Insect Species Richness: Hispine Bettles of Heliconia Latispatha

Lowland Costa Rican populations of Heliconia latispatha (Zingiberales) are attacked by six species of rolled leaf hispine beetles (Chrysomelidae). Each species feeds upon a specific plant part in both larval and adult stages: either the inflorescence, the edge of the rolled leaf, or the blade of the rolled leaf away from the edge. Lowlands in the Pacific North have a long dry season, and H. latispatha grows only ° 6 mo of the year and supports from zero to three hispine species. The Pacific Southern dry season is shorter, and H. latispatha grows ° 10 mo and supports four hispine species. The Caribbean lowlands have sufficient rain for H. latispatha to grow year round, and four rolled leaf hispine species are supported. Heliconia latispatha may be saturated with four species of rolled leaf Hispinae in the Caribbean lowlands and Pacific South. Between these two regions, the species associated with H. latispatha change, the pool of species with the potential to attack H. latispatha increases to five, and the total number of species attacking congeners of H. latispatha increases from six to eight.