Acentroptera tessellata Baly

Staines, C. L., 2014, A revision of the genus Acentroptera Guérin-Méneville, 1844 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Insecta Mundi 2014 (332), pp. 1-19 : 13

Acentroptera tessellata Baly

Fig. 12

Acentroptera tessellata Baly 1858:122 (Neotype [here designated]: 10947// Neotype [white disk with red border]// Fry, Rio Jano.// Fry Coll. 1905-100// Acentroptera tessellata Baly , Brasilien [label folded] (BMNH)). Gemminger and Harold 1876: 3608 (catalog); Donckier 1899: 568 (catalog); Weise 1911a: 19 (catalog), 1911b: 27 (catalog); Papp 1953: 51 (catalog); Uhmann 1957: 66 (catalog); Staines and Staines 1999: 522 (Baly species list).

Acentroptera tesselata Baly. Guérin 1953: 100 (lapsus calami, faunal list).

Description. Broadly elongate; subparallel; subconvex; yellowish; eyes black; pronotum with medial longitudinal vitta and lateral margins darker; scutellum dark brown; elytra with elongate darker spots; antennae, legs, and venter yellowish. Head: vertex sparsely punctate, medial sulcus present; slightly depressed between eyes; tooth present between antennal bases; frons and clypeus impunctate. Antenna: reaches to humerus; antennomere 1-2 subequal in length; 1 subglobose; 2 ovate; 3-4 subequal in length, each 1½x length of 2, elongate, cylindrical; 5-7 elliptical, 5 shorter than 4, decreasing in length; 8-10 transverse, subequal in length; 11 longer than 10, acutely pointed at apex; 1-7 sparsely punctate; 8-11 setose. Pronotum: transverse; subconvex; lateral margin straight, parallel at base, weakly angled in middle, sinuate apically, narrowly margined; anterior angle with oblique tooth; posterior angle acute; surface coarsely, densely punctate; longitudinal sulcus present on disc; transverse basal impression present medially; pronotal length 1.5 mm; pronotal width 1.7 mm. Scutellum: quadrate; impunctate. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, margined; exterior apical angle rounded; apical margin sinuate, laminate; sutural angle notched, with small tooth; humerus rounded; surface foveolate-punctate; with 4 costae, interspace 4 most strongly costate; elytral length 5.7 mm; elytral width 2.6 mm. Venter: pro- and mesosterna impunctate medially, punctate laterally; metasternum impunctate; abdominal sterna sparsely, irregularly punctate, each puncture with pale seta; apical sternite with fringe of setae on apical margin. Leg: punctate, each puncture with pale seta; tibia with fringe of setae on inner apical margin. Total length: 7.7 mm.

Discussion. This species was described from a single specimen from Brazil in the Parry collection and deposited in the BMNH. A detailed examination of the BMNH collection by the author and S. L. Shute (BMNH) failed to locate the holotype. Specimens identified as A. tessellata were not found in the DEI, MNHN, NRM, and ZMHB collections. I therefore concluded that the holotype has been lost or destroyed. Baly’s (1858) description is detailed enough to determine specimens from the BMNH and USNM collections as A. tessellata . Since the name had only been mentioned in catalogs and a more detailed description had not been published, a neotype is hereby designated to clarify the nomenclatural status of this species name (ICZN 1999, Art. 75).

Host plant. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (Bahia, Rio de Janeiro).

Specimens examined: Brazil: Bahia- no further data (BMNH, USNM). Rio de Janeiro- no further data (BMNH). Total: 3.

Figures

Figures 10-13. Habitus of Acentroptera species. 10) Acentroptera pulchella (Guérin-Méneville). 11) Acentroptera strandi Uhmann. 12) Acentroptera tessellata Baly. 13) Acentroptera zikani Uhmann holotype.