Chiridopsis elongata Spaeth, 1924

Świ, Jolanta, 2017, A monograph of the Afrotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Part 4. Revision of the genus Chiridopsis Spaeth, Zootaxa 4316 (1), pp. 1-85 : 28-30

Chiridopsis elongata Spaeth, 1924

( figs 5 , 53–55 )

Chiridopsis elongata Spaeth, 1924: 345 ; Borowiec, 1999: 299.

Description. Le: 5.50–6.30 mm, Wi: 4.30–4.70 mm, Lp: 2.10–2.35 mm, Wp: 3.30–3.75 mm, Le/Wi: 1.23–1.34, Wp/Lp: 1.57–1.60. Body elongate-oval.

Pronotal disc mostly black with two large yellow spots at base ( figs 53, 54 ), anterior margin of the black area trilobate, or forms a triangle, explanate margins of elytra yellow with black bases. Scutellum black, elytral disc black with 14 yellow spots: on each humerus, two round at base of elytra close to scutellum, one on each margin of disc in 1/3 length, two transverse on top of 1/3 length of disc, four across 2/3 length of disc, and two on apex of disc. Head and thorax dark brown to black, abdomen brown to black broadly surrounded by yellow. Coxa from yellowish-brown to almost black, rest of legs yellow. Antennae yellow.

Pronotum elliptical ( figs 53, 54 ), with maximum width slightly in front of the middle, anterior margin softly convex, sides rounded, no basal corners. Surface of disc from impunctate to finely and sparsely punctate, from slightly alutaceous to shiny. Explanate margin broad, impunctate, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra moderately wider than base of pronotum ( figs 53, 54 ), humeral angles distinctly protruding anterad, subrounded. Disc moderately, regularly convex in profile, without impressions ( fig. 55 ). Punctation fine, on sides slightly coarser than on top of disc, arranged in regular rows, distance between punctures from as wide as to thrice times wider than puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures slightly coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals flat, on top of disc six times wider than rows, on sides two to four times wider than rows, marginal interval in humeral half very broad, 2.5–3.0 times wider than submarginal interval, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin narrow, strongly declivous, in the widest part six times narrower than disc, surface with fine, shallow and sparse punctation but appears regular, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus broad, approximately 1.4 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves well marked, converging in regular triangle, surface of clypeus regularly convex, with few small, setose punctures. Labrum minutely emarginate to 1/6 length. Antennae moderately slim, segments 9–10 approximately 1.6 times as long as wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:44:74:79:71:59:65:65:68:68:124. Segment 3 approximately 1.7 times as long as segment 2 and 0.9 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum broad in the middle, moderately expanded apically, area between coxae with shallow central impression, surface shiny, with sparse, short, transverse grooves and with few setose punctures, expanded apex flat, without special sculpture except few transverse grooves, shiny, with several setose punctures.

Claws with moderate basal tooth.

Distribution. S Republic of Congo ( Zaire) and NW Zambia ( fig. 5 ).

Remarks. Chiridopsis elongata and Ch. suffriani are the only species with elytral disc of black reticulate pattern and numerous yellow spots, and base of explanate margin of pronotum black ( figs 53–55 , 120–122 ). The only similarly reticulate species Ch. octoguttata ( figs 90, 91 ) differs in explanate margin of pronotum completely yellow. Chiridopsis suffriani differs in yellow clypeus, elytral disc with two large, snowman–shaped yellow spots in anterior half and six smaller spots in posterior half, and prosternal collar with angulate lateral corners while in Ch. elongata clypeus is dark brown to black, elytral disc with 8 large yellow spots in anterior half and six spots in posterior half with central spots in second row transverse, and prosternal collar with soft lateral corners.

Types examined. Holotype: [ DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ( ZAIRE)] Mufungwa (MM).

Other specimens examined. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ( ZAIRE): Elisabethville, 1 (LS) ; Katanga, Elisabethville , 2 (1 MM, 1 DBET), 25–30 XI 1930, 1, R. Massart ( MRAC) ; Katanga, Kipopo, Elisabethville , 10 VII 1961, 1, 7 XII 1961, 1, R. Maréchal (2 MRAC) ; Kiala n. N’Guba, Ht. Katanga, 30 VI 1929, 1, J. Romieux ( MHNG) ; Lualaba, Terr. Jadotville, Kakanda, VII–VIII 1953, 2, Th. de Caters ( MRAC) ; Lualaba, Kakanda (Mutaka), XII 1953, 1, Th. de Caters ( DBET) ; Lubumbashi , 4 VIII 1970, 1, 8 IV 1971, 1, 17 II 1971, 1, A.B. Stam (2 MRAC, 1 DBET) .

ZAMBIA: Northwestern Prov. , Solwezi env., 2 XII 2002, 1, F. and L. Kantner (FK).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Chiridopsis elongata (white circles), Chiridopsis subornata (black circle) and Chiridopsis suffriani (black squares).

FIGURES 50 – 55. Chiridopsis congoana. 50. Female dorsal, 51. Male dorsal, 52. Male lateral; 53 – 55. Chiridopsis elongata. 53. Male dorsal, 54. Female dorsal, 55. Female lateral.

FIGURES 120 – 126. Chiridopsis suffriani. 120. Male dorsal, 121. Female dorsal, 122. Female lateral; 123 – 124. Chiridopsis melanocephala. 123. Dorsal, 124. Lateral; 125 – 126. Chiridopsis rorida. 125. Dorsal, 126. Lateral.

FIGURES 87 – 93. Chiridopsis opposita. 87. Male dorsal, 88. Female dorsal, 89. Female lateral; 90 – 91. Chiridopsis octoguttata. 90. Dorsal, 91. Lateral; 92 – 93. Chiridopsis subornata, black form. 92. Dorsal, 93. Lateral.