Cassida sphaerula 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 : 151-152

Cassida sphaerula Boheman, 1854

(figs. 35, 165–167)

Cassida Sphaerula Boheman, 1854: 434, 1856: 136 , 1862: 335; Gemminger & Harold, 1876: 3658; Heron & Borowiec, 1997: 631.

Cassida (Cassida) sphaerula: Spaeth, 1914 b: 119 .

Cassida Hottentotta Boheman, 1854: 435, 1856: 136 , 1862: 335; Gemminger & Harold, 1876: 3654; Spaeth, 1914 b: 119 (as syn. of sphaerula ).

Description. L: 4.40–4.80 mm, W: 3.30–3.50 mm, Lp: 1.55–1.70 mm, Wp: 2.60–2.80 mm, L/W: 1.33–1.45, Wp/ Lp: 1.65–1.75. Body oval, male distinctly stouter than females (figs. 165, 166).

Dorsum yellow, in the middle of eighth interval small, brown to black spot (figs. 165, 166), occasionally elytra uniformly yellow. Head form yellow to infuscate in basal corners and along sides, occasionally clypeal plate mostly dark brown with yellowish centre. Thorax usually completely black but sometimes with yellow lateral plates and basal corners of metasternum, abdomen mostly black surrounded by yellow. Legs completely yellow, or coxa black, or basal 1/3 to 1/2 of femora infuscate. Antennal segments 1–6 yellow, segment 7 more or less infuscate, apical four segments brown, but sometimes antennae uniformly yellow.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width slightly behind the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides from narrowly rounded to subangulate, no basal corners. Disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin, without lateral lobes. Surface of disc shiny, mostly with fine and sparse punctation only area above head and oblique areas on sides impunctate. Distance between punctures from as wide as to thrice wider than puncture diameter. Explanate margin moderately broad, impunctate but often with fine radial sculpture, from slightly alutaceous to shiny, semitransparent with more or less visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra not or slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, rounded to subangulate. Disc regularly convex in profile (fig. 167), without impressions or elevated sculpture. Punctation moderately coarse arranged in completely regular rows, dense, distance between punctures narrower than puncture diameter, often punctures almost touching each other. Marginal row distinct, its punctures slightly smaller than punctures in central rows. Intervals slightly convex, in sutural half slightly wider than rows, on sides narrower than rows to linear, surface shiny, marginal interval broad, twice wider than submarginal interval, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin narrow, strongly declivous, in the widest part approximately seven times narrower than disc, surface shiny, with shallow, fine but dense punctation, appears irregular.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus moderately broad, approximately as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, converging in triangle with obtuse or angulate top, surface of clypeus flat or very shallowly impressed, its surface shiny with several very small, setose punctures. Labrum narrowly emarginate to 1/6 length. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly transverse. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:58:84:48:58:32:48:55:5 2:55:97. Segment 3 approximately 1.4 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 1.7 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa flat or shallowly impressed, shiny, with few small setose punctures, expanded apex slightly convex in the middle, with several small, dense, setose punctures, surface appears irregular.

Claws simple.

Host plants. Asteraceae : Arthoteca calendula (L.) Levyns. ( Heron & Borowiec 1997); Berkheya sp. (label data).

Distribution. South Africa (fig. 35).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida sphaerula species–group. With the elytral pattern reduced to a single, very small brown to black spot or stripe on each side of elytral disc (figs. 165, 166) C. sphaerula is the less spotted species of this group. In body shape and size the most similar is C. quatuordecimsignat a but it differs in elytral disc with at least 12 small black spots ( figs. 162, 163 ). Specimens of C. guttipennis with only few small black spots differ in their larger size and broader and more horizontal explanate margin of elytra ( fig. 160 ), and C. vespertilio well differs in a more expanded elytral pattern with spots on the explanate margin of elytra (fig. 136). Specimens of two members of the C. andreinii species–group with a reduced elytral pattern have similar size and completely similar, regular elytral punctation but differ in claws with basal tooth and postscutellar area with more or less distuinct H–shaped elevation ( figs. 236 , 239).

Type examined. Probably 7 syntypes of Cassida Sphaerula Boheman, 1854 : [ SOUTH AFRICA]: Cap B. Spei ( NRS) ; syntype of Cassida Sphaerula Boheman, 1854 : [ SOUTH AFRICA]:Afr. mer. ( ZMHU) ; holotype of Cassida hottentotta Boheman, 1854 : [ SOUTH AFRICA]: Africa merid., ( NRS) .

Other specimens examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Cape of Good Hope, 1 ( NMP) ; Cap , 1, Staud ( MM) ; Cape, Algoa Bay , 1, Brauns ( TM) ; Cape, Grahamstown , 24 IX 1960, 1, A. Duff & McKoy ( MM) ; Cape, Grootdrift farm, 27 X 1981, 1, S. Endrödy – Younga ( TM) ; Cape, Harkerville for. res., Knysna , 9–10 XI 1972, 1, van Reenen ( MNHW) ; Cape, Hawequas , 5 XI 1973, 1, S. Endrödy – Younga ( TM) ; Cape, Helderfontein , 1150 m, 9 III 1979, 2, S. EndrödyYounga ( TM) ; Cape, Heuningnes Riv. , 28 X 1983, 1, S. Endrödy – Younga ( TM) ; Cape, Humansdorp , I 1961, 1, N. Leleup ( MNHW) ; Cape, Knysna , 1911, 1, Rex ( TM) ; Cape, Koornplanskloof , 10 km S Citrusdal, 32.40 S / 19.01 E, 200–270 m, 4–8 X 1994, 1, R. Danielsson ( MNHW) ; Cape, Limietberge , 7 XI 1973, 1, S. Endrödy – Younga ( TM) ; Cape Prov., Plattenbergbaai , 17 X 1994, 1, R. Danielsson ( LU) ; Cape, Port Elisabeth , 14 IV 1961, 1, A.C. van Bruggen ( NNML) ; Cape, Tsitsikama, Witelsb. , 10 XII 1978, 1, S. Endrödy – Younga ( TM) ; Cape, Wellington , 20 VIII 1986, 4 on leaves of Arctotheca calendula, M. Way (NIC, MNHW) ; Cape, Zuurberg n. Addo , 24 IX 1984, 1, H. Zimmermann ( NIC) ; Eastern Cape Prov., Zuurberg, near Addo , 33°17’S, 25°48’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Natal , 1 ( MRAC) ; Promot. b. sp., 1, W. Schaufuss ( ZMHU) ; Transvaal, Lydenburg , 1896, 1, P.A. Krantz ( TM) ; Zululand , 1905–1906, 1, J. Toppin ( TM) ; Western Cape Prov., Cape Town , 33°59’S, 18°30’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Western Cape Prov., near Darling , 33°23’S, 18°23’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Western Cape Prov., Hackerville, west of Plattenberg Bay , 34°03’S, 23°17’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Western Cape Prov., Kirstenbosch , 33°59’S, 18°26’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Western Cape Prov., Silvermine , Cape Peninsula , 34°06’S, 18°24’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Western Cape Prov., Wellinghton , 33°30’S, 18°55’E, 1 ( ARC) .

Figures

FIGURES 162–164. Cassida quatuordecimsignata. 165–167. Cassida sphaerula. 162–163, 165–166. Dorsal; 164, 167. Lateral.

FIGURES 158–161. Cassida guttipennis. 158, 160–161. Dorsal; 159. Lateral.

FIGURES 236–238. Cassida andreinii. 239–240. Cassida heroni. 236–237, 239. Dorsal; 238, 240. Lateral.