Cyclantispa, Sekerka, 2014

Sekerka, Lukáš, 2014, Review of Imatidiini genera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54 (1), pp. 257-314 : 274-275

Cyclantispa gen. nov.

( Figs 2 , 29 )

Type species. Homalispa gracilis Baly, 1885 , here designated.

Other species included. Homalispa subelongata Pic, 1936 .

Description. Body elongate oval, 2.0–2.2 times longer than wide. Length 4.5–6.0 mm. Body yellow to red with metallic blue elytra ( Fig. 2 ).

Mouthparts prognathous, projecting forwards and visible from above ( Figs 2 , 29 ). Labrum enlarged, its apex rounded and covering mandibulae. Mandibula with three teeth. Maxillary palps as long as two basal antennomeres. Clypeus very short, triangular with low, narrow and obtuse carina projecting between antennal insertions, its lower margin densely pubescent. Antennal insertions deeply impressed. Antennae 11-segmented, strangulate, approximately as long as pronotal base, two basal antennomeres shiny, ¿rst globose, second subglobose. Length ratio of antennomeres: 100: 131: 277: 167: 163: 132: 157: 139: 171: 165: 279, ¿rst antennomere very short, second 1.3 times and third 2.8 times longer than ¿rst. Eyes large, outer margin with row of setose punctures. Vertex smooth, flat, and ¿nely punctate. Head slightly longer than wide and moderately constricted behind eyes.

Pronotum circa 1.4 times wider than long, sub-rectangular, widest at base and slightly narrowing anteriorly. Anterior margin smooth, convex, moderately projecting forwards and with small tubercle possessing seta on each side at inner eye margin. Anterior corners rounded and not projecting forwards. Basal corners sharp forming almost right angle. Lateral margins weakly explanate, strongly swollen, and separated by impressed row of irregular punctures from disc with apical half slightly crenulate. Basal margin strongly projecting towards scutellum. Disc regularly convex, smooth, strongly shiny, and with several punctures baso-laterally.

Scutellum subpentagonal, smooth, and impunctate.

Elytra about 1.5 times longer than wide, elongate oval, slightly widened around midlength, weakly and regularly convex with ten rows of punctures plus scutellar row. Base of elytra smooth, distinctly wider than base of pronotum. Humeral angles rounded, not protruding. Humeral calli slightly convex, impunctate and micro-sculptured. Punctation completely regular. Punctures moderately large, foveolate. Intervals broad, circa 2–3 times wider than puncture diameter, with several additional setose micro-punctures. Otherwise intervals smooth and micro-sculptured. Punctures disposed regularly and densely in rows with interspaces narrower than puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct in whole length, regular. Explanate margin narrow, as wide as 0.15 elytron width, gradually narrowing towards apex, smooth, micro-sculptured and sparsely micro-punctate. Outer margin swollen, minutely serrate in whole length, serration gradually coarser towards apex of elytra. Each denticle possessing small seta on tip. Apex of elytra conjointly rounded. Epipleura flat, micro-sculptured and sparsely pubescent, gradually narrowing towards apex.

Prosternal process moderately broad with elliptical apex. Its surface smooth and microsculptured. Whole surface of meso-, metathorax and abdomen micro-sculptured and sparsely setose. Abdominal sterna I and II fused with slightly marked suture laterally.

Legs normal, all pairs equal. Tarsal claws broadly divergent, simple.

Sexual dimorphism indistinct.

Differential diagnosis. Prognathous and projecting mouthparts place the genus near Homalispa Baly, 1858 and Xanthispa Baly, 1858 . The ¿rst differs in having long antennae, about 1.5 times longer than the base of the pronotum with one basal glabrous antennomere (as long as base the of the pronotum with two glabrous basal antennomeres in Cyclantispa gen. nov.) and the pronotum sub-trapezoidal with broadly explanate and canaliculate margins, anterior corners angulate and projecting forward (pronotum rectangular with narrow and non-canaliculate margins, anterior corners rounded and weakly marked in Cyclantispa ). Xanthispa has similar antennae but differs in having much longer maxillary palps, a drop-shaped body and the interantennal space with a large and broad carina, while Cyclantispa has a subparallelsided body, palps short, and the internatennal space with a very low carina causing the area to appear impressed.

Etymology. The genus is named after its association with Cyclanthaceae and the name is derived from that plant family name plus the generic name ‘ Hispa ’ in reference to its relationships; gender is feminine.

Remarks and biology. I propose this genus for two species which are very different from all other known Homalispa species. Aside from the morphological characters given in the diagnosis, both genera also differ in host plant preference. Homalispa is associated with Poaceae and Arecaceae , while Cyclantispa is associated with Cyclanthaceae . Cyclantispa gracilis is a quite common species in Panama, particularly on Cyclanthus bipartitus Poit. , living in the closed youngest leaves (Windsor & Sekerka, unpubl. data).

Number of species. 2.

Distribution. Bolivia and Panama.

Figures

Figs 1–11. Dorsal habitus. 1 – Homalispa batesii Baly, 1858, French Guyana: Mt. Kaw; 2 – Cyclantispa gracilis (Baly, 1885), Panama: La Fortuna; 3 –Xanthispa cimicoides (Guérin-Méneville, 1844), French Guyana: Le Larivot; 4 – Imatidium thoracicum Fabricius, 1801, Ecuador: Cascada San Rafael; 5 – Aslamidium (s. str.) capense (Herbst, 1799), French Guyana: Fourgassie; 6 – Aslamidium (Neoaslamidium) pichinchaensis Borowiec, 1998, Ecuador: Puerto Misahuallí; 7 – Calliaspis sachaensis Borowiec & Stojczew, 1998, Ecuador: Shushu¿ndi; 8 – Spaethaspis lloydi Hincks, 1952, Ecuador: Río Puno. 9 – Xenispa testaceicornis (Pic, 1926), Bolivia: Refugio Los Volcanes; 10 – Xenispa costaricensis (Uhmann, 1930), Panama:La Fortuna;11 – Euxema insignis Baly, 1858, syntype, Panama: Volcan de Barú. All scale bars = 2.5 mm.

Figs 29–34. Ventral aspects of head. 29 – Cyclantispa gracilis (Baly, 1885); 30 – Katkispa insignis (Pic, 1934); 31 – Windsorispa latifrons (Weise, 1910); 32 – Weiseispa angusticollis (Weise, 1893); 33 – Parentispa formosa (Staines, 1996); 34 – Lechispa parallela (Pic, 1930). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.