CHRYSOMELA newsletter Dedicated to information about the Chrysomelidae Report No. 44 December 2004 6th International Symposium on Chrysomelidae Koenig Museum, Bonn, Germany May 7 2004 Participants in the great exhibition hall. From left to right: Eva Sprecher-Übersax, David Furth, Jaap Winkelman, Horst Kippenberg, Wolfram Freund, Helmut Bolz, Jürgen Gross, Thomas Wagner, Susanne Düngelhoef, Lasse Hubweber, Maurizio Biondi, Michael Schmitt, Károly Vig, Jolanta Swietojanska, Lech Borowiec, Matthias Schoeller, Mauro Daccordi (nearly hidden), Elisabeth Geiser, Gudrun Fuss, Ron Beenen, Fredric Vencl, Pierre Jolivet (Photo: Mme. P. Jolivet). (See Story page 4) INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Editor's Page 2- Editor’s Page Caroline Chaboo, (USA) 2- Australian Museum News 2- Resarch Activities & Interests 3- In Memoriam—Dieter Erber Welcome to Chrysomela, December 2004! In this issue we have 5- Catching Up With Michael Cox much news to report. This was a very busy year of meetings where 6- Survey of Pilbara Region chrysomelidologists had the opportunity to meet and share their latest 7- 6th ISC 2004, Bonn research. News of these meetings as well as other interesting articles 9-In Memoriam—Everard Britton are enclosed. 9- 8th ECE (2006), Izmir Thank you to all of you who contributed articles, photos and 9- 23rd ICE (2008), Durban short stories! There is no Chrysomela without these important and 10- In Memoriam—Michio Chûjô informative stories. As always, if you have comments and corrections 10- In Memoriam—Stephan to this issue please let me know. Due to corrections in the July issue, Iablokoff-Khnzorian 11- Leaf Beetle Genomics the final web version should be cited as ‘Chrysomela 43.2’. 13- Colaspis. .Maecolaspis. I personally wish each of you a Happy Holiday season and a Metaxyonycha. chrysomelid beetle-filled 2005!! 14- Poorly known Cryptocephalinae 15- Clip Cages (Las Jaulitas) 16- 22nd ICE 2004, Brisbane Australian Museum News 21- ESA (2005), Ft. Lauderdale Chris Reid (Australia) 22- Travels in OZ 23- ATBC (2005), Uberlandia Professor Peter McQuillan, Trachytetra. This is a flightless 23- Insect Collecting on Mount Do University of Tasmania, Ho- New Zealand alticine, allied to 25- Xavier Montrouzier bart, passed through the Aus- Trachyaphthona, but the Tas- 27- Parasitoids of Cassidinae tralian Museum recently, with manian species are new, not 28- Research Activities & a small number of odd beetles introduced. An interesting co- Interests (cont.) in tow. One was a weird coc- nundrum. 29- Recent Chrysomelid Literature cinellid, apparently mimick- My thanks to Adam Slipinski 32- Email List ing the chrysomeline Calomela for determiningthe coccinellid 33- Snail Mail maculicolis, while others in- and to Peter for dropping in. 35- CHRYSOMELA Questionnaire cluded a new genus for Australia: Research Activities and Interests Andrzej Bienkowski (Mos- specimens, primarily from Africa, Chrysomelidae (except Alticinae) cow, Russia) continues to work on China, India, and Indochina. and has asian Chrysomelidae the genus Chrysolina worldwide, Igor K. Lopatin (Minsk, (except Alticinae) to exchange. with revisions of some Chrysolina Byelorussia) continues Jesús Gómez-Zurita subgenera completed. Revisions research on the systematics (Murcia, Spain) has been working of Anopachys and Pleurosticha of Cryptocephalinae and on molecular phylogenetics and were recently published, a revi- Galerucinae of Central and systematics, molecular taxonomy sion of Arctolina is in press, and East Asia. A revision of and evolution, phylogeography revisions of Allohypericia and Chrysomelidae (except Alticinae) and population genetics during Sibiriella are in preparation. He of Central Asia is in preparation. the last eight years, and more wishes to borrow Chrysolina He is willing to identify of asian (cont. on page 28) The Newsletter CHRYSOMELA–Founded 1979– is distrubuted semiannually, 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) 769-5616. This newsletter is sent to students of the Chrysomelidae to encourage the exchange of ideas and to disseminate information on these insects. Editor: Caroline Chaboo, New York. Advisors: Brian D. Farrell, Cambridge; Dave 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 44, December 2004 In Memoriam Dieter Erber 1933-2004 Dieter Erber (Fig. 1), one of the leading experts Since the 1980s, Erber became increasingly in- on Clytrinae and Cryptocephalinae, died after a terested in the fauna of the island of Madeira and the short bout with cancer on 28 February, 2004. Di- neighbouring Selvagem islands. It was a pleasure to eter was born 24 February, 1933, in Langensalza