Charidotella (Metrionaspis), Spaeth, 1942

Sekerka, Lukas & Borowiec, Lech, 2015, Subgenera of Charidotella Weise with description of a new subgenus and species from Brazil (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae, Cassidini), ZooKeys 506, pp. 61-74 : 62

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Metrionaspis Spaeth, 1942 Figs 16-17

Metrionaspis Spaeth, 1942: 39; Borowiec 1989: 204 (as subgenus of Charidotella ).

Type species.

Aspidomorpha rubicunda Guérin-Méneville, 1844 by monotypy.

Number of species.

2 ( Borowiec and Świętojańska 2015).

Key to species.

Not yet proposed.

Range.

Charidotella rubicunda is widely distributed through South America from Colombia to Argentina while Charidotella santaremi Borowiec, 1995 is so far known only from the state of Pará in Brazil.

Distinguishing characters.

The two Metrionaspis species have a broadly oval to subtriangular body outline, base of the elytra distinctly wider than pronotum with humeral angles projecting anterad, explanate margin of the elytra with humeral and posterolateral spots, and the elytra with a postscutellar tubercle. Externally both species are very similar to two Charidotella s. str. species, Charidotella tuberculata (Fabricius, 1775) and Charidotella ventricosa (Boheman, 1855), but they can be separated by an impunctate explanate margin of the elytra and claws of the metatarsi in both sexes with a basal tooth. While Metrionaspis species have humeral area of the explanate margin punctate and the inner claw of the metatarsi simple in both sexes.