Chiridopsis nigrostillata ( Boheman, 1862 )

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 : 43

Chiridopsis nigrostillata ( Boheman, 1862)

( figs 17 , 83, 84 )

Coptocycla nigrostillata Boheman, 1862: 393 ; Gemminger and Harold, 1876: 3672; Spaeth, 1914: 131. Chiridopsis (?) nigrostillata: Spaeth, 1924: 343 ; Borowiec, 1999: 301.

Description. Le: 5.9 mm, Wi: 4.7 mm, Lp: 2.2 mm, Wp: 3.6 mm; Le/Wi: 1.26, Wp/Lp: 1.64.

Pronotum yellow ( fig. 83 ), disc with six black spots: elongate stripe before scutellum, triangular in front of median stripe, rhomboidal on sides, and very small laterally to the rhomboidal spots, close margin of disc. Scutellum yellow. Elytra yellow, each elytron with three rows of small, black spots: first along suture, second along middle, and third along sides; first and third row with four, middle row with six spots. Clypeus black, thorax and abdomen mostly black, only abdominal sternites with yellow margins. Legs and antennae yellow.

Pronotum regularly elliptical ( fig. 83 ), approximately 1.7 times wider than long, with maximum width in the middle, sides broadly rounded. Disc moderately convex, microreticulate but smooth and glabrous. Explanate margin very broad, almost horizontal, smooth and glabrous.

Scutellum triangular, impunctate. Base of elytra distinctly wider than pronotum ( fig. 83 ), humeri moderately protruding anterad, subangulate, margin behind humeral angle not emarginate. Disc moderately, regularly convex ( fig. 84 ), without impressions. Punctation regular, very fine, especially on slope. Punctures in marginal row only slightly coarser than on sides of disc. Intervals flat, in sutural half of disc several times, in lateral half of disc twice to thrice wider than rows, their surface smooth and glabrous. Explanate margin moderately broad, in the widest part approximately 2.5 times narrower than width of each disc, moderately declivous, its surface glabrous, in side–light appears shallowly punctate.

Clypeus broad ( fig. 17 ), approximately 1.5 times wider than long, distinctly convex, with distinct median groove, extending from apex to 3/4 length of clypeus; deep clypeal lines converging in triangle. Surface of clypeal plate microreticulate, but glabrous. Prosternal collar long, slightly longer than length of third antennal segment, on sides distinctly angulate. Antennal grooves deep and long. Antennae slim, extending behind basal margin of pronotum by two segments, length ratio of antennal segments: 100:43:63:70:50:50:53:53:57:53:90.

Ventrites with no diagnostic characters. The supposed basal tooth of claws moderate.

Distribution. Described generally from “Africa”, the only other known specimens were collected in KwaZulu-Natal ( South Africa).

Remarks. Chiridopsis nigrostillata belongs to the group of species with black pattern of numerous black spots on pronotal and elytral disc. Three species of the group have a pair of black spots behind scutellum and one or two pairs of black spots close to suture: Ch. nigrostillata , Ch. tanganikana and Ch. tessellata (83, 84, 96–101). Both relatives differ in slimmer body with length/width ratio 1.32–1.43 versus 1.26 in Ch. nigrostillata , pronotum with only 4 black spots vs. 6 in Ch. nigrostillata and elytral disc without row of black spots along middle of elytron, only with two spots in anterior third while in Ch. nigrostillata runs complete row of 5 black spots. Ch. tessellata differs also in prosternal collar not angulate on sides while in Ch. nigrostillata and Ch. tanganikana prosternal collar is distinctly angulate on sides.

Types examined. Holotype: Africa (BMNH).

Other specimen examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Hluhluwe NP, I 1949, 1, H. K. Munro (LS); Zulu, 1, Tragårdh ( NRS).

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 19. Head. 17. Chiridopsis nigrostillata — species with broad clypeus; 18. Chiridopsis picturata — species with narrow clypeus; 19. Chiridopsis aequinoctialis — species with yellow clypeus.

FIGURES 80 – 86. Chiridopsis nigrosepta. Variation of dorsal pattern; 83 – 84. Chiridopsis nigrostillata. 83. Dorsal, 84. Lateral; 85 – 86. Chiridopsis klapperichi. 85. Dorsal, 86. Lateral.