[Aroid-l] leaf beetles on aroids

From: pjm at gol.com (Peter Matthews) on 2008.05.20 at 01:12:45(17588) Dear Aroiders, I am currently in the Philippines (Luzon) looking around for wild taros. Something I have noticed here is the presence of a large beetle (irridescent green back, bright orange head) frequently feeding on the leaves of Colocasia esculenta and very rarely on the naturalised populations of Xanthosoma sagittifolium, and not at all on the native Homolomena philippinensis. Nor on bananas or other obvious garden plants. The beetle is large, about 1.5 - 2 cm long, and cuts a circular line on the leaf of taro before eating out the central portion, leaving an often near-perfect circular hole in the leaf. The damage itself is quite beautiful. +More Has anyone else seen such beetles on aroids, in the wild or in cultivation, in the Philippines or in other countries? I have sme nice photos, but cannot post them until I get back to Japan. Peter Matthews (Manila, in transit)

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