Chiridopsis suffriani ( Boheman, 1854 )

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 : 57-58

Chiridopsis suffriani ( Boheman, 1854)

( figs 5 , 120–122 )

Cassida Suffriani Boheman, 1854: 465, 1857: 141 , 1862: 343; Gemminger and Harold, 1876: 3659. Cassida (Cassida) Suffriani : Spaeth, 1914: 119.

Chiridopsis Suffriani : Spaeth, 1933 a: 356; Borowiec, 1999: 304.

Description. Le: 4.90–5.20 mm, Wi: 3.50–3.90 mm, Lp: 2.00– 2.10 mm, Wp: 3.05–3.25 mm, Le/Wi: 1.29–1.40, Wp/Lp: 1.53–1.55.

Pronotal disc mostly black except yellow anterior part of area above head, anterior margin of the black spot trilobate, base of disc marked with two large yellow spots ( figs 120, 121 ). Explanate margin of elytra mostly yellow, with black base. Scutellum black. Elytral disc yellow with black reticulate pattern arranged as in figs 120– 122 thus elytra appear black with eight large yellow spots, marginal interval in anterior part and apically yellow. Head yellow, thorax brown to black, abdomen black broadly surrounded by yellow, coxae and trochanters brown, rest of legs yellow, antennae yellow, apex of last segment more or less infuscate.

Pronotum elliptical ( figs 120, 121 ), with maximum width in the middle, sides rounded, no basal corners. Pronotal disc impunctate or with extremely fine and sparse pricks, shiny. Explanate margin broad, almost horizontal, smooth and shiny, yellow parts with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra moderately wider than base of pronotum ( figs 120, 121 ). Humeri moderately protruding anterad, subrounded. Disc evenly convex, without impressions ( fig. 122 ). Punctation regular, very fine, on sides twice coarser than on top of disc, punctures in rows moderately dense to sparse, distance between punctures 2–5 times wider than puncture diameter. Punctures in marginal row twice coarser than in central rows. Intervals several times wider than rows, flat, smooth and shiny. Marginal interval in humeral part very broad, thrice wider than submarginal interval. Explanate margin narrow, strongly declivous, in the widest part approximately 7.0–7.5 as wide as disc, its surface smooth and shiny, transparent, with well visible honeycomb structure.

Clypeus broad, approximately 1.4 times as wide as long, lateral grooves well marked, converging in regular triangle. Clypeal plate only slightly convex, with median line, smooth and shiny, with few small punctures. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:50:83:67:50:47:60:53:53:57:120. Segment 3 approximately 1.6 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 1.2 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternal collar as long as length of third antennal segment, its sides angulate. Prosternal process broad, moderately expanded apically, area between coxae flat, with few small setose punctures, shiny, expanded apex in the middle more or less impressed, its surface with more or less distinct irregular wrinkles but shiny.

Claws with small basal tooth, last segment of tarsi with distally projecting flanks thus claws appear distinctly dentate.

Host plant. Convolvulaceae : Ipomoea obscura (L.) Ker-Gawl ( Heron 1999).

Distribution. Southern Africa from Zimbabwe to Natal ( fig. 5 ).

Remarks. Chiridopsis suffriani and Ch. elongata ( figs 53–55 , 120–122 ) are the only species with elytral disc of black reticulate pattern and numerous yellow spots, and base of explanate margin of pronotum black. The only similarly reticulate species Ch. octoguttata differs in explanate margin of pronotum completely yellow. Chiridopsis elongata differs in clypeus 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, while in Ch. suffriani clypeus is yellow, 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.

Type examined. Holotype: [ SOUTH AFRICA] Natal , Port Natal, Vahlberg ( NRS) . Other specimens examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Shongweni Res., Ntshongweni, Umlass Vall., 24 I 1999, 1, H. Heron ( DBET) .

ZIMBABWE: Salisbury , X 1975, 2, J. O’Neil ( NMM, DBET) ; Umtali, 1, Bodong (ZMHU).

Figures

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

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 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.