PRIMER REGISTRO DE Melanchroia chephise Stoll, 1782 (LEPIDOPTERA: GEOMETRIDAE) SOBRE Phyllanthus niruri Y Breynia disticha (PHYLLANTHACEAE) EN EL ESTADO LARA, VENEZUELA.

Melanchroia chephise Stoll, 1782 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae) is a species widely distributed from southern North America to South America and Lesser Antilles. The presence of M. chephise is recorded for the first time on plants Phyllanthus niruri L. and Breynia disticha J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Phyllanthaceae) in the garden of a peri-urban residential complex of Lara State, Venezuela and aspects of its life cycle were determined under laboratory conditions. The duration of the life cycle was 27.40 ± 0.90 days (egg 6.00 ± 0.00 days, larva 17.60 ± 1.10 days and pupa 7.00 ± 1.90 days). It is necessary to perform further studies into the biology of M. chephise, especially with the herbivore - host plant interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]