Cassida callosicollis Spaeth, 1926

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 : 37-38

Cassida callosicollis Spaeth, 1926

( figs. 6 , 214–217 )

Cassida callosicollis Spaeth, 1926 a: 21 ; Borowiec, 1999: 241

Cassida magilensis Spaeth, 1926 a: 22 ; Borowiec, 1999: 263, n. syn.

Description. L: 4.30–4.90 mm, W: 3.45–3.80 mm, Lp: 1.70–1.95 mm, Wp: 2.85–3.10 mm, L/W: 1.23–1.30, Wp/ Lp: 1.59–1.69. Body short–oval ( figs. 214, 216 ).

Pronotum uniformly yellow, disc slightly darker than explanate margin, rusty yellow. Scutellum yellow to rusty yellow, elytral disc yellow to rusty yellow with several small black spots: in the palest form spots are on postscutellar tubercle, two at base of disc, two in posterior half of second interval, three in posterior half of fourth interval, and four to five on penultimate interval ( fig. 214 ); in the darkest form numerous spots are spread over the entire surface of disc only H–shaped elevation not maculate but surface of disc always looks predominantly yellow ( fig. 216 ). Explanate margin of elytra always yellow. Head from yellow in anterior half and brown to black in basal half to completely brown or black. Thorax always predominantly brown to black, abdomen from yellow with infuscate centre to almost completely black only narrowly surrounded by yellow. Legs mostly yellowish except infuscate to black coxa and trochanters. Antennal segments 1–8 yellow, apical three segments from slightly infuscate to brown.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width behind the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners. Surface of disc alutaceous, with impressed area above head and well marked lateral lobes distinctly bordered from explanate margin, impunctate, covered with very sparse, very short scale–like adherent setae. Explanate margin broad, impunctate, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure, its surface from slightly alutaceous to shiny.

Base of elytra moderately wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, rounded. Disc regularly convex in profile ( figs. 215, 217 ), with shallow postscutellar and principal impressions and well marked H–shaped postscutellar elevation. Punctation coarse, arranged in completely regular rows, dense, distance between punctures distinctly smaller than puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures only not coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals flat, first two as wide as rows, lateral intervals distinctly narrower than rows, marginal interval twice wider than submarginal one, with humeral and lateral folds, and some short folds in posterior half. Entire surface of disc covered with very sparse, very short scale–like adherent setae. Explanate margin moderately broad, moderately declivous, in the widest part four times narrower than disc, surface from slightly alutaceous to slightly shiny with shallow and dense punctation, appears irregular, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus moderately broad, approximately 1.1 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, converging in almost regular triangle, surface of clypeus flat or very shallowly impressed, its surface shiny with few small punctures. Labrum shallowly emarginate to 1/5 length. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly transverse. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:59:74:74:67:59:59:44:56:59:100. Segment 3 approximately 1.3 times as long as segment 2 and approximately as long as segment 4.

Prosternum broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, between coxae flat with row of punctures along margin, without special sculpture, expanded apex with coarse and very dense setose punctures.

Claws with large basal tooth.

Distribution. Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Transvaal province in South Africa ( fig. 6 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida lacrymosa species–group. At first glance it is similar to C. lacrimosa and its relatives but differs from all African species in the elytral disc covered with short, scale–like adherent setae.

We have examined the holotypes of Cassida callosicollis Spaeth and Cassida magilensis Spaeth and agree they are conspecific. Both taxa were described in the same paper based on a single specimen each. More specimens recently studied shows that the differences cited in the original descriptions are within infraspecific variation.

Types examined. Holotype of Cassida callosicollis Spaeth : [ MOZAMBIQUE]: Quilimane (MM); holotype of Cassida magilensis Spaeth : [ TANZANIA]: Magila, 4–15 V 1898 (BMNH)

Other specimens examined. KENYA: coast, Witu , Kipini, 9 XII 2007, 1, M. Snižek ( MS) .

MALAWI: Chikwawa env., 40 km S Blantyre, 20–21 XII 2001, 1, J. Bezdek ( JB) .

MOZAMBIQUE: Manica Prov., 30 km NW Catandica , 12 XII 2005, 1, A. Kudrna Jr. ( LS) .

NAMIBIA: Eastern Caprivi, Sangwali , 18°14’S / 23°36’E, 25 XI–5 XII 1991, 1, E. Marais ( WM) .

TANZANIA: Amani , 28 XI 1935, 1, N.L. Krauss ( MNHW) ; Tanga, 25–26 III 1960, 1, Szunyoghy ( MNHW) ; E Usambara, Amani , 1000 m, 21 I 1977, 1, 3 II 1977, 1 ( MNHW) .

SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu– Natal , 15 km S of Pongola, 1 II 2008, 1, P. Schüle leg. ( SMNS); Transvaal, 500 m, Guersney Farm, 15 km E Klaserie, 19–31 XII 1985, 1, H. and A. Howden ( CMN) .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Distribution of Cassida callosicollis (black circles), Cassida bamendana (black squares) and Cassida benaadirensis (black diamond).

FIGURES 214–217. Cassida callosicollis. 214, 216. Dorsal; 215, 217. Lateral.