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1 February 2008 Potential and Realized Feeding Niches of Neotropical Hispine Beetles (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae, Cephaloleiini)
A. Descampe, C. Meskens, J. Pasteels, D. Windsor, T. Hance
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Abstract

Accurate descriptions of feeding habits are essential to understanding the evolution of dietary preferences and the high levels of diversification within the Chrysomelidae. Both primary observations and summaries suggest that the cassidine beetle tribe, Cephaloleiini, is a species-rich group of feeding specialists on monocot hosts. However, accurate host ranges are poorly defined for most hispine beetle species. To better document occurrence and feeding, we censused the Cephaloleiini associated with rolled leaves of five species of Marantaceae and six species of Heliconiaceae (Zingiberales) in lowland Central Panama. Additionally, we conducted choice and no-choice feeding tests on a subset of both the plants and beetles encountered in the censuses. Both types of data suggest that most species of Cephaloleiini feed on a greater variety of related plant species than has previously been reported.

A. Descampe, C. Meskens, J. Pasteels, D. Windsor, and T. Hance "Potential and Realized Feeding Niches of Neotropical Hispine Beetles (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae, Cephaloleiini)," Environmental Entomology 37(1), 224-229, (1 February 2008). https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X(2008)37[224:PARFNO]2.0.CO;2
Received: 21 September 2006; Accepted: 24 September 2007; Published: 1 February 2008
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KEYWORDS
Cassidinae
feeding niches
Hispinae
trophic selection
Zingiberales
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