Cephaloleia scitulus Staines, 1996

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 241-242

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia scitulus Staines, 1996 Fig. 233

Cephaloleia scitulus Staines 1996: 58.

Description.

Elongate; subparallel; subdepressed; head, pronotum (except pale anterior and lateral margins), scutellum, and antennae black; elytra yellow with black sutural vitta from base to apex to row 2, at base includes all of row 2, narrows abruptly to interspace 1 at apex; and lateral vitta from behind humerus to apex from rows 6-9, lateral vittae unite at apex; legs yellow with femur with apex darker, tibia dark at base and apex, tarsi dark. Head: vertex punctate, medial sulcus absent; frons not projecting; slightly depressed between eyes. Antenna: nearly ½ body length; slender; antennomere 1 elongate; 2 transverse; 3 elongate, subequal in length to 1; 4-5 elongate, each shorter than 1 or 3; 6-10 transverse, subequal in length, each shorter than 5; 11 subequal in length to 1 or 3, pointed at apex; 1-3 punctate with scattered setae; 4-11 setose. Pronotum: transverse, widest at base; lateral margin sinuate then rounding to anterior angle, canaliculate; anterior angle rounded, slightly produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin emarginate behind head; disc subconvex; surface sparsely, deeply punctate, more deeply laterally, area just behind head impunctate; transverse basal impression present medially; pronotal length 1.1-1.4 mm; pronotal width 1.4-1.7 mm. Scutellum: pentagonal; alutaceous. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, margined; apex rounded; sutural angle with small tooth; humerus rounded, slightly produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; moderately punctate-striate, humerus virtually impunctate, rows converge and unite apically; elytral length 4.3-5.3 mm; elytral width 1.9-2.6 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna impunctate medially, punctate laterally; abdominal sternite 1-2 impunctate medially, punctate laterally, each puncture with pale seta; sterna 3-5 punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 obsolete medially; last sternite with apical margin emarginate medially in male, rounded in female. Leg: slender; femur punctate at apex; tibia with row of setae on inner margin and fringe of setae at apex. Total length: 5.4-6.9 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia parenthesis . It can be distinguished by the suture between abdominal sterna 1 and 2 being obsolete medially and by the sutural angle of the elytra with a small tooth.

Distribution.

Panama.

Type material examined.

Holotype: Panama at San Pedro, III-7-68/ Lindsay and Gillogly 68-4934/ Cephaloleia or nr d R. White/ Holotype Cephaloleia scitulus Staines, Des. C. L. Staines 1994 [red label] (USNM).

Specimens examined.

PANAMA: Chiriquí- Reserva Fortuna, Continental Divide Trail, 29 May 1993 (CDFA), 30 May 1994 (CDFA, USNM), 23 May- 9 June 1996 (USNM); Reserva La Fortuna, Hydrographic sta. trail, 28 May 1993 (EGRC). Coclé- El Valle, 20 February 1959 (FMNH); El Valle, El. 700 m, 28 July 1974 (EGRC). Panamá- Cerro Azul, Los Alto, 24 May 1994 (USNM); Cerro Jefe, 700 m, 19 June 1976 (EGRC). Total: 21.