Platyauchenia ruficollis Staines, 2007

Staines, C. L., 2007, A new species of Platyauchenia Stürm, 1843 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) from Brazil, Insecta Mundi 2007 (12), pp. 1-7 : 5

Platyauchenia ruficollis Staines , new species

Figure 2

Holotype (female): [ Brazil] Goyaz , Coiquna (?), I. M. Sousa, X. 1938 / F. Monros Collection 1959 / Holotype Platyauchenia ruficollis Staines (red label). Deposited in USNM.

Description. Head, antennae, scutellum, legs, and venter black; pronotum red with two black transverse bands on disc; elytra black with red spot on basal ¼ along suture. Head: depressed between eyes; vertex punctate. Antenna: barely reaching base of pronotum; antennomere I twice as long as II; II transverse; III longest, more than twice length of II; IV-XI decreasing in length. Pronotum: widest at base, lateral margin notched just before posterior angle, rounded to apex; anterior angle with acute tooth; posterior angle with small obtuse tooth; densely coarsely punctate, punctures larger laterally; disc convex; pronotal length 3 mm; pronotal width 7 mm. Scutellum: punctate; depressed apically. Elytron: lateral and apical margins smooth, explanate; apical angle slightly emarginate; sutural angle with small tooth; humerus produced; densely coarsely punctate; additional puncture rows present between rows 7 and 8 after middle; four costae present, 1 st beginning at base along suture, obsolete on apical ¼; 2 nd between rows 3 and 4 at base, slightly sinuate, continuing to apical ¼; 3 rd starting at humerus, curving toward suture around additional puncture rows, obsolete on apical ¼; 4 th between humerus and lateral margin on base; elytral length 11 mm; elytral width 8 mm. Venter: abdominal sterna yellowish apically; pro-, meso-, and metasterna punctate and rugose laterally. Leg: femur punctate. Total length: 14 mm.

Etymology. A combination of rufi (Latin = red) and collis (Latin = neck) for the reddish pronotum.

Comparative notes. Platyauchenia ruficollis differs from P. latreillei by the following combination of characters: each elytron with four costae; sutural angle of elytra with small tooth; apical angle of elytra slightly emarginate; pro-, meso-, and metasterna punctate medially and rugose laterally.

Figures

Figure 1-2. Habitus of Platyauchenia adults. 1) Platyauchenia latreillei. 2) Platyauchenia ruficollis.