Cassida spatiosa Spaeth, 1928

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 : 149-150

Cassida spatiosa Spaeth, 1928

( figs. 34 , 311–312)

Cassida spatiosa Spaeth, 1928: 7 ; Kleinjan & Scott, 1996: 103; Borowiec, 1999 a: 285; Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2001: 162 (incl. fig.).

Description. L: 4.90–5.50, W: 4.00–4.40 mm, Lp: 1.60–1.80 mm, Wp: 3.00–3.40 mm, L/W: 1.21–1.26, Wp/Lp: 1.88–1.89. Body almost circular, sides regularly rounded (fig. 311).

Uniformly yellow, including ventrites, legs and antennae (figs. 311, 312).

Pronotum semicircular, with maximum width at base, sides angulate. Disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin, area above head slightly impressed. Surface of disc finely, shallowly punctate, punctures much finer than those of elytral disc, but dense, distance between punctures on sides from as wide as to twice wider than puncture diameter, on top of disc punctation sparse, area above head mostly impunctate. Surface of disc regular. Explanate margin of pronotum impunctate, surface regular.

Base of elytra as wide as base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, angulate. Disc slightly depressed in profile, without impressions or elevations (fig. 312). Punctation fine and moderately dense, distance between punctures from as wide as to twice wider than puncture diameter, surface appears regular. In all specimens along each disc there are two narrow impunctate intervals (in position of third and anterior half of fifth interval in regularly punctate species). Explanate margin broad, in the widest part four times narrower than disc, moderately declivous, with extremely shallow punctation, appears impunctate.

Eyes large, gena short, distance between under margin of eye and lateral angle of labrum distinctly shorter than half eye width. Clypeus broad, approximately 1.3 times as wide as long, clypeal grooves distinct, converging in triangle, clypeal plate flat or shallowly impressed, sometimes with impressed median line, shiny, with few small, setose punctures. Labrum very shallowly emarginate. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly longer than wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:58:64:56:58:53:68:62:64:64:106. Segment 3 slightly 1.1 times longer than segments 2 and 4.

Prosternum very narrow in the middle, moderately expanded apically, area between coxa flat, without special sculpture, with few small, setose punctures, expanded apex slightly convex, on sides and along posterior margin with small, setose punctures.

Claws simple.

Distribution. Namibia ( fig. 34 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida litigiosa species–group. It is well characterized by elytral punctation with two narrow impunctate intervals (in area homologous to the third and anterior part of fifth interval in regularly punctate species, fig. 311). At first glance also C. spatiosiformis is similar but differs in distinctly coarser punctation of the elytral disc and coarser but sparser on the pronotal disc.

Type examined: Holotype: [ NAMIBIA]: Afrika, G. De V. ( NRS)

Other specimens examined. NAMIBIA: Damaraland , 6 km N Arandis, 22.22 S, 14.59 E, 20 XI 1984, 2, E. Griffin ( WM, MNHW) ; Namibia , Swakopmund distr., Rössing, 22°28’S / 15°02’E, 11 IV 1994, 1, J. Irish & H. Rust ( ZMHU) ; Upper Panner Gorge , 22.29 S – 15.01 E, Swakopmund Dist., 20 XI 1984, 1, 15 I 1985, 1, E. Griffin ( MNHW, WM) .

Figures

FIGURE 34. Distribution of Cassida penelope (black square), Cassida spatiosa (black circles) and Cassida spatiosiformis (black diamonds). FIGURE 35. Distribution of Cassida sphaerula (black circles) and Cassida oxylepiformia (black diamond).