Cassida kantnerorum, 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 : 96-97

Cassida kantnerorum sp. nov.

( figs. 22 , 276–278 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5B68D654-33E4-4CB0-A5ED-7C0F844211D5

Description. L: 4.65–5.75 mm, W: 3.45–4.20 mm, Lp: 1.65–2.00 mm, Wp: 2.70–3.45 mm, L/W: 1.31–1.40, Wp/ Lp: 1.64–1.75. Body oval, distinctly converging posterad, males stouter than females ( figs. 276, 277 ).

Body uniformly yellow, including head, ventrites, legs and antennae, some dry specimens preserve life green colour, especially on elytra ( figs. 276–278 ).

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners. Disc almost flat, indistinctly bordered from explanate margin. Entire surface of disc with coarse punctation and dense wrinkles, appears irregular. Explanate margin broad, with shallow, coarse and dense punctation and with irregular interspaces, semitransparent with more or less well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra slightly to moderately wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, rounded to subangulate. Disc almost regularly convex in profile ( fig. 278 ), with shallow postscutellar and principal impressions, with low but distinct H–shaped postscutellar elevation with short branches, second interval and often central part of fourth interval more or less convex. Punctation coarse and dense, on most parts of elytra appears completely irregular, only two rows along suture in posterior part and one or two submarginal rows tend to form more or less regular rows, distance between punctures mostly narrower or as wide as puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures as coarse as or slightly coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals mostly not marked, only second and fourth interval linear but marginal interval distinct, broad, in humeral part as wide as two submarginal rows and submarginal interval combined, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin narrow, strongly declivous, in the widest part 5.5 times narrower than disc, surface coarsely, densely, irregular punctate, appears rugose, semitransparent with more or less visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus very broad, approximately 1.5 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, converging in angle, surface of clypeus flat, shiny, with few very small, setose punctures. Labrum narrowly emarginate to 1/5 length. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly transverse. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:56:59:56:56:44:53:44:47:53:100. Segment 3 approximately 1.1 times as long as segment 2 and as long as segment 4.

Prosternum broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa flat or only slightly impressed, shiny, without special sculpture, expanded apex flat, shiny, with several moderate, setose punctures.

Claws with large basal tooth.

Distribution. Malawi ( fig. 22 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida viridipennis species–group. It belongs to the complex of species with punctation of the elytral disc in large part irregular. The complex comprises also C. franklinmuelleri and C. sublesta . Cassida franklinmuelleri differs in the elytral disc in profile forming a regular arch (fig. 270). Cassida sublesta differs in a distinctly stouter body with L/W ratio 1.23–1.29 (1.31–1.40 in C. kantnerorum ) and punctation of the central part of the disc tending to form regular rows and with the interspaces more regular than in C. kantnerorum .

Types examined. Holotype and 8 paratypes: [ MALAWI]: Dedza env., 85 km SE of Lilongwe, 7–13 I 2002, leg. F. & L. Kantner ( MNHW, LS, MM); [ MALAWI]: 8 paratypes: Dedza env., 85 km SE of Lilongwe, 7–18 XII 2001, leg. F. & L. Kantner ( MNHW); 23 paratypes: [ MALAWI]: Malawi centr., Dedza env., 6–13 XII 2001, J. Bezděk leg. ( MM); 8 paratypes: [ MALAWI]: Malawi centr., Dedza env., 16–18 XII 2001, J. Bezděk ( JB, MNHW, MM); 14 paratypes: [ MALAWI]: Malawi centr., Dedza env., 6–13 I 2002, Obořil lgt. ( MS, MNHW).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Distribution of Cassida inaequalis (black circles) and Cassida kantnerorum (black diamond).

FIGURES 276–278. Cassida kantnerorum. 279–281. Cassida mashonensis. 276–277, 269. Dorsal; 279–280, 278, 281. Lateral.