hear him report on that topic since he was so re- (Thüringen, Germany). He went to school and markably fond of it. He regularly attended the annu- graduated (Abitur) in al meetings of Central Kassel in 1954. The European coleopterists same year, he entered at Weinstadt -Beutels- the teacher training bach (near Suttgart, college of Darmstadt- Germany), and he co- Jugenheim. By this operated in the project time, he has already on the Faunis-tics developed a focus on of Central European biology. From 1957 Chrysomelidae. All of to 1962, he worked us who met him there as a teacher at sev- and on other occa- eral schools, until he sions were impressed received a position as by his youthful ap- a scientific assistant pearance. Thus, in at the Seminar for 1995 we were more Didactics of Biology than surprised to at the Justus-Liebig- learn that he retired. Universität, Giessen. His death came as a From then on, he great shock to us, and also studied sciences we shall preserve his at the Giessen uni- memory as long as we versity, and received are able to think of his doctoral degree leaf beetles. (Dr.rer.nat.) in 1967. He is survived His doctoral thesis by his wife Erna and was on the formation and function of the Kot-presse three children and their families, to whom we ex- of Clytrinae and Cryptocephalinae from Central press our deep sympathy. Europe, published in 1968 (Zeitschrift für Mor- phologie der Tiere 62: 245-306). In 1970, he was Acknowledgement. appointed a lecturer at the Seminar for Didactics of I am grateful to Dieter Erber’s son Klaus Erber Biology (later: Institute for Didactics of Biology), for providing me with biographical data, a list of in 1971 senior lecturer, and retired in 1995. Dieter’s publications, and a portrait photograph. Publications of Dieter Erber Erber, D. 1968. Bau, Funktion und Bildung der Erber, D. 1969. Beitrag zur Entwickl-ungsbiologie Kotpresse mitteleuropäischer Clytrinen und Cryp- mitteleuropäischer Clytrinen und Cryptocephalinen tocephalinen. Zeitschrift für Morphologie der Tiere (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). Zoologische Jahrbücher 62: 245-306. Systematik 96: S. 453–477. 3 CHRYSOMELA 44, December 2004 Erber, D. 1972. Einige neue Fundorte für Chio- new cavernicolous carabid beetle from Madeira. Boca- nea lutescens (Dipt., Tipulidae) in Hessen. Entomol. giana 140: 1-12. Zeitschrift 82: 169-175. Erber, D. 1990. New and little known Coleoptera Erber, D. 1979. Untersuchungen zur Biozönose from Madeira. Results of excursions to Madeira in the und Nekrozönose in Kannenpfl-anzen auf Sumatra. years 1986-1990. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Archiv für Hydrobiologie 87(1): 37-48. Funchal 42(223): 147-181. Erber, D. 1979 (1980). Erstnachweis der Passali- Erber, D. & Hinterseher, W. 1990. Additional dae Aulacocyclus bicuspis Kaup für Nepal. Entomol. notes to the knowledge of the Madeira Beetles. Bole- Blätter 75: 180-181. tim do Museu Municipal do Funchal 42(222): 141- Erber, D. & Mengel, M. 1981. Blattkäfer (Col., 146. Chrysomelidae) im oberen Ederseegebiet. Hessische Erber, D. & Hinterseher, W. 1992. Atheta pseu- Faunistische Briefe 1(3): 49-58. dolaticollis n. sp. a new species from the Atlantic Erber, D. 1983. Faunistik der hessischen Kole- Islands and an additional description of Atheta ma- opteren. 11. Beitrag: Familie Chrysomelidae, I. Un- derense Likovsky, 1963 (Col: Staphylinidae). Bocag. terfamilie Clytrinae. Mitteilungen des internationalen 158: 1-9. entomolo-gischen Vereins 7(3/4): 70-100. Erber, D. & Medvedev, L. N. 1993. The larva of Erber, D. 1984. Wiederfund von Chrysomela Chrysolina fragariae (Wollaston, 1854). Bocagiana fragariae Woll. 1854 auf Madeira. Bocagiana 73: 1-9. 166: 1-5. Erber, D. 1984. Chrysomela fragrariae Woll. auf Erber, D. & Aguiar, F. 1996. New Coleoptera for Madeira wiederentdec-kt (Chrys.). Entomol. Blätter Madeira. Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal 48: 80(1): 63. 41-62. Erber, D. 1984. Liste der im Ederseegebiet nach- Erber, D. & L. Medvedev. 1999. Zur Taxono- gewiesenen Blattkäfer. Berichte der Ökologischen mie der Gattung Smaragdina Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Forschungs-station der Universität Giessen 5: 49-50. Chrysomelidae: Clytrinae), mit Beschreibungen neuer Erber, D. 1986. The Chrysomelidae of Madeira. Taxa aus Asien. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal 38(174): Serie A (Biologie) 601:1-10. 43-69. Erber, D. & Hinterseher, W. 2000. Revision Erber, D. & Fried, H. 1986. Faunistik der hes- der Gattung Spaericus (Col., Ptinidae) der Lauri-Ma- sischen Koleopteren. 14. Beitrag: Familie Coccinel- karonesischen Region (Azoren,