Research Article |
Corresponding author: Hee-Wook Cho ( lampides@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Ron Beenen
© 2017 Hee-Wook Cho, Jolanta Świętojańska.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Cho H-W, Świętojańska J (2017) Larval morphology of Phratora koreana Takizawa, 1985 with a key to the larvae of the Palaearctic Phratora species (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Chrysomelinae). ZooKeys 658: 97-104. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.658.11068
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The first and third instar larvae of Phratora koreana Takizawa, 1985 are described and illustrated in detail for the first time. Morphological changes in the pigmentation, tubercular pattern and defensive glands during the larval development are discussed. The life cycle and host-plant of P. koreana and a key to the larvae of the Palaearctic Phratora species are also provided.
First and third instar larvae, leaf beetles, life cycle, morphology, South Korea
The genus Phratora Chevrolat, 1836 is widely distributed in the Holarctic region, and also in the Oriental region restricted to montane areas (
Phratora koreana was described from South Korea by
Eggs were collected along with adults on the host-plant Salix caprea on 6 June 2006 in South Korea, Gangwon Province, Taebaek-si, Mt. Hambaeksan, 37°16.30'N; 128°91.75'E, ca 1500 m. Larvae were reared from eggs in plastic containers (10 cm diameter, 12 cm deep), and then preserved in 70% ethanol. For examination of morphological characters, some larvae were dissected, cleared in 10% sodium hydroxide solution, rinsed in distilled water, and then mounted on slides with glycerine and Swan’s liquid (20 g distilled water, 15 g gum arabic, 60 g chlorhydrate, 3 g glucose and 2 g glacial acetic acid). Descriptions and illustrations were prepared using a Nikon SMZ800 stereomicroscope and a Nikon ECLIPSE 80i light microscope with phase contrast, each microscope equipped with a camera lucida. Photographs were taken by a Nikon D5200 digital camera attached to a Nikon SMZ18 microscope, and were edited in Helicon Focus 5.3.12 and Adobe Photoshop CS5. The specimens were deposited in the Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Taxonomy, University of Wrocław, Poland and H.-W. Cho’s private collection, South Korea. The terminology of the larval tubercles follows
First instar larva. Body length 2.12–2.38 mm, width 0.56–0.62 mm, head width 0.42–0.44 mm (n = 3). Body yellowish-white with head brown, tubercles and legs light brown in alcohol; integument moderately covered with sclerotized platelets. Defensive glands very large on meso- and metathorax, but almost invisible on abdominal segments I–VII. Egg bursters present on meso- and metathorax. Head and mouthparts similar in the shape and chaetotaxy to those of the third instar larva.
Thorax. Prothorax with D-DL-EPa (2–3L 5–6S 2–3M) entirely pigmented; EPp (1S); P (1M); ES-SS (2M) weakly sclerotized (Fig.
Abdomen. Segments I–VI with Dai (1S); Dp (2S 1M); DL (1L 2S); EP (1L 1S 0–1M); P (1S 1M); PS-SS (3M) divided into two tubercles; ES (1M) on both sides generally fused. Segment VII with dorsal tubercles enlarged and fused. Segments VIII–IX each with dorsal and dorso-lateral tubercles enlarged and fused. Segment X with pygopod well developed.
Third (last) instar larva. Body length 4.60–5.80 mm, width 1.50–1.90 mm, head width 0.85–0.90 mm (n = 7). Body elongate, rather broad, widest at meso- and metathorax, thence moderately narrowed posteriorly (Fig.
Head. Hypognathous, rounded, strongly sclerotized (Fig.
Thorax. Prothorax with D-DL-EPa (8–9L 2–3S) largest and pigmented only on dorso-lateral region; EPp (1S); P (1S) not sclerotized; ES-SS represented by a short seta (Fig.
