Cephaloleia simplex Staines, 2008

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 245-246

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia simplex Staines, 2008 Fig. 236

Cephaloleia simplex Staines 2008: 2. Staines 2009a: 21 (noted).

Description.

Small; elongate; subparallel; subdepressed; yellowish-brown; eyes and antennae (except basal antennomere) nearly black, venter brownish except pro- and mesosterna blackish; base of pronotum much narrower than base of elytra. Head: vertex punctate, alutaceous between punctures, medial sulcus present; front nearly vertical; interantennal carina absent; clypeus small, punctate; maxillary and labial palps yellowish; frons not projecting; slightly depressed between eyes. Antenna: extends beyond humerus; slender; antennomeres 3-11 elongate; 1 short; 2 2 × length of 1; 3 longer than 1 and 2 combined; 4-6 subequal in length, each longer than 2; 7-10 subequal in length, each shorter than 6; 11 2 × length of 10, bluntly pointed at apex; 1-2 punctate with scattered setae; 3-11 setose. Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin straight and slightly divergent for basal ⅞ then rounding to anterior angle, margined; anterior angle rounded, slightly produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin weakly emarginate behind head; disc subconvex; surface with disc sparsely punctate, moderately coarsely punctate laterally; basal impression absent; pronotal length 0.9 mm; pronotal width 1.1 mm. Scutellum: large; pentagonal; acutely pointed at apex; alutaceous. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, margined; apex rounded, smooth; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, impunctate; slightly constricted behind humerus; puncture rows with few punctures, rows converge and unite apically; scutellar row reaching basal ⅓; elytral length 2.9 mm; elytral width 1.6 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna impunctate medially, punctate laterally; abdominal sternite 1 punctate; sterna 2-5 punctate, each puncture with white setae; suture between sterna 1 and 2 complete; last sternite broadly emarginate in male, entire, rounded in female. Leg: short, robust; coxa and femur punctate; tibia with fringe of setae on inner margin of apex. Total length: 3.0 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia mauliki , Cephaloleia placida , and Cephaloleia sulciceps . It can be distinguished by the suture between abdominal sterna 1 and 2 being complete and by the small size.

Distribution.

Dominica, Grenada.

Type material examined.

Holotype: Dominica, St. Paul Parish, Mornes Trois Piton Nat’l. Pk., trail to Middleham Falls, 15°21'06" N, 61°20'06" W, el. 2200 ft., V-20-VI-2-2000/ L. Benavides, E. Chavez, J. Dye and E. Kretsch, Malaise trap, 2000-10/ Holotype Cephaloleia simplex Staines 2007 [red label] (TAMU).

Specimens examined.

GRENADA: Grand Etan NP, Mt. Qua Qua Tr., 9 September 1991 (BYUC). Total: 6.