CHRYSOMELA newsletter Dedicated to information about the Chrysomelidae Report No. 40/41 April 2001 Cabeáa do Cachorro (Parana), Brazil INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2- Editor’s Page The FISCB Field Trip 3- Molecular . & Trirhabda 4- Central European Chrysomelidists 4- Chrysomilid Fauna Project 5- Collecting in Zimbabwe 6- Czech Chrysomelidist Meeting 6- Oregon Hosts for Timarcha 6- New Mexican Chrysomelidist 7- Chrysomelidists at En Galuy 7- Doris H. Blake Original Figures 8- New Books of Interest 9- The Meetings at Igassu Falls 10- Good Alticine and Galerucine Gene Regions 12-Literature Available/Needed 12- Specimens Available/Needed 13- New Chrysomelid Literature 18- Email & Telephone List On Sunday following the ICE XXII meetings, chrysomelidists met at a local park in the State of Parana, about 130 kilometers northeast of Igassu Falls. (see page 9) Research Activities and Interests Laurence D. Chandler (Fargo, revision of Tasmanian Chrysomelinae Peter A. Follett (Hilo, USA) USA) Integrated Pest Management (with David DeLittle), new species of working on insects on tropical fruits. (IPM) for Diabrotica spp. including New Zealand chrysomeline, and a book Daniel J. Funk (Nashville, USA) areawide management. on the Australian genera of Chrysomel- Ecological specialization, population Elroy Charles (Georgeton, Guyana) idae. Willing to identify all Chrysomeli- differentiation, and speciation in is working on chrysomelid diversity nae. Neochlamisus. abundance and ecology in Panama and Franck Duhaldeborde (Merignac, Joseph J. Gillespie (Newark, USA) natural gap size effects on leaf beetles France) is always interested in biology, Thesis work, “Inferring Phylogenetic and other herbivores in Guyana. Plans ecology and systematics of Cryptoceph- Relationships Among Basal Taxa in the to continue work in tropical rain forests, alinae and Clytrinae, especially large Tribe Luperini Through the Analysis of especially Guyana, and make data Camptosomata. Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA available on a website. J. Gordon Edwards (San Jose, Sequences” includes the evolution of Mauro Daccordi (Torino, Italy) USA) Maintains a continued interest in cucurbitacin pharmacophagy in the continues to work and publish on all beetles, especially Chrysomelidae Luperini, and also a preliminary investi- various leaf beetle projects including a and general beetle collecting for the gation regarding the relationships new Australian chrysomelid genus, the SJSU Insect Museum. between the galerucines and alticines. (continued page 12) EDITOR’S PAGE CHRYSOMELA Slide Techniques Leaf Beetle References You May Have Missed Terry N. Seeno, Sacramento Over 2,500 chrysomelid references What are some of the best ways to have been included in CHRYSOMELA’S prepare microscope slides of genitalia, In Memoriam literature list since the first issue in particularly when dealing with delicate The Passing of More 1979. Sometime next month, the list structures of the internal sac? Ideally, we want the structures of the endophalus Old Friends will be posted at the same web address as the PDF internet edition of the inflated and hardened so their three- Ross H. Arnett Jr.— newsletter at: <http:// dimensional information remains intact. “The founder of the Coleopterists www.coleopsoc.org/nwslttrs.shtml>. Various systems are currently in use Society . he was one of the most ranging from mechanical inflation to the influential American coleopterists in use of chemicals to soften, expand, and the last 50 years.” (notice by E. CHRYSOMELA Internet fix the tissues. Gerberg, 1999. Coleop. Bull., Edition The “phalloblaster” or vesica everter, inflates the genitalia with a stream of 53(4):301-302; If Possible, Please Use It Richard E. Blackwelder— pressurized absolute alcohol which Known for his work on staphylin- Note, there is a phone/email contact dehydrates and hardens the genitalia. ids, Coleoptera catalogues and bibliog- list in the printed issue but no mailing They then remain inflated like a balloon. raphies, interpreter of nomenclature list. Due to increased costs in print The results are said to be excellent, but (Taxonomy, 1967), and frequent production and postage, the four page the device is costly. I suspect the contributions to the early issues of the mailing list will be omitted from the standard use of chemicals such as Coleopterists Bulletin. printed copy. However, the internet gelatine, glycerine and zinc sulfate will Roy A. Crowson— edition of CHRYSOMELA 40/41 will be with us for a long time to come. “. .a monumental legacy. The kind contain the mailing list on pages 20-24. The technique used depends on the of historic marker of genuine science The internet edition of CHRYSOMELA is condition of the specimens. Fresh and scholarship