Forum Entomologi Italiani

Aiuto ID!
Grazie!

Eumolpinae, Macrocoma sp., 8 endemic species described from Canary Is., 3 known from Tenerife:

http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/Ma ... review.pdf

Thanks a lot, Lech!
This page http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/Eu ... rocoma.htm only recognize two species from Tenerife: latifrons and splendens. The third species, M. splendidula, is reported from Tenerife in your PDF but only from Gran Canaria in the previous link.

According to the key, my photos should be M. obscuripes as the legs are entirely black. But this species is from Gran Canaria and not recorded from Tenerife.

However, in the illustrations of your PDF, the image of M. latifrons shows all black legs! While elytra colour of mine seems to match better with M. latifrons than with M. obscuripes according to these illustrations. And in the description is remarked as diagnostic the dark colour of M. obscuripes. The pubescence of elytra also match much better with M. latifrons http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/cassidae/Eu ... ifrons.htm than obscuripes.

M. splendens and M. splendidula lack description (except the one provided in the key) and illustration. The description from the key doesn't match (leg colour, antennae colour...) with my photos. But the same problem is with M. latifrons!!

So, what's it??? A new species? (common near a big city, Santa Cruz, so it seems unprobable). A colour morph of M. latifrons? A new population of M. obscuripes????

Macrocoma splendidula was recorded from Tenerife, my web page needs updating.

Macrocoma is generally very difficult to identification, not only Canarian species. Macrocoma latifrons is very variable species, on my photo is specimen with almost uniformly reddish legs but specimens with black legs were also collected. The best character for this species is aedeagus with deep apical emargination. On your photo with pair in copula legs appear not to be uniformly black.

Macrocoma latifrons is the most common species on Tenerife and with great probability your specimens belong to this species, but correct identify needs preparation of genitalia.

Thanks a lot Lech! I didn't notice that this page (that I consult very often when trying to identify chrysomelids) and the photos, are yours! I feel honoured for be answered by you

Dear Lech,
maybe can you help with viewtopic.php?f=11&t=60524 ?