Cassida melanophthalma Boheman, 1854

Borowiec, Lech & Świętojańska, Jolanta, 2022, A monograph of the Afrotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Part 6. Revision of the tribe Cassidini 3, the genus Cassida L., Zootaxa 5171 (1), pp. 1-250 : 109-111

Cassida melanophthalma Boheman, 1854

( figs. 29 , 300–302 )

Cassida melanophthalma Boheman, 1854: 480, 1856: 145 , 1862: 348; Gemminger & Harold, 1876: 3655; Borowiec, 1995: 371, 1999 a: 264, 2005 a: 127; Heron & Borowiec, 1997: 631; Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2001: 160.

Cassida (Odontionycha) melanophthalma: Spaeth, 1914 b: 93 ; Shaw, 1956: 271, 1963: 458.

Description. L: 4.70–6.20 mm, W: 3.10–4.50 mm, Lp: 1.60–2.20 mm, Wp: 2.50–3.70 mm, L/W: 1.33–1.65; Wp/ Lp: 1.56–1.68. Body oval to elongate–oval, distinctly converging posterad ( figs. 300, 301 ).

Uniformly yellow, including ventrites, legs and antennae, apex of last antennal segment often infuscate ( figs. 300– 302 ).

Pronotum reversely trapezoidal, with maximum width before the middle, sides angulate. Disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin, without lateral lobes. Surface of disc coarsely punctate, punctures only slightly finer than those of elytral disc. Distance between punctures smaller than puncture diameter, surface of disc often appears irregular, especially in front of scutellum. Punctation of explanate margin very shallow, surface appears rather slightly irregular than punctate, semitransparent with more or less visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra not or only slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles distinctly protruding anterad, angulate. Disc strongly, regularly convex in profile, without impressions or elevations ( fig. 302 ). Punctation completely irregular, coarse but rather sparse, distance between punctures usually slightly narrower than puncture diameter, between large punctures often sparse fine secondary punctation, but surface appears regular. In some specimens punctation more dense, with distance between punctures approximately half wide puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures as coarse as punctures of disc. Only marginal interval well marked, without humeral and lateral folds. Explanate margin narrow, in the widest part slightly more than five times narrower than disc, strongly declivous, almost perpendicular to surface, with punctation distinctly finer but as dense as on disc, surface appears regular.

Eyes moderately large, gena quite elongate but distance between under margin of eye and lateral angle of labrum shorter than half eye width. Clypeus broad, 1.3–1.4 times as wide as long, clypeal grooves fine but distinct, converging in regular triangle, surface of clypeal plate flat to shallowly impressed, shiny, with several small, setose punctures. Labrum shallowly emarginate. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly transverse. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:64:88:68:64:64:68:64:66:70:121. Segment 3 approximately 1.4 times longer than 2 and approximately and 1.3 times longer than 4.

Prosternal process very narrow in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa impressed, shiny, without special sculpture, expanded apex convex in the middle, impressed laterally, shiny, with several small, setose punctures.

Claws simple.

Host plants. Solanaceae : Lycium ferocissimum Miers ( Heron & Borowiec 1997) ; Salvadoraceae : Azima tetracantha —adults only ( Heron & Borowiec 1997, Borowiec & Świętojańska 2001).

Distribution. Namibia and South Africa ( fig. 29 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida litigiosa species–group. It belongs to the complex of species with a more or less elongate body, elytra distinctly converging posterad and with a strongly declivous explanate margin of elytra ( figs. 300–302 ). The complex comprises also C. lycii , C. litigiosa and C. reticulipennis . The two latter species distinctly differ in very fine, hardly visible punctation of pronotum while in C. melanophthalma the punctation of the pronotum is moderately coarse, well visible. Cassida lycii differs in pronotal punctation much coarse and denser than punctation of the elytral disc (in C. melanophthalma punctation of pronotum is finer than punctation of elytra) and elytra more distinctly converging posterad ( fig. 291 ). Cassida melanophthalma has the pronotum the most reversely trapezoidal within the complex. Cassida oxylepiformis has the body also elongate but almost parallel sided, with an extremely declivous explanate margin of elytra, cylindrical (fig. 293).

Types examined. Lectotype, designated by Borowiec, 1999: 264: [ SOUTH AFRICA]: Cap. B. Sp. ” “Chevr.” “TE” ( NRS).

