Chiridopsis regionalis Spaeth, 1924

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 : 52-53

Chiridopsis regionalis Spaeth, 1924

( figs 109, 110 )

Chiridopsis regionalis Spaeth, 1924: 344 ; Borowiec, 1999: 302.

Description. Le: 5.20–5.80 mm, Wi: 4.00– 4.40 mm, Lp: 2.00– 2.20 mm, Wp: 3.05–3.30 mm, Le/Wi: 1.30–1.32, Wp/Lp: 1.53–1.65.

Pronotum and scutellum yellow ( figs 109, 110 ). Elytral disc yellow with 12 small black spots: one on each side of the middle of suture, four in row along middle of disc and one in the middle of each side. Explanate margin of elytra yellow. Central part of clypeus brown to black, area between clypeal plate and margin of eye often yellow, partly infuscate, thorax black, abdomen black, broadly surrounded by yellow. Coxae and trochanters brown to black, rest of legs yellow. Antennae uniformly yellow or last antennal segment partly infuscate.

Pronotum elliptical ( fig. 109 ), with maximum width in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners. Disc convex, distinctly bordered from explanate margin with distinct lateral impressions. 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 ( fig. 109 ), humeral angles distinctly protruding anterad, subangulate. Disc softly convex in profile ( fig. 110 ), without impressions. Punctation fine to moderate, arranged in regular rows, dense, distance between punctures from half wide to as wide as puncture diameter, rows usually more or less impressed, especially on sides of disc. Marginal row distinct, its punctures slightly coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals slightly convex, especially on sides, on top of disc four to five times, on sides mostly twice to thrice wider than rows, marginal interval 1.5–2.0 times wider than submarginal one, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin narrow, moderately declivous, extreme margin subhorizontal, in the widest part 6.5 times narrower than disc, surface slightly irregular with several shallow punctures, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus broad, approximately 1.5 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves deep, converging in regular triangle, surface of clypeus distinctly convex, shiny with several very small punctures. Labrum broadly emarginate to 1/4 length. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly wider than long. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:53:83:80:56:44:53:53:44:44:107. Segment 3 approximately 1.6 times as long as segment 2 and approximately as long as segment 4.

Prosternum broad in the middle, moderately expanded apically, area between coxae flat or slightly convex in the middle and shallowly impressed on sides, surface shiny, with few oblique grooves and few small punctures, expanded apex flat, lateral lobes bordered from central part by short longitudinal impression, surface regular, shiny, with few small setose punctures.

Claws with moderate basal tooth.

Distribution. Recorded generally from South Africa: Cape and Natal.

Remarks. Chiridopsis regionalis is close only to Ch. melanocephala and Ch. rorida ( figs 109, 110 , 123–126 ). They have dorsum predominantly yellow with pattern on elytra of numerous small black spots. Chiridopsis rorida differs in yellow clypeus. Chiridopsis melanocephala is very similar but differs in pronotal disc with small black spots (usually four in transverse row but sometimes reduced to only two external spots) while in Ch. regionalis pronotum is uniformly yellow. Chiridopsis melanocephala has more numerous spots on elytra with three spots on each side of suture (only single spot in mid length in Ch. regionalis ), usually 5–6 spots along middle of disc (4 in Ch. regionalis ) and 4–5 along sides of disc (single spot in Ch. regionalis ). Chiridopsis melanocephala is slightly larger with length 5.7–6.7 mm (5.2–5.8 in Ch. regionalis ) and stouter with Wi/Le 1.22–1.29 (1.30–1.32 in Ch. regionalis ).

Types examined. Holotype: [ SOUTH AFRICA] Natal , (MM).

Other specimens examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Capland, Christphr., 2 ( DBET)

Figures

FIGURES 107 – 114. Chiridopsis parellina. 107. Dorsal, 108. Lateral, 109 – 110. Chiridopsis regionalis. 109. Dorsal, 110. Lateral; 111 – 112. Chiridopsis flavipennis. 111. Dorsal, 112. Lateral; 113 – 114. Chiridopsis zambiana. 113. Dorsal, 114. Lateral.

FIGURES 120 – 126. Chiridopsis suffriani. 120. Male dorsal, 121. Female dorsal, 122. Female lateral; 123 – 124. Chiridopsis melanocephala. 123. Dorsal, 124. Lateral; 125 – 126. Chiridopsis rorida. 125. Dorsal, 126. Lateral.