Microctenochira quadrata (Degeer, 1775)

Simões, Marianna V. P., Sekerka, Lukáš, Mota, Adriana Andrade, Nearns, Eugenio H., Monné, Miguel A. & Monné, Marcela L., 2024, New records of Cassidinae and Cerambycidae (Coleoptera: Chrysomeloidea) from Baturité Massif, Brazil, with the description of a new species of Charidotis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Zootaxa 5477 (5), pp. 587-599 : 593-594

Microctenochira quadrata (Degeer, 1775)

( Figs. 13–14 )

Distribution. Brazil (Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela (Borowiec & Świętojańska 2024, Sekerka 2020). New species to Ceará State, Brazil.

New record. BRAZIL: Ceará, Serra do Baturité, Guaramiranga , RPPN Sítio Lagoa , 30.XI–07.XII.2021, M. L. Monné, leg., 4 spec. ( MNRJ: MNRJ-ENT7 45731, 45723, 45741, 45742) .

Collecting method. Malaise trap.

Species diagnosis. This species is characterized by clypeus with deep rectangular impression, relatively long antennae to body proportion, and smooth and shiny elytra with fine punctation. Other species of the group, M. chapada and M. usta (Boheman, 1855) differs in presence of humeral and posterolateral spots on elytra while M. quadrata has entire explanate margin of elytra and ultimate interval on disc yellow.

Remarks. Microctenochira quadrata has very variable dorsal colouration. Typically colored specimens with ring on disc of elytra and pronotum ( Fig. 13 ), a unique pattern among South American taxa. Besides are reported almost entirely yellow specimens and also dark with pale spots ( Spaeth 1926). Here we report a form ( Fig. 14 ) with elytral disc and pronotum largely brown-red, so only the scutellum remains yellow. Despite the considerable colour variability all specimens morphologically matche type material of M. quadrata .

Figures

FIGURES 9–17. Dorsal view of Cassidinae species. 9, Charidotis furunculus (Boheman, 1855); 10, Microctenochira aciculata (Boheman, 1855); 11, Microctenochira chapada Świętojańska & Borowiec, 1995; 12, Microctenochira stigmatica (Boheman, 1855); 13–14, Microctenochira quadrata (Degeer, 1775); 15, Plagiometriona microcera (Boheman, 1855); 16, Stolas conspersa (Germar, 1823); 17, Polychalca (s. str.) punctatissima (Wolf, 1818).