Stephanispa freycineticola Gressitt, 1960

Borowiec, Lech, Świętojańska, Jolanta & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2019, Revision of the tribe Cryptonychini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) of New Caledonia, Zootaxa 4690 (1), pp. 1-71 : 44-46

Stephanispa freycineticola Gressitt, 1960

( Figs 143–150 , 230)

Stephanispa freycineticola Gressitt, 1960b: 113 (original description); Uhmann 1964: 455 (catalogue); Gaedike & Döbler 1971: 373 (type list); Maddison 1993: 141 (noted).

Type locality. New Caledonia, Col dʼAmieu , 570 m a.s.l.

Description. Length 7.45–8.50 mm, width 2.40–2.70 mm.

Head, pronotum and scutellum yellow to rusty yellow. Base of elytra yellow to rusty yellow, in ¼ length with brown to black irregular band of more or less diffused borders across elytra ( Figs 143, 144 ), in most specimens anterior margin of band forms zigzag line distinctly separated from pale colouration, but its posterior margin variegated and gradually lighter, brown to yellowish brown for rest of elytral surface. In some specimens transverse band reduced to only blur transverse spot in ¼ length of elytra, occasionally band occupies only area between suture and first costa but extends to apex of scutellum, in darkest specimens (holotype) apical ¾ of elytra dark brown except yellowish costae. Antennae black, only antennomere I yellow dorsally and more or less infuscate ventrally. Thorax, abdomen and legs uniformly yellow to rusty yellow. Body surface microreticulate and slightly dull; glabrous except for yellowish hairs on frontoclypeus, short golden brown pubescence on distal antennomeres and golden orange pubescence on tarsal pads and apices of tibiae. Head 1.5 × as wide as long, interocular plate transverse in basal ⅔ length softly then distinctly converging anterad, without impressions, not separated from vertex, sides of interocular plate slightly convex in anterior half margined by sulcus, anterior corners gently rounded. Surface of interocular plate flat to slightly convex basally, punctures at base of plate moderately coarse and dense, partly elongate with interspaces slightly wider than puncture diameter, surface in anterior half of interocular plate fine and sparse, along middle runs narrow medial sulcus, vertex impunctate or only with a few punctures; interantennal process very short, not sexually dimorphic, not longer than 1/5 length of antennomere I, flattened laterally, angulate apically, with narrow sulcus along dorsal surface ( Fig. 147 ). Frontoclypeus transverse, 1.25 × as wide as long (including interantennal process), obtuse apically, anterior corners forming elevated tubercles, central plate elevated, converging in triangle, surface flat with a few moderately coarse and setose punctures, without medial sulcus or keel ( Fig. 146 ). Antennae 0.42 × as long as body, slightly compressed apically; antennomere I large, approximately 1.4 × as long as broad; antennomere II very short, approximately as long as broad, ½ length of antennomere I; antennomere III elongate, 1.3 × as long as II; antennomeres IV–V slightly longer, antennomere VI as long as II; antennomeres VII–X 1.4–1.5 × as long as than antennomere II; antennomere XI 1.7 × as long as X, subangulate apically ( Fig. 145 ). Pronotum approximately as long as broad, almost square, parallel-sided, lateral margin sharp, anterior margin moderately convex, basal margin bisinuate; anterior angles obtuse without anterior tubercle, basal angles bearing small, elongate sharp tooth; disc regularly convex, without impressions or medial sulcus, surface microreticulate, punctation moderately coarse, disposed irregularly, on sides dense with interspaces mostly smaller than puncture diameter, in area laterally to top interspaces mostly larger than puncture diameter, punctures partly elongate, along middle runs impunctate area of various size ( Fig. 148 ). Elytra 2.4 × as long as broad, subparallel-sided. Each elytron apically rounded, suture with more or less visible denticle thus apex of elytra appears more or less emarginate, sutural angle straight, lateral angle rounded. Disc with 4–7 punctures in scutellar row; eigth rows in humeral part, 11 rows behind middle, 11 rows apically, on slope additional punctures disrupting regularity of rows; intervals 1–3 and 5–6 flat, intervals 4 and 8 costate on whole length, interval 6 elevated in anterior third. Ventral surface microreticulate and mostly smooth, hypomera with moderately coarse and dense punctures; prosternum smooth with narrow and elevated anterior margin margined from prosternal process by narrow sulcus, prosternal alae and expanded apex smooth, area between coxae with shallow medial sulcus, expanded part flat or with shallow impression; mesoventrite with fine but distinct longitudinal striation, metaventrite laterally with several moderately coarse and moderately densely arranged punctures, central part smooth, posterolateral convex angles and anterior process with fine oblique striation; abdomen mostly smooth, ventrites I–IV with a few very small punctures on sides, last ventrite finely punctate on whole surface. Legs stout, sexually dimorphic ( Fig. 149 ).

