiannully, usually in June and December by the American Museum of Natural History, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, Central Park West @ 79th St., New York, NY, 10024. E-mail: [email protected]; telephone: 212.313.7784. This newsletter is sent to students of Chrysomelidae to encourage the exchange of ideas and to disseminate information on these insects. Editor: Caroline S. Chaboo, New York. Advisors: Brian D. Farrell, Cambridge; David Furth, Washington; R. Wills Flowers, Tallahassee; Elizabeth Grobbelaar, Pretoria; Pierre Jolivet, Paris; Alex Konstantinov, Washington; Chris Reid, Sydney; Ed Riley, College Station; Al Samuelson, Honolulu; and Terry N. Seeno, Sacramento. 2 CHRYSOMELA 46, August 2006 Galerucinae of Malaysia Mohamed S. Mohamedsaid (Selangor) Malaysia comprises Peninsular Malaysia, and Sabah Insect Systematics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Sarawak, and the Malaysian territories in Borneo. The Bangi (UKM). As a result of my study, there are 379 Peninsula was formerly known as Malacca (Malakka) or the species in 78 Galerucine genera now recorded for the Malay, and also as Malaya during British colonization. country, amounting to an increase of about 283% for Many insect specimens from this region and in several species and 63% for genera when compared with previous European museums have labels written Malacca, the records (99 species and 48 genera). The additional Malay, or Malaya. However, it cannot be ascertained numbers include 152 new records (40%) and 128 new which in states in present-day Peninsular Malaysia they species (34%). The high number of additions are a simple were collected. More confusingly, one of the Peninsular reflection of long neglect, since the last description of a states is known as Melaka (sometime transliterated in galerucine species from Sarawak, Cassena brooksi Bryant, English as Malacca). I had one bad experience regarding was in 1962. specimens labelled as Malakka. During a Geographical distribution visit to the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Although Peninsular Malaysia, Museum, Leiden, the Netherlands, I came Borneo, Sumatra and Java were once a across three specimens with labels clearly landmass known as the Sundaland, there printed as Malakka. I described these as a are Galerucinae found only in particular new species, Galeruca malakkana regions and not distributed widely. Of Mohamedsaid 1998. Later, Ron Beenen, a the 78 genera recorded from Malaysia, 54 colleague from the Netherlands, informed (70%) are shared between the Peninsular me that this species was already described and Borneo, including Itylus Jacoby and from Africa as Eupachytoma gigantea Strumatea Baly, which are unknown (Illiger). He also informed me that there is outside the region. There are 14 genera an African locality known as Malakal and found in the Peninsular absent in Borneo, suspected that the specimens could be including one endemic (Craniotectus from there. I eventually located such Laboissiere) and one [(Metrogaleruca Malakal in Sudan, situated about 700 Kms obscura (Degeer)], which was introduced south of Khartoum. Galeruca malakkana in 1980 to control the weed, Cordia Mohamed S. Mohamedsaid was reduced to a synonymy curasavica, in a coconut plantation. The (Mohamedsaid 2001). introduced species, originally from Central America, was The current status of Malaysian Chrysomelidae is not imported from Mauritius, and had since established in the much different from what was documented about 50 years country. The genera from Peninsular which are absent in ago, except probably in one or two subfamilies due to Borneo are also found in Sumatra, Thailand or New Guinea. revisionary works. Thirteen subfamilies are recorded from Of the 10 Bornean genera, five are endemics there Malaysia (Mohamedsaid 2004b), with Galerucinae sensu (Borneola Mohamedsaid, Hemistus Jacoby, Paraxenoda stricto being the largest. Two subfamilies, Zeugophorinae Mohamedsaid, Sarawakiola Mohamedsaid and and Lamprosomatinae, have been recorded from both Kinabalua Mohamedsaid),