Cephaloleia eximia Baly, 1858

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 135-136

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia eximia Baly, 1858 Fig. 135

Cephaloleia eximia Dejean 1836: 390 Nomen Nudum.

Cephalolia eximia Baly 1858: 53. Gemminger and Harold 1876: 3601 (catalog); Donckier 1899: 549 (catalog); Weise 1911a: 8 (catalog), 1911b: 12 (catalog).

Cephaloleia eximia Baly. Maulik 1916: 569 (museum list); Uhmann 1957b: 19 (catalog); Balazuc 1988: 397 (pathogens); Remillet 1988: 148 (host plant); Staines and Staines 1999: 524 (Baly species list).

Description.

Elongate; subparallel; subdepressed; shining; black; pronotum yellowish with large apical macula and smaller basal macula; elytra with narrow marginal line just below middle and longitudinal vitta on disc yellow; venter black; legs yellowish, tarsi and tibio-femoral joint black. Head: vertex finely punctate, medial carina present; frons not projecting; slightly depressed between eyes. Antenna: reaches beyond humerus; robust; antennomere 1 incrassate, longer than 2; 2 cylindrical, shorter than 1; 3 cylindrical, elongate, as long as 1 and 2 combined; 4-5 transverse, subequal in length, each shorter than 3; 6-10 transverse, subequal in length, each shorter than 5; 11 2 × length of 10, rounded at apex; 1-7 punctate with scattered setae; 8-11 setose. Pronotum: subquadrate; lateral margin straight, narrowing then rounding to anterior angle, canaliculate; anterior angle obtuse, slightly produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin weakly emarginate behind head; disc subconvex; surface irregularly punctate; basal impression absent; pronotal width 0.9-1.1 mm; pronotal width 0.9-1.1 mm. Scutellum: pentagonal; impunctate. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, narrowly margined; apex rounded, smooth; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; moderately punctate-striate; interspaces slightly elevated laterally; elytral length 3.0-3.5 mm; elytral width 1.1-1.4 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna impunctate medially, punctate laterally; abdominal sterna punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 complete; last sternite with apical margin broadly emarginate medially in male, truncate in female. Leg: slender; punctate; femur with row of setae on inner margin; tibia with fringe of setae on inner margin of apex. Total length: 4.6-6.0 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia pulchella and Cephaloleia saundersii . It can be distinguished by the suture between abdominal sterna 1 and 2 being complete.

Host plant.

Adults have been collected feeding on Heliconia psittacorum Sw. ( Heliconiaceae ) ( Remillet 1988).

Distribution.

French Guiana, Amazonas.

Type material examined.

Holotype: Cayenne [handwritten label]/ Baly coll. [printed label]/ Cephalolia eximia Baly, Cayenne [blue handwritten label] (BMNH).

Specimens examined.

?: Amazonas, 1880 (USNM). FRENCH GUIANA: vic. Saül, 8-14 830 ft., August 2012 (AJGC); vic. Saül airport, 748 ft., 8-14 August 2012 (AJGC); Rte. 6 along Montages de Kaw Trail at 1 km N Camp Patawa, 7 June 1996 (AMNH); Roura, 8.4 km SSE, 200 m, 28 May 1997, 31 May 1997 (SEMC); Saül, 7 km N Les Eaux Claires, 31 May 1997 (USNM); 3.5 mi. N Saül, Les Eaux Claires, 14 June 1996 (AMNH); Hwy D6 to Kaw, 34 km SE of Roura, 5-6 June 1986 (EGRC); 23 km SE Roura, 1000 ft., 15-20 August 2012 (AJGC). Total: 57.