Chiridopsis quadriguttata ( Boheman, 1854 )

Świ, Jolanta, 2017, A monograph of the Afrotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Part 4. Revision of the genus Chiridopsis Spaeth, Zootaxa 4316 (1), pp. 1-85 : 50-52

Chiridopsis quadriguttata ( Boheman, 1854)

( figs 15 , 102–106 )

Cassida quadriguttata Boheman, 1854: 464, 1857: 141 , 1862: 343; Gemminger and Harold, 1876: 3657.

Chirida quadriguttata: Weise, 1896 c: 23 (4-guttata); Spaeth, 1914: 127.

Chiridopsis quadriguttata Spaeth, 1924: 349 ; Borowiec, 1999: 302.

Coptocycla sexoculata Thomson, 1858: 234 , Bohmean, 1862: 486; Gemminger and Harold, 1876: 3674; Spaeth, 1917: 444 (as synonym of Cassida quadriguttata ).

Chirida sexoculata: Weise, 1896 c: 23 ; Spaeth, 1914: 127.

Description. Le: 5.00– 5.60 mm, Wi: 4.00– 4.20 mm, Lp: 2.00– 2.15 mm, Wp: 3.00– 3.30 mm, Le/Wi: 1.23–1.33, Wp/Lp: 1.47–1.57.

In nominotypically coloured specimens pronotum yellow, disc with large black, triangular spot marked with two large yellow spots close to base, sometimes on sides of black triangle single, small, yellow spot. Scutellum black, elytral disc in typical form black with two large, elongate yellow spots in anterior half, two smaller yellow spots in posterior half, and yellow marginal interval and apex of disc ( fig. 102 ) Often yellow spots on disc broadly joined and forming on each elytron single elongate spot more or less constricted in the middle ( figs 103, 105, 106 ). In the palest specimens lateral black stripes incomplete, not connected with black stripe along suture ( fig. 105 ). Explanate margin always yellow. Head and thorax black, abdomen black narrowly surrounded by yellow. Coxae black, trochanters yellowish to brown, rest of legs yellow. Antennae yellow, apex of last segment more or less infuscate.

Pronotum elliptical ( figs 102, 103, 105, 106 ), with maximum width in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners. Surface of disc impunctate, shiny. Explanate margin broad, impunctate, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra much wider than base of pronotum ( figs 102, 103, 105, 106 ), humeral angles distinctly protruding anterad, subangulate. Disc almost evenly convex in profile ( fig. 104 ), with top of convexity in postscutellar area, without impressions. Punctation very fine, on sides slightly coarser than on top of disc, arranged in regular rows, punctures in rows sparse, distance between punctures mostly from two to five times wider than puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures distinctly coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals flat, on top of disc five to seven times, on sides three to four times wider than rows, marginal interval 1.2–1.5 times wider than submarginal one, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin broad, strongly declivous, in the widest part 4.5–5.0 times narrower than disc, surface impunctate or with several very sparse punctures, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus broad, approximately 1.4 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves deep, converging in regular triangle, surface of clypeus distinctly convex, with median impressed line, microreticulate, alutaceous, with numerous very small hairs. Labrum narrowly emarginate to 1/5 length. Antennae moderately slim, segments 9–10 approximately 1.3 times as long as wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:47:69:91:63:53:59:56:59:63:109. Segment 3 approximately 1.5 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 0.7 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum broad in the middle, moderately expanded apically, area between coxae more or less impressed to canaliculate, surface irregular with numerous grooves and few setose punctures, expanded apex slightly convex in the middle, impressed on sides, with slightly irregular sculpture but shiny, with few setose punctures.

Claws with small basal tooth, last segment of tarsi with projecting flanks of apex, dentiform.

Distribution. West Africa east to Ghana ( fig. 15 ).

