Cassida patruelis Spaeth, 1935

Borowiec, Lech & Świętojańska, Jolanta, 2022, A monograph of the Afrotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Part 6. Revision of the tribe Cassidini 3, the genus Cassida L., Zootaxa 5171 (1), pp. 1-250 : 121-122

Cassida patruelis Spaeth, 1935

( figs. 33 , 254–255)

Cassida patruelis Spaeth, 1935 a: 174 ; Borowiec, 1999 a: 272.

Description. L: 4.70–4.95 mm, W: 3.70–3.95 mm, Lp: 1.70–1.75 mm, Wp: 3.00–3.25 mm, L/W: 1.25–1.31, Wp/ Lp: 1.76–1.86. Body oval (fig. 254).

Entire body uniformly yellow or yellowish green including legs and antennae (figs. 254, 255).

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides angulate, no basal corners. Disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin, without lateral lobes. Surface of disc shiny, with fine to moderately coarse and moderately dense punctation. Distance between punctures from as wide as to thrice times wider than puncture diameter, interspaces regular. Explanate margin broad, shiny, impunctate, regular, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra not or only slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, subangulate. Disc regularly convex in profile (fig. 255), with shallow postscutellar and principal impressions, and thin H–shaped elevation. Punctation moderately coarse, in postscutellar impressions and laterally to H–shaped elevation disposed irregular, along suture and along sides forms more or less regular rows, dense, distance between punctures mostly narrower than puncture diameter and interspaces slightly convex thus surface appears slightly irregular. Marginal row distinct, its punctures only slightly coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals mostly not marked except slightly convex second interval, slightly wider sutural rows, flat first interval, as wide as sutural rows, and flat two submarginal, linear intervals, marginal interval distinct, as wide as submarginal interval and submarginal row combined, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin moderately broad, moderately declivous, in the widest part 4.5 times narrower than disc, surface with shallow and dense punctation and numerous wrinkles, appears irregular, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes large, gena short but well marked. Clypeus very broad, approximately 1.3 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, running close to margin of eye and converging in obtuse triangle, surface of clypeus flat, smooth and shiny. Labrum shallowly and broadly emarginate. Antennae slim, segments 9–10 approximately as long as wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:47:70:57:60:40:53:57:53:53:103. Segment 3 approximately 1.5 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 1.2 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, intercoxal area flat, smooth and shiny, expanded apex with few setose punctures, interspaces smooth and shiny.

Claws with large basal tooth.

Distribution. Angola, South Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia ( fig. 33 ).

Remarks. A distinct species with the unique combination of characters: completely yellow body and appendices, subangulate sides of pronotum, elytra only slightly, regularly convex in profile, punctation of elytra partly regular and partly irregular and claws with large basal tooth. Species of Cassida lacrymosa species–group with body predominantly yellow ( C. spartea , C. sparteiformis ) differ in completely regular elytral rows, species of the C. litigiosa species–group differ in more convex and completely irregular elytral disc, species of the C. viridipennis species–group differ in rounded pronotal sides and distinctly more convex elytral disc, often with irregular sculpture, species of the C. sulphurago species–group differ in larger size and distinctly more convex elytral disc or/and base of elytra distinctly wider than pronotum and claws without tooth, C. oromiaensis differs in an elongate body with rounded pronotal sides, and C. penelope differs in a more elongate–oval body.

Type examined. Holotype: [ ANGOLA]: Kalukembe , XII 1932, 1 Miss. sc. suisse ( MM).

Other specimens examined. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (ZAIRE): Bambesa, 1 ( MM) ; Elisabethville, 25 IV 1939, 2, H.J. Bredo ( MNHW, MRAC) ; Lomami, Kamina, 1 ( MM) .

ZAMBIA: Upper Luangwa R., 27 VII–13 VIII 1910, 1 ( MNHW) .

Figures

FIGURE 33. Distribution of Cassida patruelis (black circles), Cassida pellegrini (black diamond) and Cassida rabaiensis (black square).