Chiridopsis zambiana, Świ, 2017

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 : 64-65

Chiridopsis zambiana sp. nov.

( figs 7 , 113, 114 )

Etymology. Named after its terra typica.

Description. Le: 5.30–5.60 mm, Wi: 4.30–4.60 mm, Lp: 2.00– 2.10 mm, width of pronotum: 3.15–3.25 mm; Le/Wi: 1.0–1.24, Wp/Lp: 1.50–1.56.

Dorsum uniformly yellow ( figs 113, 114 ). Head and thorax black, abdomen black narrowly surrounded by yellow. Coxae black, trochanters and extreme base of femora brown, rest of legs yellow. Antennae yellow.

Pronotum elliptical ( fig. 113 ), with maximum width in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners. Surface of disc distinctly microreticulate, with sparse fain pricks, from slightly alutaceous to shiny. Explanate margin broad, impunctate, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra much wider than base of pronotum ( fig. 113 ), humeral angles distinctly protruding anterad, subrounded. Disc softly convex in profile, without impressions ( fig. 114 ). Punctation very fine to fine, on sides coarser than on top of disc, arranged in regular rows, distance between punctures from as wide as to thrice times wider than puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures slightly coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals flat, on top of disc four to six times, on sides thriced wider than rows, marginal interval in humeral half twice wider than submarginal one, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin broad, moderately declivous, in the widest part four times narrower than disc, surface with shallow and moderately dense punctation, shiny, semitransparent with more or less visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus broad, approximately 1.3 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves well marked, converging in triangle with obtuse top, surface of clypeus moderately convex, microreticulate but shiny with few small, setose punctures. Labrum minutely emarginate to 1/5 length. Antennae moderately slim, segments 9–10 approximately 1.2 times as long as wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:47:75:81:56:44:50:56:56: 59:118. Segment 3 approximately 1.6 times as long as segment 2 and 0.9 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum broad in the middle, only slightly expanded apically, area between coxae flat with several transverse or oblique short grooves or elongate punctures, with several small hairy punctures, expanded apex flat, with irregular sculpture but shiny, with several setose punctures.

Claws with small basal tooth, apex of last tarsomere expanded, dentiform thus claws appear more dentate than in reality.

Distribution. Zambia ( fig. 7 ).

Remarks. It belongs to the group of African species with uniformly yellow dorsum and black head. It differs from all relatives in very fine elytral punctation, less convex elytra, base of elytra the widest in relation to pronotum and the widest and less declivous explanate margin of elytra, in the broadest part as wide as 5–6 external intervals combined (in other species as wide as 2–4 external intervals combined). It is also slightly larger than other yellow species, only the largest yellow specimens of Ch. aubei ( fig. 39 ) have similar size.

Types. Holotype: [ ZAMBIA] N Rhodesia, Abercorn , 31.III 1947, Dr. W. Eichler ( IZPAS) ; two paratypes: the same data ( IZPAS, DBET) ; paratype: [ ZAMBIA] N Rhodesia, Abercorn , 13.I 1947, Dr. W. Eichler ( DBET) .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Distribution of Chiridopsis irrorata (black circles) and Chiridopsis zambiana (black square).

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 37 – 42. Chiridopsis aubei. 37 – 38. Form described as ab. signaticollis, 39. Form described as ab. baumanni, 40 – 42. Form described as ab. dissoluta.