Sexual dimorphism weakly manifested, in males apex of mid femora strongly incrassate, tibiae armed with long ochraceous spine and apex of last ventrite deeply emarginate. In females mid femora moderately incrassate, apical spine of mid tibiae distinctly shorter than in males and apex of last ventrite subtruncate with very shallow emargination centrally.

Immature stages. Larva was described by Gressitt (1960b: 114).

Host plant. Pandanaceae : Freycinetia sp. ( Gressitt 1960b).

Type material. Holotype: ♀, ‘ NEW CALEDONIA | Col. d’Amieu | 750m, III-3 -’60 [w, p, cb] || J. L. Gressitt | Collector [w, p, cb] || HOLOTYPE | STEPHANISPA [hw] | FREYCINETICOLA [hw] | J.L.Gressitt [r, p, cb] || STEPHANISPA [hw] | FEYCINETI- [hw] | COLA [hw] | GR. [hw] | J.L.Gressitt det.[p]60[hw] [w, p, cb]’ ( BPBM). Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as holotype but ‘ Paratype | STEPHANISPA [hw] | FREYCINETICOLA [hw] | Paratype | J.L. GRESSITT [hw] [orange, p, cb]’ ( LS); 1 ♂, ‘ NEW CALEDONIA | Foret de Thy | 550m, III- 6 -’60 [w, p, cb] || J. L. Gressitt | Collector [w, p, cb] || Paratype | STEPHANISPA [hw] | FREYCINETICOLA [hw] | Paratype | J.L. GRESSITT [hw] [orange, p, cb] || STEPHANISPA [hw] | FEYCINETICOLA [hw] | GRESS. [hw] | J.L. Gressitt det.[p]’60[hw] [w, p, cb]’ ( BPBM); 2 ♂♂, ‘ NEW CALEDONIA | Sarramea 100- | 200m, III- 2 -’60 [w, p, cb] || J. L. Gressitt | Collector [w, p, cb] || Paratype | STEPHANISPA [hw] | FREYCINETICOLA [hw] | Paratype | J.L. GRES- SITT [hw] [orange, p, cb]’ ( BPBM).

Additional material examined. NEW CALEDONIA: Aoupinié (refuge), 21°08.9′S, 165°19.4′E, 420 m, 20.i.2007, 1 ♀, R. Dobosz leg. ( WMNH) ; Mt. Koghi , 600 m, 30.xi.1963, 1 ♂ (ex Freycinetia sp.), R. Straatman leg. ( LS) ; Mt. Mou , 22°04′S, 166°21′E, 1200 m, 27.–28.xii.2004, 1 ♂ (ex Freycinetia sp.), G. Monteith leg. ( QMBA) ; Pic dʼAmoa , N slope, 20°58′S, 165°17′E, 480 m, 3.i.2005, 1 ♂, G. Monteith leg. ( QMBA) .

Figures

FIGURES 143–150. Stephanispa freycineticola Gressitt, 1960. 143. Holotype body dorsal, 144. Recent specimen body dorsal, 145. Antenna, 146. Frontoclypeus and prosternum, 147. Head dorsal, 148. Pronotum, 149. Male fore leg, 150. Holotype labels.