Herminella marshalli Spaeth, 1913

Borowiec, Lech & Wietojañska, Jolanta, 2014, A revision of the genus Herminella Spaeth (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Notosacanthini), with a description of a new related genus and species from Madagascar, Zootaxa 3895 (2), pp. 257-272 : 263-266

Herminella marshalli Spaeth, 1913

Herminella marshalli Spaeth, 1913: 530, 1914: 11 ; Shaw, 1956: 259; Borowiec, 1999: 7.

Type material. Lectotype (here designated): round label with red margins Type; rectangular white label Estcourt / Natal 9.96; rectangular white label Herminella / Marshalli typ. / Spaeth det. ♂’ ( NHML).

Paralectotype (here designated): rectangular white label Estcourt / Natal 9.96; rectangular white label “ Herminella / Marshalli typ. / Spaeth det.♀ ( NHML).

In my world catalogue of Cassidinae ( Borowiec 1999) I wrongly noted that the holotype of Herminella marshalli was preserved in Natural History Museum London. In the original description Spaeth (1913) did not designate a holotype. He distinctly noted that had in hand both a male and a female of this species. Actually, in the London collection there are two specimens with Spaeth’s handwriting Type label but only one has round label with red margins and Type printing (it is characteristic labelling of holotypes in London Museum) and it was the reason why I treated this red labelled specimen as holotype. Because the type series is represented two syntypes, I have designated the male specimen as lectotype and the female specimen as paralectotype.

Other material. One specimen: “Malvern / Natal / Aug 97 / G.A.K. Marshall (MM); two specimens: “ Natal / Umgababa / 14-II-53 / A.L. Capener (MM); one specimen: Pretoria / (W. L. D.) // illegible / B. M. // Distant Coll. / 1911–383 ( NHML); one specimen Sabi river / 29.9.0 5 / Dr. Gunnug ( DBET).

Description. Length: 2.75–3.35 mm, width: 1.85–2.45 mm, length/width ratio: 1.37–1.51.

In the holotype and all other examined specimens, except paratype, pronotal disc yellow, explanate margin of pronotum green except transparent margin, elytra green except transparent margin and yellow apical transverse costa. In the paratype pronotum completely yellow except transparent margin, top of elytral disc between humeral longitudinal elevations up to apical transverse costa green, sides and slope of elytral disc and explanate margin yellow. Scutellum always yellow. Head from yellow to brownish yellow, ventrites and legs in most specimens uniformly yellow with brownish external margin of tibiae, only specimen from Pretoria has brown lateral 1/3 of metasternum. Antennae uniformly yellow or with infuscate club.

Pronotum transverse, approximately two times as wide as long with maximum width in basal 1/3, anterior margin with moderately deep triangular median emargination, head not visible from above. Transparent margins of pronotum in apex of the emargination partly overlapped, head not visible from above. Sides angulate, lateral margin before and behind lateral angulation not crenulate, basal corners well marked, lateral margin before corners distinctly emarginate. Pronotal disc convex, its anterior margin on sides sulcate, surface of disc shiny, on top impunctate, on sides and along the base with several coarse but sparse punctures. Explanate margin with very large transparent punctures, the largest in central part of the explanation, the smallest along border of disc and along the transparent extreme margin of disc.

Elytra as wide as or slightly narrower than pronotum, oval, apex braodly rounded, not emarginate before sutural apex, humeri angulate. Disc depressed with very large and dense punctation. Punctures on top of disc arranged in more or less regular rows but between humeral costa and marginal row disposed irregularly. Elytral sculpture forms only two distinct costae. Dorsal costa absent but in some specimens in the position of dorsal costa runs more or less distinct narrow interval. Humeral costa complete, straight, very narrow, low and obtuse, in slope connected with complete, sharp apical transverse costa which runs from humeral costa to the elevated suture. Marginal row with coarse punctures, in humeral part two times to three times coarser than punctures on sides of disc. Explanate margin of elytra narrow, in the widest part four times narrower than disc, moderately declivous, in anterior half with two rows of coarse transparent punctures and several additional irregular punctures between the rows. Along 3/5 length of the transparent extreme margin runs row of small punctures.

Clypeus as long as wide, clypeal plate in the middle with triangular impression, in position of mid-length of eye the impression as wide as elevated lateral parts of clypeus, base of the triangle as wide as half width of labrum. Eyes large, gena as long as 1/3 width of eye. Labrum transverse, very short with very shallow anterior emargination. Antennae stout, second segment moderately large, globular, third segment 1.3–1.4 times as long as second segment. Funicle approximately 1.2 times as long as club, segments 9 and 10 of club transverse, approximately two times as wide as long.

Distribution. South Africa. Shaw (1956) recorded this species from two specimens collected in Umgababa, Natal. In Spaeth’s collection, preserved in Manchester Museum, there is single specimen collected in Malvern, Natal.