Sceloenopla expanda Staines

Staines, C. L., 2002, Nomenclatural notes and new species of Sceloenoplini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Zootaxa 89, pp. 1-32 : 19

Sceloenopla expanda Staines , new species

Figure 10

Type material. Holotype (): Est. Cuerici, Sendero el Carbon, 5 km al E. de Villa Mills, San Jose, Costa Rica, 2600 m, 31 Mar 1996, B. Gamoba, L_S_389550_500050 #7046// 371859 ( INBio).

Derivation of name. From expando (Latin= spread out) for the greatly expanded elytra.

Diagnosis. This species is in group 7a ( Uhmann 1937). It can be distinguished from all other species in species group 7a by the lateral margins of the pronotum that are not abruptly contracted, by the lack of elytral costae, and by the expanded elytra.

Description. Head and pronotum rosy red; pronotum with oblong medial macula; antennae pale yellow, with apical four antennomeres black; elytra yellowish with darker markings; elytra greatly expanded to apex; venter black. Head: vertex sparsely punctate, with medial fovea present; tooth present between antennal bases; clypeus and frons smooth. Antenna: extending to base of humerus; antennomere I subglobose; II­VII cylindrical, III twice length of I and II combined; VIII­X transverse, subequal in length; XI pointed at apex; I­VII with scattered setae; VIII­XI setose. Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin sinuate, distinctly angulate in middle; each anterior angle with large, acute tooth; posterior angle acute; surface sparsely, irregularly punctate laterally and basally; transverse basal impression present; pronotal length 1.3 mm; pronotal width 2.3 mm. Scutellum: quadrate; smooth. Elytron: greatly expanded, laminate, rounded; lateral and apical margins smooth; exterior apical angle rounded; humerus triangularly produced laterally; 10 rows of punctures with short scutellar row; costae absent; elytral length 8.6 mm; elytral width 4.7 mm. Venter: smooth; abdominal sterna 2­4 with row of golden setae on apical margin; abdominal sternum 5 covered with golden setae. Leg: yellowish. Total length: 10.1 mm.

Figures

FIGURES 7 - 12. Habitus. 7. Sceloenopla apicispina. 8. Sceloenopla bicolorata. 9. Sceloenopla bidentata. 10. Sceloenopla expanda. 11. Sceloenopla flava. 12. Sceloenopla lampyridiformis.