Plagiometriona microcera (Boheman, 1855)

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 : 594

Plagiometriona microcera (Boheman, 1855)

( Fig. 15 )

Distribution. Brazil (Bahia and Pernambuco) (Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2024). 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., 3 spec. ( MNRJ: MNRJ-ENT7 45740, 45730, 45739); 29.IV–27. V .2022, S.P. Carvalho-Fernandes, leg., 1 spec. ( MNRJ) .

Collecting method. Malaise trap.

Species diagnosis. This species is distinguished by its yellow body, featuring a black pronotum disc adorned with two yellow spots, a black scutellum, and a basal 2/3 elytral disc black, with five yellow spots on each side, three spots parallel to the elytral margin, followed by two smaller outer spots. Additionally, the elytra displays parallel longitudinal rows of consistent sized fine punctuation.

Due to its irregularly shaped yellow spots on elytra, it is a very distinctive species among all Plagiometriona Spaeth, 1899 as all other species with this type of pattern have spots regularly shaped.

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).