Chaeridiona angulata Staines, 2007

Staines, C. L., 2007, A review of the genus Chaeridiona Baly, 1869 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Zootaxa 1521 (1), pp. 19-29 : 21-22

Chaeridiona angulata Staines , New Species

Figure 1

Holotype (♀): Laos: 800 m, Ban-van-eue, SE of Phou-kow-kuei, 14.IV.1965 / ginger/ J. L. Gressitt Collector, Bishop Museum ( BPBM).

Head, pronotum, and elytral disc shiny metallic green, elytra coppery to yellowish laterally and apically; antennae yellowish, apical four antennomeres darker (apex of XI yellowish); legs yellowish; venter brown with metallic reflections. Head: wedge-shaped; acutely produced between antennal bases; vertex with medial sulcus from base to apex of projection; vertex deeply, densely punctate; sulci present near eyes; front brownish with scattered large punctures; clypeus with rows of setae. Antenna: 2x length of head and pronotum combined; slightly thickened apically; antennomere I robust, thicker than others, 1.5x length of II; II shorter and thicker than III; III–IV subequal in length; V –VII decreasing in length, each subequal in length to II; VIII–X longer than preceding; XI subequal in length to X, pointed at apex; I–VII punctate, VIII–XI setose. Pronotum: convex; longer than wide; lateral margin bisinuate, not angulate or rounded in middle; anterior angle with two teeth; posterior angle acute; slight transverse basal impression present; deeply coarsely punctate; pronotal width 0.7 mm; pronotal length 0.9 mm. Scutellum: quadrate; alutaceous. Elytron: lateral margin expanding to apex, smooth; exterior apical angle acute, laminate; apical margin dentate, laminate; humerus slightly produced; with 10 rows of regular punctures plus short scutellar row, punctures rather quadrate; interspaces 2, 4, 6, and 8 costate; costa 3 interrupted in middle; elytral width 1.1 mm; elytral length 2.3 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna punctate; abdominal sterna with row of punctures near apical margin. Leg: femur with row of punctures on outer margin; coxa punctate; tibia with fringe of setae on inner margin. Total length: 3.6 mm.

Etymology. From angulus (Latin= corner or angle) for the distinctly angulate exterior apical angle of the elytra.

Comparative notes. This species is most similar to C. semiviridis but can be distinguished by the medial sulcus on the vertex of the head, by antennomeres III–IV being subequal in length; by the lateral margin of the

pronotum not being rounded in middle, by the presence of a slight basal impression, by the elytral punctures not being confused, and by the costa on elytral interspace 6 being interrupted.

Food plants. Collected on an unidentified ginger.

Distribution. Laos.

Specimens examined. Laos: Ban-van-eue, SE Phou-kou-kuei, 800 m, 14.IV.1965 ( BPBM, 1). Total: 1 .

Figures

FIGURE 1–3. 1. Chaeridiona angulata Staines, new species- dorsal view. 2. Chaeridiona cupreovirida Gressitt- dorsal view. 3. Chaeridiona feae Gestro- dorsal view. (line on photos equals 1 mm).