Cephaloleia sandersoni Staines, 1996

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 239

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia sandersoni Staines, 1996 Fig. 230

Cephaloleia coeruleata Sanderson 1967: 137. (homoym of Cephaloleia coeruleata Weise 1911a (misspelling of Cephaloleia caeruleata Baly).

Cephaloleia sandersoni Staines 1996: 57 (replacement name for Cephaloleia coeruleata Sanderson). Staines 2008: 1 (key), 2009a: 21 (noted).

Description.

Oval; convex; metallic blue, venter and legs dark brown with bluish sheen. Head: vertex finely punctate, medial sulcus absent; frons projecting; slightly depressed between eyes. Antenna: reaches to humerus; slender; antennomere 1 clavate, subequal in length to 3; 2 transverse, ½ length of 1; 3 elongate; 4-10 elongate, subequal in length, each shorter than 3; 11 2 × length of 10, subequal in length to 1 and 3, acutely pointed at apex; 1-2 punctate with scattered setae; 3-11 setose. Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin evenly arcuate from base to anterior angle, margined; anterior angle rounded, slightly produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin emarginate behind head; disc subconvex; surface uneven, with two vague, rounded depressions between middle and lateral margin; surface sparsely, irregularly punctate, alutaceous; basal impression absent; pronotal length 1.1 mm; pronotal width 1.9 mm. Scutellum: broadly triangular; impunctate. Elytron: lateral margin slightly expanded apically, smooth, margined; apex rounded; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; moderately punctate-striate, rows converge and unite apically; elytral length 3.4 mm; elytral width 2.4 mm. Venter: prosternum impunctate medially, rugose laterally; meso- and metasterna impunctate medially, punctate laterally; abdominal sterna punctate; suture between sterna 1 and 2 complete; last sternite with apical margin broadly sinuate in male, less so in female; pygidium setose. Leg: slender; punctate; tibia with fringe of golden setae at apex. Total length: 4.7-5.4 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia barroi . It can be distinguished by the sparsely punctate vertex of the head, by the straight lateral margins of the pronotum, and by antennomeres 1 and 2 being transverse and subequal in length.

Host plant.

Adults have been collected in Thrinax sp. inflorescences ( Arecaceae ) ( Sanderson 1967).

Distribution.

Jamaica.

Type material examined.

Holotype: Jamaica, Grier Mount on Mount Diablo (St. Catherine Parish), 3000 ft., February 30, 1953, R. A. Howard and G. R. Procter, ex. inflorescence sheaths of Thrinax (INHS).

Specimens examined.

JAMAICA: Trelawny Parish- Windsor Estate, 22 August 1955 (INHS). Total: 9.