Other specimens examined. NAMIBIA: Abachaus , Damaraland, XII 1951, 1, G. Hobohm ( TM) ; Kalidona , 30 XII 1957, 1 ( WM) , Kamanjab , 24 II 1960, 4, F. Gaerdes ( ZSM) ; Okahandja , 3 IX 1950, 1 ( WM) , 1–4 II 1972, 2 ( BMNH) ; Windhoek , 15–17 XII 1973, 1 ( WM) , 14–23 I 1974, 1 ( WM) , 1 III 1974, 1, 20 III 1974, 1, R. Oberprieler, 5 IV 1985, 1 on Aloe littoralis (NIC) , 22–25 II 1992, 1, M. Uhlig ( ZMHU) ; Windhoek , Richfontein, 1–31 VIII 1978, 1, S. Louw & M.L. Penrith ( WM) .

SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Colony, 1 ( MRAC) ; Cape of Good Hope, 1 ( NMP) ; Eastern Cape, Alexandria Forest , 22 XI 1961, 1, A.C. van Bruggen ( NMM) ; Eastern Cape, Alexandria , Woody Cape, 10–13 XII 1997, 1, R. Cmeco ( MS) ; Eastern Cape, Bathurst , 9 II 1966, 1, A.L. Capener ( MNHW) ; Eastern Cape, Fort Beaufort , 19 VIII 1953, J. S. Taylor ( LS) ; Eastern Cape, Grahamstown , 13–20 X 1970, 1, H. and S. Townes ( CMN) ; Eastern Cape, Hankey , 33.49 S 24.20 E, 17 XI 1989, 3, Scott & Kleinjan ( NIC, MNHW) ; Eastern Cape, King Williams Town , 23 III 1965, 1, A.L. Capener ( NIC) ; Eastern Cape, Komga , 28.35 S 27.53 E, 17 XI 1989, 4, Scott & Kleinjan ( NIC, MNHW) ; Eastern Cape, Oudtshoorn , 33°32’S, 22°08’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Eastern Cape, Port Elisabeth , 3 II 1961, 2, 3 XI 1961, 2 ( BMNH, NIC) ; Eastern Cape, Roadside 22 km WNW Alexandria, approximately 200 m, 29 V 1996, 2, Grobbelaar et al. ( NIC) ; Eastern Cape, Steytlerville , 25 X 1964, 1, A.L. Capener ( MNHW) ; Eastern Cape, Uitenhage , 30 XII 1970, 3, N.W. Strydom ( NIC) , E Cape, Van Stadens Resort , 20 m, -33.9675 / 25.2227, beating, 18.11.2013, leg. m. Wanat ( MNHW) ; Eastern Cape, 20 mls W Willowmore , 23 X 1964, 3, A.L. Capener ( NIC) ; Free State, W of Bothaville, Vaal river , 24 XII 2008, 7, M. Snižek ( MS) ; Limpopo Prov., Nylsvlei , 24°39’S, 28°42’E, 1 ( ARC) ; North West Prov., 20 km W Bothaville, Klerksdorp , 31 I 2001, 3, M. Snižek ( MS) ; North West Prov., Bothaville, Vall riv., 16 I 2003, 3, M. Snižek ( MS) ; Oranje F. State , N of Fickburg, 17 I 2003, 2, M. Snižek ( MS) ; Oranje F. State, Voorspoed, Boshof , 21–28 III 1977, 1, A. Strydom ( BM) ; Willowmore , 22 I 1982, 1, J.G. Theron ( CTM) ; Oranje F. State, Hendrik Verwoerd , 20–29 XI 1969, 3, A.L. Capener ( NIC) ; Port Elizabeth , 16, Dr. Martin ( MKB) ; N Transvaal, 20 km N Pietersburg, Rt. N1, 24 XII 1994, 1, A. Freidberg ( TAU) ; Transvaal, Lydenburg , 1896, 1, P.A. Krantz ( TM) ; Transvaal, Pienaars , 1898, 3, X–XI 1900, 2, v. Jutrzencka ( TM) ; Western Cape Prov., 10 km S Citrusdal , 200–270 m, 4–8 X 1994, 1, R. Danielsson ( LU) ; Western Cape, Heidelberg , I 1979, 1, S. Noser ( NIC) ; Western Cape, K. Karoo mer., Langberg env., 24 XI 2002, 1, M. Snižek ( MS) ; Western Cape Prov., 23 km E Port Nolloth , 250 m, 16 IX 1985, 1, Bellamy and Evans ( ER) ; Western Cape Prov., 8 km SW of Three Sisters , 31°57.462’S, 23°01.702’E, 1050 m, M. Říha leg. ( BMNH) .

Figures

FIGURE 29. Distribution of Cassida melanophthalma.

FIGURES 300–302. Cassida melanophthalma. 303–304. Cassida praetimida. 300–301, 303. Dorsal; 302, 304. Lateral.

FIGURES 291–292. Cassida lycii. 293–294. Cassida oxylepiformis. 291, 293. Dorsal; 292, 294. Lateral.