Cassida satanas, Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2022

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 : 139-140

Cassida satanas sp. nov.

( figs. 40 , 78–79)

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:757A9F0D-B41D-4EBB-B2B4-9A77BB3EB01E

Etymology. Named after its predominantly black dorsal surface.

Description. L: 4.35 mm, W: 3.70 mm, Lp: 1.65 mm, Wp: 3.10 mm, L/W: 1.18, Wp/Lp: 1.88. Body almost circular (fig. 78).

Pronotum mostly black except yellow anterior part of explanate margin. Scutellum and elytral disc completely black. Explanate margin of elytra black with yellow apex but except suture and small, round yellow fenestrate spot in 1/3 length close to border of disc (figs. 78, 79. Head, thorax and abdomen black, only last sternite on sides narrowly yellowish. Coxa black, trochanters and extreme base of femora brownish black rest of legs yellow. Antennal segments 1–6 yellowish brown, apical segments gradually brownish black.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides subangulate, no basal corners. Disc strongly convex, indistinctly bordered from explanate margin except well marked, short but deep lateral impression, area above head not impressed but explanate margin laterally to head distinctly impressed. Surface of disc shiny, with moderately coarse and moderately dense punctation. Distance between punctures from as wide as to twice wider than puncture diameter, area above head with fine and sparse punctation. Explanate margin broad, shiny, black parts with similar punctation as disc but punctures shallow, yellow parts impunctate, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra moderately wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, subangulate. Disc irregularly convex in profile, with distinct postscutellar and principal impressions, with well marked H–shaped elevation forming high but obtuse tubercle (fig. 79), surface behind the tubercle and on sides with several oblique and transverse elevations thus disc appears irregular. Punctation coarse and dense, mostly irregular, but between elytral sculpture group in more or less regular short rows then almost touching each other. Marginal row distinct but interrupted by transverse folds, its punctures as coarse as in central rows. Intervals mostly indistinct, except short distances on slope, marginal interval present but interrupted by broad transverse folds. Explanate margin moderately broad, moderately declivous, in the widest part four times narrower than disc, surface shiny, with coarse and dense punctation and irregular folds, appears irregular.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus moderately broad, from as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, converging in triangle, surface of clypeus flat, shiny with few very small, setose punctures. Labrum minutely emarginate. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 approximately as long as wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:43:71:64:61:50:57:54:57:61:110. Segment 3 approximately 1.6 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 1.1 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa with median impression and elongate groove, shiny, along sides with few coarse hairy punctures and several oblique wrinkles, expanded apex in the middle convex, shiny, entire surface with irregular wrinkles and several hairy punctures, appears rugose.

Claws simple.

Distribution. Uganda ( fig. 40 ).

Remarks. The body colouration of this species is unique (figs. 78, 79). Morphologically, it is close to Cassida troglodytes . Although C. troglodytes is variable in body colouration and sculpture it is never as darkly coloured as Cassida satanas which differs also in a slightly higher postscutellar hump and a more irregularly sculptured elytral surface than in any population of C. troglodytes .

Type examined. Holotype: [ UGANDA]: UGANDA W Pr / Kibale Forest / Buhama 8.2.1984 / M. Numelin leg. ( MNHW).

Figures

FIGURE 40. Distribution of Cassida rothschildi (black circles), Cassida satanas (black diamond) and Cassida senegalensis (black squares).