Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia nigrithorax Pic, 1930 Fig. 194

Cephalolia nigrithorax Pic 1930: 3.

Cephaloleia nigrithorax Pic. Uhmann 1957b: 22 (catalog), 1964a: 404 (catalog); Descarpentries and Villiers 1959 a: 139 (types).

Description.

Small; elongate; subparallel; subdepressed; shining; black with slightly metallic-blue sheen, elytra lightly margined in red; profemora reddish. Head: vertex sparsely, deeply punctate, medial sulcus absent; frons not projecting; depressed between eyes. Antenna: reaches to humerus; slender; antennomeres 1-3 elongate; 1 and 3 subequal in length; 2 slightly shorter than 1; 4-10 transverse, subequal in length; 11 2 × length of 10, pointed at apex; 1-2 punctate with scattered setae; 3-11 setose. Pronotum: subquadrate; lateral margin straight for basal 4/5 then rounding to anterior angle, canaliculate; anterior angle rounded, not produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin straight; disc subconvex; surface strongly, sparsely punctate, nearly impunctate medially and anteriorly; basal impression absent; pronotal length 0.6-0.8 mm; pronotal width 0.7-0.9 mm. Scutellum: pentagonal; finely punctate. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, narrowly margined; apex rounded; sutural angle with minute tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; moderately punctate-striate; suture subsulcate; elytral length 2.1-2.3 mm; elytral width 0.9-1.0 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna punctate; abdominal sterna punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 complete; last sternite with apical margin emarginate medially in male, rounded, entire in female. Leg: short, robust; tibia punctate, each puncture with pale seta; with fringe of setae on inner margin of apex. Total length: 2.9-3.1 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia impressa . It can be distinguished by the vertex of the head lacking a medial sulcus or carina.

Distribution.

Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela.

Type material examined.

Holotype: El Naranjo, Venezuela [handwritten label]/ nigrithorax sp. n. [handwritten label]/ Type [handwritten label]/ Museum Paris Coll. M. Pic [blue printed label]/ Cephaloleia nigrithorax Pic [printed label]/ Holotype [red printed label]/ MNHN EC 2605 [printed label] (MNHN).

Specimens examined.

COLOMBIA: Meta- Restrepo, 2 October 1965 (USNM). ECUADOR: Napo- Limoncocha, 9 June 1997 (USNM). Pichincha- Tinalandia, 800 m, February 1983 (USNM); Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge, 3-13 July 1994 (SEMC). Venezuela: Aragua- Rancho Grande, 1100-1500 m, 6 May 1978 (EGRC). Total: 7.