New host and distribution record for Acanthoscelides malvitus Johnson (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).

During examination of material from Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology Collection (TAMU) and Coleccion del Centro de Entomologia y Acarologia, Montecillo, Mexico (CEAM) we found specimens of Acanthoscelides malvitus (Fig. 1a, 1b) with record of a new host and distribution records for this bruchid. Johnson (1983) described this species from Guatemala and Mexico (Chiapas and Oaxaca), from specimens intercepted in plant quarantine. The old host records were Abutilon sp., Malva sp., and Robinsonella sp. However Robinsonella was missed as host in later works because it was cited alone in another page of the paper. This is the first documented record that seeds of Robinsonella discolor are attacked by Acanthoscelides malvitus. The collection data are as follows: New host plants and distribution records. 4.5 mi. S Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas, MEX, III/5/1986, reared on seeds of Robinsoniella discolor Rose & E.G. Baker ex Rose, R. Jones collector (TAMU). Santa Ana, 8 km E Tehuacán, Puebla, MEX, X/21/ 2005, 1840 m, Romero N.J. collector (CEAM). Robinsoniella is a genus of sixteen arborescent plant species from Mexico and Central America, of which fourteen may be found in Mexico (Fryxell 1988, 1997 & Kearney 1951). Robinsoniella discolor is a small to medium sized tree up to 12 m tall, occurring in dry deciduous forest from southern Tamaulipas to northern Hidalgo, Mexico, and flowering from January to April. According to Romero et al. (2004) the following genera of Bruchidae feed on Malvaceae seeds in the world: Abutiloneus (1 species), Acanthoscelides (35 species), Althaeus (3 species), Amblycerus (2 species), Bonaerius (1 species), Bruchidius (1 species), Bruchus (2 species), Callosobruchus (1 species), Caryedon (1 species), Neobruchidius (1 species), Sennius (1 species), and Spermophagus (12 species). However, Acanthoscelides is the genus that has specialized strongly in Malvaceae. There are about 80 host species in 15 genera.