Abstract
Aplosonyx amorphophallus, a new species of chrysomelid beetle of the subfamily Galerucinae is described and illustrated from Timor, Indonesia. An aroid plant, Amorphophallus muelleri Blume, is identified as the host plant. Live specimens of the new species are shiny bright yellow, whereas dried preserved specimens are dull, brownish, or yellowish. The feeding behaviour of the new species differs from other Aplosonyx that have been reported, where it feed from the leaf margin resulting semicircular cuts, not as round holes on the leaf of the host plant. Information on bionomics is provided.References
Beath, D. D. N. (1996) Pollination of Amorphophallus johnsonii by carrion beetles (Phaeochrous amplus) in a Ghanian Rain Forest. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 12, 409–418.
Darling, D. C. (2007) Holey Aroids: Circular Trenching Behavior by a Leaf Beetle in Vietnam. Biotropica, 39, 555–558.
Franceschi, V. R. and P. A. Nakata. (2005) Calcium oxalate in Plants: Formation and Function. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 56, 41–71.
Gressitt, J. L. & Kimoto, S. (1963) The Chrysomelidae (Coleopt.) of China and Korea. Part 2. Pacific Insects Monograph, 1B, 301–1026.
Harborne, J. B. (2001) Twenty-five years of chemical ecology. Natural Products Report, 18, 361–379.
Hetterschied, W. & Ittenbach, S. (1996) Everything you always wanted to know about Amorphophallus, but were afraid to stick your nose into! Aroideana, 19, 7–131.
Jolivet, P. & Hawkeswood, T. J. (1995) Host-plants of Chrysomelidae of the World. Backhuys Publisher, Leiden, 281 pp.
Kimoto, S. (1989) Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. IV. Galerucinae. Esakia, 27, 1–241.
Lewinsohn, T. M. (1991) The geographical distribution of plant latex. Chemoecology, 7, 150–155.
Maulik, S. (1936) The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae. Taylor and Francis, London, 648 pp.
Mohamedsaid, M. S. (1990) The genus Aplosonyx Chevrolat from Peninsular Malaysia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae). Entomological Review of Japan, 45, 37–42.
Mohamedsaid, M. S. (2006) A second record for Aplosonyx wallacei (Jacoby) [Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae]. Serangga, 11, 117–121.
Pokon, R., Novotny, V. & Samuelson, G. A. (2005) Host specialization and species richness of root-feeding chrysomelids larvae (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera) in a New Guinea rainforest. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 21, 595–604.
Reid, C. A. M. (1998) The Chrysomeloidea of Taman Nasional Gede-Pangrango and environs, Jawa Barat, Indonesia. Serangga, 3, 269–315.
Szinicz, G., Martin, K & and Sauerborn, J. (2005) Abundance of selected insect species in natural and agricultural habitats of a tropical upland (Leyte, Philippines). Agriculture, Ecosystem and Environment, 111, 104–110.