Cassida wittmeri, 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 : 179-180

Cassida wittmeri sp. nov.

(figs. 31, 307–308)

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:397129B6-D4E2-4BF2-BF3A-CD793D2F1725

Etymology. Dedicated to W. Wittmer who collected this new species.

Description. L: 4.75–5.30 mm, W: 3.25–3.50 mm, Lp: 1.55–1.75 mm, Wp: 2.55–2.80 mm, L/W: 1.46–1.51, Wp/Lp: 1.6–1.65. Body elongate–oval, sides slightly converging posterad (fig. 307).

Uniformly yellow, including ventrites, legs and antennae (figs. 307, 308).

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width slightly behind the middle, sides angulate. Surface of disc moderately coarse punctate, punctures slightly finer than those of elytral disc, dense, with distance between punctures approximately twice narrower than puncture diameter but surface between punctures appears more or less regular. Explanate margin of pronotum shallowly punctate, from border of disc to margin gradually finer, surface between punctures regular, semitransparent with honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, angulate. Disc slightly regularly convex in profile, without impressions and without sculpture (fig. 308). Punctation moderately coarse, in some specimens between coarse punctures additional fine punctation, dense, interspaces mostly twice narrower than puncture diameter, surface of elytral disc appears regular. Explanate margin broad, strongly declivous, in widest part approximately four times narrower than disc, with shallow punctation, punctures as coarse as on disc, surface appears more or less regular, semitransparent with honeycomb structure.

Eyes shortened, gena elongate, distance between under margin of eye and lateral angle of labrum as long as half eye width. Clypeus very broad, approximately 1.6 times as wide as long, clypeal grooves deep, converging in regular triangle, clypeal plate slightly impressed, shiny, with very small, sparse, setose punctures. Labrum shallowly emarginate. Antennae moderately slim, segments 9–10 slightly elongate. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100: 58:71:67:71:54:63:58:63:71:113. Segment 3 approximately 1.2 times longer than 2 and only slightly longer than segment 4.

Prosternum narrow in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxae with median groove, shiny, with few setose punctures, expanded apex slightly convex medially but with median round impression, sides impressed, shiny with few small setose punctures in central part and few coarser punctures laterally.

Claws with small basal tooth.

Distribution. South Africa: Cape (fig. 31).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida litigiosa species–group. It belongs to the complex of large species with an almost semicircular pronotum. This complex comprises also C. distinguenda , C. limpopoana and C. pudens . Cassida wittmeri is the slimmest species of this complex with the least declivous explanate margin of elytra (figs. 307, 308). Cassida melanophthalma has a similar body shape but differs in broadly rounded pronotal sides ( figs. 300, 301 ). Cassida oxylepiformis has also a strongly declivous explanate margin of elytra (figs. 293, 294) but differs in its smaller and slimmer body with length 4.15 and L/W 1.66 (in C. wittmeri L 4.75–5.30, L/W 1.46–1.51) and punctation of elytral disc homogenous (in C. wittmeri heterogenous, between large punctation with numerous fine punctures).

Types examined. Holotype: [ SOUTH AFRICA]: S Afr. Cape Prov. / W. Wittmer 1987 // 12 km O Kleinsee / 29.36 S, 17.14 E / 80 m 4.IX.1987 ( NMB); paratype: [ SOUTH AFRICA]: S Afr. Cape Prov. / W. Wittmer 1987 // 12 km N Holgat / 28.50 S, 16.43 E / 6.IX.1987 ( MNHW).

Species incertae sedis

The species listed below are here regarded as incertae sedis because their type location is unknown (with great probability they were lost) and their inadequate descriptions do not allow for their proper identification. These species have not been included in the key.

Figures

FIGURES 300–302. Cassida melanophthalma. 303–304. Cassida praetimida. 300–301, 303. Dorsal; 302, 304. Lateral.