Remarks. Nominotypical coloured form of Ch. quadriguttata ( fig. 102 ) with complete transverse black band across elytral disc is rare and similar only to Ch. opposita ( figs 87, 88 ) and the palest form of Ch. nigrosepta ( figs 75, 77 ) but both relatives differ in yellow clypeus while in Ch. quadriguttata it is always black. More common forms of Ch. quadriguttata with incomplete or without transverse band ( figs 103, 105, 106 ) are similar to Ch. aequinoctialis , Ch. circe and vittate forms of Ch. aubei . Chiridopsis aequinoctialis ( figs 24–26 , 48, 49 , 31–33 ) distinctly differs in yellow clypeus and larger size with length usually above 5.5 mm up to 7.6 mm while in Ch. quadriguttata clypeus is black and the largest specimens reach 5.6 mm in length. Chiridopsis circe differs in coarse and dense punctation of elytra with punctures in lateral rows almost touching each other, and in pronotal disc yellow with three black spots while in Ch. quadriguttata punctation of elytra is fine and sparse, interspaces in lateral rows mostly twice wider than puncture diameter, and pronotal disc is usually black with two basal yellow spots or yellow with M–shaped black spot. Vittate forms of Ch. aubei are the most similar but differ in lateral and sutural black elytral stripes with regular inner margins, never widened in the middle and lateral stripe usually broadly connected with sutural one, if interrupted apically then both lateral and sutural stripes narrow while in Ch. quadriguttata black lateral and sutural elytral stripes have irregular inner margins, often widened in the middle, lateral stripe is always more or less constricted before apical connection with sutural stripe, sometimes interrupted apically.

Types examined. Lectotype and paralectotype of Cassida quadriguttata : Senegal, Mhm. ( NRS).

Syntype (?Holotype) of Coptocycla sexoculata : no locality label (MM).

Other specimens examined. GAMBIA: Bathurst, 29 II 1968, 1, T. Palm (LU).

GHANA: Axim , 1 ( MRAC) ; Mamso , Anenfi, IV–VI 1968, 1 ( MRAC) ; Takoradi , 11 (8 MRAC, 3 DBET) .

GUINEA: Guéckédou, 1 (LS).

LIBERIA: Stampfli , 1 ( DBET).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Distribution of Chiridopsis picturata (black squares), Chiridopsis quadriguttata (black circles), Chiridopsis ruandana (white square) and Chiridopsis spadix (white circles).

FIGURES 102 – 106. Chiridopsis quadriguttata. 102. Male dorsal, 103. Female dorsal, 104. Female lateral, 105 – 106. Variation of dorsal pattern.

FIGURES 87 – 93. Chiridopsis opposita. 87. Male dorsal, 88. Female dorsal, 89. Female lateral; 90 – 91. Chiridopsis octoguttata. 90. Dorsal, 91. Lateral; 92 – 93. Chiridopsis subornata, black form. 92. Dorsal, 93. Lateral.

FIGURES 74 – 79. Chiridopsis nigrosepta. 74. Male dorsal, 75. Female dorsal, 76. Female lateral, 77 – 79. Variation of dorsal pattern (79. Form described as ab. vernicata).

FIGURES 24 – 30. Chiridopsis aequinoctialis. 24. Male dorsal, 25. Female dorsal, 26. Female lateral; 27 – 28. Chiridopsis convexula. 27. Dorsal, 28. Lateral, 29 – 30. Chiridopsis ruandana. 29. Dorsal, 30. Lateral.

FIGURES 43 – 49. Chiridopsis boutareli. 43. Male dorsal, 44. Female dorsal, 45. Female lateral; 46 – 47. Chiridopsis castaneoplagiata. 46. Dorsal, 47. Lateral, 48 – 49. Chiridopsis circe. 48. Dorsal, 49. Lateral.

FIGURES 31 – 36. Chiridopsis aubei. 31 – 33. Nominotypical form, 31. Male dorsal, 32. Female dorsal, 33. Female lateral; 34 – 36. Variation of dorsal pattern.