| Genus List |
Head: frontal horn truncate in front; head impunctate; depressed between eyes. Antennae: segment I lengthening into an underside process which is as long as segments II and III. Pronotum: quadrate; anterior margin bisinuate, not deeply bilobed; setae in anterior angles; punctate laterally and basally. Scutellum: long triangle. Elytra: 10 rows of punctures, no costae; margined laterally; apices cojointly rounded; no appendages on male. Venter: mesocoxae separated by the diameter of a coxa; prosternal process projecting between mesocoxae; pro- and mesotibiae expanded at apex.
Biology. Chelobasis sp. develop in the rolled leaves
of various Heliconiaceae. The biology of Chelobasis has
been studied by Strong (1983). Eggs are laid on wet, tender tissue
of the host plant and hatch in about 20 days. Larvae begin feeding
in rolled leaves immediately after hatching. Development is slow,
requiring at least eight months until pupation. Larvae require
more than one leaf-roll to complete development and move from
maturing leaf-rolls to more tender leaf-rolls at night. Larvae
are water-penny like, but much larger than Cephaloleia.
Adults are polymorphic and long-lived. In marked recapture studies
adult beetles were found 18 months after marking.
Key to the Chelobasis known from La Selva
Frontal horn narrows to apex bicolor
Frontal horn parallel-sided perplexa
Species known from La Selva:
Chelobasis bicolor Gray
Chelobasis perplexa Baly
Page authors:
C. L. Staines, 3302 Decker Place, Edgewater MD 21037. Staines.Charles@NMNH.SI.EDU
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu