School of Doctoral Studies in Biological Sciences University of South Bohemia in České Bud ějovice Faculty of Science Taxonomy and ecology of Neotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Ph.D. Thesis RNDr. Lukáš Sekerka Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Old řich Nedv ěd, CSc. Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia & Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Science České Bud ějovice 2017 This thesis shoud be cited as: Sekerka, L., 2017: Taxonomy and ecology of Neotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Ph.D. Thesis Series 2. University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, School of Doctoral Studies in Biological Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic, 278 pp. Annotation This thesis investigates the systematics and biology of Neotropical Cassidinae and summarizes available knowledge of all tribes occurring in the Neotropics. This study uses a multidisciplinary framework to evaluate various issues in the taxonomy of this diverse group of beetles as a result of extensive field research. i Declaration [in Czech] Prohlašuji, že svoji diserta ční práci jsem vypracoval samostatn ě pouze s použitím pramen ů a literatury uvedených v seznamu citované literatury. Prohlašuji, že v souladu s § 47b zákona č. 111/1998 Sb. v platném zn ění souhlasím se zve řejn ěním své diserta ční práce, a to v úprav ě vzniklé vypušt ěním vyzna čených částí archivovaných P řírodov ědeckou fakultou elektronickou cestou ve ve řejn ě p řístupné části databáze STAG provozované Jiho českou univerzitou v Českých Bud ějovicích na jejích internetových stránkách, a to se zachováním mého autorského práva k odevzdanému textu této kvalifika ční práce. Souhlasím dále s tím, aby toutéž elektronickou cestou byly v souladu s uvedeným ustanovením zákona č. 111/1998 Sb. zve řejn ěny posudky školitele a oponent ů práce i záznam o pr ůběhu a výsledku obhajoby kvalifika ční práce. Rovn ěž souhlasím s porovnáním textu mé kvalifika ční práce s databází kvalifika čních prací Theses.cz provozovanou Národním registrem vysokoškolských kvalifika čních prací a systémem na odhalování plagiát ů. České Bud ějovice, 5.1.2017 .............................................. Lukáš Sekerka ii Financial Support The realisation of this theis was possible with financial support of the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia; Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia (081/2010/P); the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Short Term Fellowship); the Natural History Museum in London (Special Funds to M.V.L. Barclay); the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic (DKRVO 2013/12, 2014/13, 2015/14, 2016/14, National Museum, 00023272); and the Synthesys Programme of the European Union (DE-TAF-3898, DK-TAF-2164, FR-TAF-4937, GB- TAF-3616, SE-TAF-3623). Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute iii Acknowledgements I am particularly grateful to Olda Nedv ěd for his kind supervision and endless patience with this apparently never-ending thesis. My sincerest thanks go to my mentors, Don Windsor (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) and Lech Borowiec (University of Wroclaw), for supporting my research and thus indirectly making this thesis real. Each of you has been supportive in a slightly different way allowing me to combine classic taxonomy with field biology and I am very thankful I could learn from the best in research of Cassidinae. Making of this thesis would not be possible without study of extensive collections around the globe and I am greatly indebted to following curators, friends and colleagues who allowed me to examine material under their care: Michael Balke (Zoologische Staatsammlung, München), Max Barclay (Natural History Museum, London), Johanes Bergsten (Naturhistoriska Rijksmuset, Stockholm), Jim Boone (Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Hawaii), Matthias Borer (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel), Shawn Clark (Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Provo), Mauro Daccordi (Verona), Johannes Frisch (Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin), Michael Geiser (Natural History Museum, London), Ji ří Hájek (Národní Muzeum, Praha), Mike Ivie (Montana State University, Bozeman), Alex Konstantinov (National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.), Julieta Ledezma (Museo de Historia Natural ‘Noel Kempff Mercado’, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia), Pol Limbourg (Institut Royal des Scientes Naturelles, Bruxelles), Dmitri Logunov (Manchester Museum, Manchester), Antoine Mantilleri (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris), Marcela and Miguel Monné (Museu National, Rio de Janeiro), Philip Perkins (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge), Ed Riley (Texas A&M University, Texas), Angel Solís (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Costa Rica), Alexey Solodovnikov (Zoological Museum, Kopenhagen). Most of all I would like to thank my family always supporting whatever crazy idea I got and being ready to help when needed. Also thank you for your patience and sympathy with my beetles, which over the years filled not only our apartments. If there were not you this thesis would never happen to appear and I hope you feel lucky it came to its end after all those long years of apparently only travelling around the globe ☺. v to my parents Ji ří and Vlasta, my mate Katka and our son Matyáš Martin List of papers and author ʼs contributions The thesis is based on the following papers (listed chronologically): I. FLINTE V., WINDSOR D., SEKERKA L. , VALVERDE DE MACEDO M. & MONTEIRO R. F. (2010) Plagiometriona emarcida (Boheman, 1855) and Plagiometriona forcipata (Boheman, 1855) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), a single species differing in larval performance and adult phenotype. Journal of Natural History , 44 : 891–904. IF = 0.782. Lukáš Sekerka examined relevant type material, identified taxa and was responsible for taxonomic implications. II. SEKERKA L. & WINDSOR D. (2012) Two new species of Plagiometriona from Bolivia and Ecuador (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Cassidini). Annales Zoologici , 62 : 669– 677. IF = 0.660. Lukáš Sekerka wrote the paper, examined relevant material, and participated in field research. III. SEKERKA L. , WINDSOR D. & STAINES C. L. (2013) A new species of Cephaloleia Chevrolat from Panamá with description of larva and first record of orchid-feeding in Cephaloleiini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae , 53 : 303–314. IF = 0.574. Lukáš Sekerka wrote the paper, was responsible for introductory parts and description of adults, and participated in field research. IV. SEKERKA L. , WINDSOR D. & DURY G. (2014) Cladispa Baly: revision, biology and reassignment of the genus to the tribe Spilophorini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). Systematic Entomology , 39 : 518–530. First online: DOI: 10.1111/syen.12070 (16 APR 2014). IF = 2.784. Lukáš Sekerka wrote the paper, was responsible for introductory parts and description of adults, interpretation of results and participated in field research. ix V. SEKERKA L. (2014) Review of Imatidiini genera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae , 54 : 257–314. IF = 0.659. Lukáš Sekerka wrote the paper. VI. SIMÕES M. V. P. & SEKERKA L. (2014) Redescription of Heteronychocassis acuticollis Spaeth, 1915 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). Coleopterists Bulletin , 68 : 407–410. IF = 0.495. Lukáš Sekerka co-wrote the paper, studied type material and was responsible for discussion and conclusions. VII. SEKERKA L. & BARCLAY M. L. V. (2014) Fabrician types of Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) deposited in the Natural History Museum, London. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae , 54 : 657–684. IF = 0.659. Lukáš Sekerka wrote the paper, was responsible for most of the text and taxonomic implications. VIII. SEKERKA L. & BOROWIEC L. (2015) Subgenera of Charidotella Weise with description of a new subgenus and species from Brazil (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae, Cassidini). ZooKeys , 506 : 61–74. IF = 0.933. Lukáš Sekerka wrote the paper, was responsible for most of the text and taxonomic implications. IX. SIMÕES M. V. P. & SEKERKA L. (2015) Review of the Neotropical leaf beetle subgenus Dorynota s. str. Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Dorynotini). Coleopterists Bulletin , 69 : 231–254. IF = 0.495. Lukáš Sekerka co- wrote the paper and was responsible for species diagnoses, taxonomic remarks, key to species and description of one of the two new species. x Table of contents Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Tribal classification of Cassidinae ............................................................ 6 Immature stages and their importance for tribal classification ................. 8 Overwiew of Neotropical tribes of Cassidinae ....................................... 10 Alurnini ................................................................................................ 10 Arescini ................................................................................................ 13 Cassidini............................................................................................... 15 Chalepini .............................................................................................. 19 Delocraniini.......................................................................................... 23 Dorynotyni ........................................................................................... 25 Eugenysini...........................................................................................