UNA ESPECIE ASIÁTICA DE BRUCHINAE (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE) QUE SE DESARROLLA EN LAS SEMILLAS DE Gleditsia triacanthos L. (CAESALPINIACEAE) EN LA ARGENTINA AN ASIAN SPECIES OF BRUCHINAE (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE) DEVELOPING IN THE SEEDS OF Gleditsia triacanthos L. (CAESALPINIACEAE) IN ARGENTINA

Gleditsia triacanthos L. (Caesalpiniaceae), introduced from USA into Argentina in the first half of the twentieth century, is a vigorous invader in lowland areas near water courses. The seeds of this species are predated by Bruchidius endotubercularis Arora, 1980 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), an Asian species accidentally introduced in Argentina. This beetle is distributed over India and VietNam, where it attacks the seeds of an undetermined species of Albizzia (Mimosaceae), but also those of Czecalpinta sappan (Caesalpiniaceae). The amounts of infested pods and consumed seeds of G. triacanthos were registered in different localities in Argentina. B. endotubercularis eliminates 28.77 to 67.98% of the viable seeds. In Argentina, this bruchid has at least two generations per year. Some data on emergence and feeding plants of the adults in the field are also presented.