Stenispa metallica
(Fabricius, 1801)
Black Smooth Hispine
Stenispa metallica is a of hispine in the . are characterized by a black body with an obscure metallic tinge. The species has been recorded from a broad range of states in the eastern and central United States, as well as from Mexico. Larval development is associated with sedges and grasses, with Scirpus atrovirens documented as a confirmed .
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Stenispa metallica: /stɛˈnɪs.pə məˈtæl.ɪ.kə/
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Identification
Stenispa metallica can be distinguished from similar hispine by its elongate, subparallel body form with nearly four times the length of the . The combination of black coloration with obscure metallic tinge, pentangular , and distinctly - elytra with subsinuate margins is diagnostic. The thorax is finely but distinctly punctured with non-crowded punctures. Specimens may be confused with other black hispines, but the specific proportions and punctation pattern, along with the slightly elytral at the , aid in identification.
Images
Appearance
are black with an obscure metallic tinge. The is scarcely longer than broad, with parallel sides that are indistinctly sinuate. The angles are slightly produced and obtuse, while the angles are . The thorax is subcylindrical above, finely but distinctly punctured with punctures that are not very crowded. The is pentangular. The are scarcely broader than the thorax, nearly four times its length, with narrowly margined sides that are subsinuate and narrowed behind toward the . The apex of each elytron is rounded, and together they are slightly at the . The sutural angle above is convex, and the elytra are distinctly -. The surface is distinct and shining black.
Habitat
Associated with wetland and riparian where plants in the Cyperaceae and Poaceae occur. have been collected from sedges (Carex stricta, Carex hyalinolepis, Scirpus atrovirens) and grasses (Andropogon virginicus, Spartina ).
Distribution
North America: United States (Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin) and Mexico (Tamaulipas). Central America.
Diet
feed internally on stems of plants, with Scirpus atrovirens documented as a confirmed host. have been observed on Carex stricta, Carex hyalinolepis, Andropogon virginicus, and Spartina , though whether they feed on these plants or use them for other purposes is not established.
Host Associations
- Scirpus atrovirens - larval Confirmed for larval development
- Carex stricta - association collected on this
- Carex hyalinolepis - association collected on this
- Andropogon virginicus - association collected on this
- Spartina - association collected on Spartina
Life Cycle
are in plants. Specific details of , larval , , and timing are not documented.
Ecological Role
As a stem-boring , likely influence growth and in wetland sedge . The full ecological role has not been studied.
Similar Taxa
- Other Stenispa speciesSimilar body form and coloration; identification requires examination of specific punctation patterns, thoracic proportions, and elytral shape
More Details
Taxonomic history
Originally described by Fabricius in 1801. The has been variously treated in literature as a or hispine, reflecting historical uncertainty in subfamilial within .
Collection records
The broad eastern and central U.S. distribution, with a single Mexican state record (Tamaulipas), suggests the may be more continuously distributed than current records indicate, or that effort has been uneven across its range.