Abdomen. Segments I–VI with Dai (1S) very small; Dp (2L 1S) small, but larger than Dai; DL (2L 1M) conical with a defensive gland; EP (2L) and P (2S) not sclerotized; PS-SS (3S) and ES (1S) represented by setae. Segment VII with dorsal tubercles enlarged and fused; DL with a defensive gland. Segments VIII–IX each with dorsal and dorso-lateral tubercles fused. Segment X with pygopod well developed. Spiracles present on segments I–VIII.
The larva of Phratora koreana is easily distinguished from all other known species of Phratora by the presence of small tubercles Dai and Dp on abdominal segments I–VI. In other species of Phratora, Dai and Dp are present only on abdominal segment I and a large tubercle D is present on II–VI. The larva of Prasocuris glabra (Herbst) is also similar to that of Phratora koreana in the presence of tubercles Dai and Dp on abdominal segments I–VI, but tubercles of P. glabra are much larger (
South Korea: Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Jeju; Japan: Honshu (
Overwintered adults appear in late May, mate and lay 8–15 yellowish eggs per cluster on leaves of Salix caprea in early June. The larvae gregariously feed on leaves until the final instar. There are three larval instars and pupation takes place in the soil. Newly emerged adults appear in early July.
Morphological changes in the pigmentation, tubercular pattern and defensive glands occur during the larval development. The first instar larva has well developed and pigmented tubercles, but after molting to the second instar larva, ventral tubercles are reduced and median region of D-DL-EPa is unpigmented (Fig.
(modified from
1 | Claws with basal tooth (subgenus Phratora s.str.) | 2 |
– | Claws without basal tooth (subgenus Phyllodecta Kirby) | 3 |
2 | Claws with large and quadrangular basal tooth; dorsal coloration mostly “pale” or “dark”, rarely “striped”. Forest belt of Palaearctic | vulgatissima (Linnaeus) |
– | Claws with long, narrow and sharp basal tooth; dorsal coloration mostly “striped”. East Siberia, Far East | obtusicollis Motschulsky |
3 | The underside of the body with unpigmented and hardly visible tubercles | 4 |
– | The underside of the body with pigmented and distinct tubercles | 6 |
4 | Tubercles Dai and Dp present on abdominal segments II–VI. Korea and Japan | koreana Takizawa |
– | Tubercle D present on abdominal segments II–VI | 5 |
5 | Dorsal coloration mostly “dark”, rarely “pale” or “striped”; tubercle EP unpigmented. Forest belt of Palaearctic | laticollis (Suffrian) |
– | Dorsal coloration “dark”; tubercle EP pigmented. Taiwan | similis (Chûjô) |
6 | Body covered with black setae, which are usually darker than the rest of surface; dorsal side of the body covered unevenly with microsculpture, forming separate dark spots between tubercles; pronotum dark with 2 yellow spots near mid-line; body wide, narrowed posteriorly, depressed dorsally, with head distinctly narrower than thorax. Forest belt of Palaearctic | vitellinae (Linnaeus) |
– | Body covered with pale setae, which are usually not darker than the rest of surface, or setae paler than the rest of surface; dorsal side of the body covered with dense and even microsculpture, not forming separate spots; dorsal side giving dark impression; body elongate, cylindrical, with head indistinctly narrower than thorax | 7 |
7 | Pronotum black with narrow pale medial stripe. Central Europe, European Russia, North Caucasus | tibialis (Suffrian) |
– | Pronotum pale medially | 8 |
8 | Pronotum black with wide pale stripe occupying medial 1/3. Central Europe, Northern Europe, North of European Russia, Siberia, Far East, Arctic | polaris (Schneider) |
– | Pronotum pale with dark brown lateral sides. Forest belt of Palaearctic | atrovirens (Cornelius) |
Notes. Phratora grandis (Chûjô, 1956) occurring in Japan is not included in the key due to insufficient description. This species differs from other Japanese species in having black head and legs with all tubercles dark brown (
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Horst Kippenberg who translated German literature into English; to Andrzej O. Bieńkowski who translated Russian literature into English; and to Lech Borowiec for his constant scientific support.