carved by no more in PDF format, a computer program that material is easier to handle and produces than a few individuals each century.” is both free and usable by all platforms excellent results due to the supporting (notice by Q. Wheeler, 2000. Coleop. (Macintosh, Windows, etc.). To get a muscle masses and fresh membranes. Bull., 54(1):120-121; copy of the free PDF reader, simply Dried material is harder to handle and Takehiko Nakane— download it from the adobe website at: requires different techniques. Some of Editor of Fragmenta Coleoptero- <http://www.adobe.com/products/ our colleagues have suggested the logica and published many papers, acrobat/readstep2.html>. following references dealing with mainly on chrysomelids of Japan and The internet version of CHRYSOMELA various techniques for the dissection and neighboring islands, and Southeast will actually contain more information preparation of genitalia. Asia. than the printed copy. Photographs will Skelley, P. E. 1993. A method of Ray F. Smith— usually be in color and the updated genitalia preparation and dry preserva- Known to chrysomelidists mainly mailing list will be included at the end of tion for Coleoptera. Proc. Entomol. Soc. for his work on Diabrotica. A paper by each internet version. Wash. 95(2):131-138. Smith and colleagues on the integrated So. if you have World Wide Web Matthews, M. 1998. The CSIRO pest management concept “is the single capabilties, please use the internet vesica everter: a new apparatus to inflate most important paper published on edition. If you cannot access the internet and harden eversible and other weakly crop protection in this century,” said or still wish to receive a hard-copy, sclerotized structures in insect genitalia. the National Academy. (notice by K. indicate it with a check mark (item J. of Nat. Hist 32:317-327. Scalise, Fall 1999. College of Nat. number 3) on the questionnaire included Smith, E. H. 1979. Techniques for Resources Breakthroughs 5(2):28; with this issue. the dissection and mounting of the male Xie Zia— If you do not return the questionnaire, (aedeagus) and female (spermatheca) Studied and received her Masters we will assume that you do not wish to genitalia of the Chrysomelidae (Col.) degree at the Paris University in the continue receiving CHRYSOMELA and Coleop. Bull. 33(1):93-103. early 1930s. Married in 1934 (to the remove your name from the mailing list. Meurgues, G. and Ledoux. 1966. late Sicien H. Chen), she worked at the We will continue sending printed Intérêt de l’étude du sac interne dévag- Institute of Zoology, CAS until her copies to our library and literature iné et en extension. Ann. Soc Entomol. retirement in 1972. exchange partners, and repositories. Fr. (N.S.) 2(3):661-669. The Newsletter CHRYSOMELA–Founded 1979– is published semiannually in April and October by the California Department of Food & Agriculture, Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832-1448. E-mail: [email protected]; telephone (916) 262-1160; FAX (916) 262-1190. This newsletter is sent to students of the Chrysomelidae to encourage the exchange of ideas and to disseminate information on these insects. Editor: Terry N. Seeno, Sacramento. Advisors: Catherine Duckett, San Juan; Brian D. Farrell, Cambridge; R. Wills Flowers, Tallahassee; Elizabeth Grobbelaar, Pretoria; Pierre Jolivet, Paris and Gainesville; Chris Reid, Townsville; Ed Riley, College Station; G. Al Samuelson, Honolulu; Eric H. Smith, Lynchburg; Charlie L. Staines, Edgewater; and Kunio Suzuki, Toyama. 2 CHRYSOMELA no. 40/41, April 2001 agent to a non-native habitat. molecular analysis of 16 Trirhabda Our study is designed to determine the species based on combined COI and THE evolutionary relationships among Trirhabda ITS2 data (Fig.1). Let us point out a species and to develop a hypothesis of the few interesting features of the results. history of host plant association. The Trirhabda species group according to FORVM phylogeny will also be used to analyze their host plant. There are two major patterns in the distribution of species and to clades, one of which is composed of Will Molecular find the most likely geographical origin of species feeding on Solidago (Aster- the genus and the ancestral host plant. aceae) and the other contains species Phylogenetics Phylogenetic relationships among Trirhab- feeding on Artemisia (Anthemideae). Elucidate Host- da species will be inferred from analysis of All analyses (not shown) revealed T. Plant Shifts in morphological and molecular characters. bacharidis within the Solidago Morphological characters are drawn from feeders. Trirhabda bacharidis feeds Trirhabda LeConte the adult stage of both males and females. on Baccharis halimifolia, which (Chrysomelidae,Galerucinae)? The molecular datasets include the mito- belongs to the