Cephaloleia placida Baly, 1885
EGG
Eggs are are about 2.5 mm long and are laid singly or in clusters or two or more in the concavity of leaf petioles or the inner surface of infloresence and are covered with frass. Eggs hatch in 9 to 13 days.
LARVA
The larvae have two instars the first lasting 15 to 34 days and the second 43 to 75 days. Color when live brownish-yellow with body proper reddish, margins translucent; venter paler. Color when dead dirty-brown with paler margins. Dorsum with longitudinal medial setose ridge extending from anterior to posterior margins. Total length 7.3 mm (n=1); width 4.4 mm.
Dorsum. Prothorax without diagonal carinae on central raised area; central area slightly raised, micropunctate; lateral areas micropunctate. Mesothorax without carinae, micropunctate. Metathorax with transverse carina in middle of each side. Abdominal tergites 1-6 slightly narrowed in middle; with transverse carina in middle of each side just off central elevation; spiracles appear as darker brownish spot without darker margin. Abdominal tergites 7-10 with two carinae along margin on each side; surface micropunctate.
Venter. Surface of expansions rugose-punctate. Head surface punctate; clypeus slightly rugose, with fringe of setae at apex; mandibles tridentate; maxillary palps with 2 palpomeres and short, robust setae at apex; maxilla robust, clavate, with fringe of long setae at apex; labium densely setose. Antenna with antennomere 1 short, robust; 2 elongate, cylindrical, longer than 3; 3 cylindrical, with fringe of short setae at apex. Pro- and mesothorax wider than long; slightly depressed in middle; surface rugose-striate. Metathorax longer than others; depressed in middle; with suture along apical margin. Abdominal sternites 1-8 wider than long; decreasing in width; laterally with curved sulcus dividing the sternite into thirds; sterna 9-10 fused, rounded at apex. Leg: femur short, robust; tibiotarsus subconical, with a strong claw and eight setae at apex.
PUPA
The pupal stage lasts from 15 to 19 days.
ADULT
Reddish-brown, eyes and antennae darker. Head: vertex punctate, not depressed between eyes; faint medial sulcus present; wide keel between antennae. Antenna: ½ body length; cylindrical; antennomere 1 clavate, compressed, longer than 2; 2 transverse, robust, subequal in length to 3; 3 cylindrical; 4-10 transverse; subequal in length; 11 rounded at apex; 1-2 reddish-brown; 3-11 darker. Pronotum: subquadrate; flattened; disc finely, sparsely punctate, side margined, straight; apical margin concave; anterior angle produced, obtuse; posterior angle acute; pronotal length 1.3-1.4 mm (n=20); pronotal width 1.9-2.0 mm. Scutellum: elongate, acutely triangular. Elytron: wider than base of pronotum; side margined, smooth; apices obtusely rounded; humerus rounded, slightly produced; punctures little impressed, large; puncture rows converge and unite at apex; last segment of pygidium u-shaped in male, acuminate in female; elytral length 4.4-5.4 mm; elytral width 2.3-2.6 mm. Total length: 6.1-7.1 mm; male larger than female.
Adults collected on Heliconia sp. (Heliconiaceae) (Calvert and Calvert 1909); Renealmia sp. (Staines 1996); Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Maas, Renealmia cernua (Sw. ex. Roem. and Schult.) J. F. Macbr. (García-Robledo and Horvitz 2009) (Zingiberaceae).
Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panamá.
Museum records: COSTA RICA: Alajuela- Upala, Aguas Claras, Pque Nal Rincón de la Vieja, Volcán Santa Maria, 600-700 m (INBio); Upala, Sector San Ramó Dos Ríos, 1.5 km NW Hacienda Nueva Zelandia, 600-700 m (INBio). Cartago- Turrialba, 650 m, 24.Feb.1980 (CMNC). Guanacaste- Estac. Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S Sta Cecilia, Dic 1989 (INBIO); R. Sn. Lorenzo, 1050 m, Tierras Morenas, R. F. Cord. Guanacaste, Nov 1991 (INBIO); Hda. Sta Moria, 2 Feb 1993 (INBIO). Heredia- Est. El Ceibo, Braulio Carillo, N.P., 400-600 m, Apr 1990 (INBIO); La Selva, nr. Pto. Viejo, 50 m, 19.Feb.1980 (CMNC); Sendero Antigua, Est. Carillo, 8 Enero 1993 (INBIO). Limón- Sector Cerro Cocorí, Fca. de E. Rojas, 150 m, Nov 1991, Ene 1992 (INBIO); Est. Exp. Diamantes, Guapiles, 6-Feb 1992 (MUCR); Est. Hitoy Cerere, 100 m, R. Cerere, Res. Biol. Hitoy Cerere, 28-12 Abr 1992 (INBIO); Valle la Estrella Pandora, 17 Feb. 1984 (CMNC); Valle La Estella, 100-200 m (INBio); Pococí, P.N. Colorado, Estación Cuatro Esquinas (INBio); Llanuras del Tortuguero, Río Sardinas, Barra del Colorado, 0-100 m (INBio). Puntarenas- Est. Biol. Las Alturas, 1500 m, Coto Brus., Oct 1991 (INBIO); Monteverde Cloud For. Res., V-27, 31-84 (EGRC); Rancho Quemado, Peninsula de Osa, 200 m, Oct 1991 (INBIO); Río Claro, 15 Aug 1969 (USNM, USNM); Est. Sirena, Corcovado N.P., 0-100 m, Jan 1990 (INBIO); AGUIRRE, Quepos, P.N. Manuel Antonio, 0-100 m (INBio); Buenos Aires, Sector Altamira, Biolley, 1700-1800 m (INBio); Estación Esquinas, Peninsula de Osa, 0-100 m (INBio); Sirena, Corcovado Nat Pk, Osa Peninsula, 0-100 m (INBio). San Josè- Pque Nal Braulio Carrillo, 1600-1700 m (INBio). PANAMA: Chiriquí- no further data (PSUC); 2 km N Sta. Clara, 24-25.V.77 (CMNC); V. de Chiriquí, 25-4000 ft. (AMNH, USNM); Hartmann's finca, St. Clara, VI-15-18-85 (EGRC). Panamá- Barro Colorado Is., 16.I.953 (USNM). Vera Paz- Chacoj (AMNH). Veraguas- Cerro Azul, 15.I.953 (USNM).