Chiridopsis Spaeth, 1922

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 : 6

Genus: Chiridopsis Spaeth, 1922

Chiridopsis Spaeth, 1922: 1003 (type species: Coptocycla nigrosepta Fairmaire, 1891 , designated by Borowiec, 1999: 296); Borowiec, 1994 a: 16, 1999: 296.

Chiridopsis Spaeth, 1924: 337 (type species: Coptocycla aubei Boheman, 1855 , by original designation; objective junior homonym and synonym); Gressitt, 1952: 482; Hincks, 1952: 340; Gressitt and Kimoto, 1963: 962; Seeno and Wilcox, 1982: 177; Chen et al., 1986: 555.

Chirida Chapuis, 1875: 405 ; Spaeth, 1914: 123 (in part, Old World species).

Description. Small to moderately large cassids, body length 4–8 mm. Body regularly convex, from almost hemispherical to slightly cylindrical. Pronotum elliptical, with rounded sides and maximum width approximately in the middle. Pronotal disc distinctly separated from explanate margin, usually smooth and glabrous. Explanate margin broad, transparent, smooth and glabrous. Elytral base distinctly wider than pronotum. Elytral disc regularly convex. Punctation of disc usually regular, only occasionally punctures have tendency to form irregular rows. Marginal row distinct. Explanate margin of elytra broad, declivous, usually smooth and glabrous, occasionally shallowly punctate, transparent. Clypeus flat to convex, without or with fine clypeal lines. Venter of pronotum with deep antennal grooves, separated laterally by sharp carina but prosternal collar without lateral emargination. Antennae usually slim, third segment distinctly longer than the second, segments 8–10 usually slightly longer than wide. Last segment of tarsi as long as third, bilobate segment, apex often expanded, dentiform. Claws usually with small to moderate basal tooth, but in many species last segment of tarsi with projecting, dentiform flanks thus claws appear more dentate than they truly are (apparently denticulate claws).

Chiridopsis is a distinct genus, well characterised by venter of pronotum with deep antennal grooves separated laterally by sharp carina but prosternal collar without lateral emargination. Among Afrotropical genera only the genus Psalidoma Spaeth has the same characters, but differs in large body, with length above 8.5 mm, marginalia not transparent, and irregularly punctate elytra without marginal row.

Remarks. Formally, the genus Chiridopsis was described by Spaeth in 1924, with designation of Coptocycla aubei Boheman, 1855 as type species. However, Spaeth in 1922 cited the name Chiridopsis as a binomen with two species: Chiridopsis nigrosepta ( Fairmaire, 1891) and Ch. rothschildi Spaeth, 1922 . According to the International Code on Zoological Nomenclature the name Chiridopsis Spaeth, 1922 is available because it was cited with available species names. Borowiec (1999) designated Coptocycla nigrosepta Fairmaire, 1891 as the type species. Thus, the name Chiridopsis Spaeth, 1924 is junior objective homonym and synonym.

The genus Chiridopsis comprises 65 species, 24 distributed in the Oriental Region and 41 species in the whole Afrotropical Region including Madagascar, nine species occuring in Madagascan are endemic.

Biology of African species is poorly known. Host plants are recorded for three species only associating them with species of Ipomoea and Merremia belonging to the bindweed family ( Convolvulaceae ). Immatures of African species are completely unknown although they are known for ten Oriental species, and for six of them larvae and pupae have been described in detail ( Świętojańska 2009).