Stolas informis ( Boheman, 1862 ) Sekerka, 2016

Sekerka, Lukáš, 2016, Taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (1), pp. 275-344 : 332-333

Stolas informis ( Boheman, 1862) comb. nov.

Mesomphalia informis Boheman, 1862: 165 (original description).

Type locality. ‘ Ecuador, prope fluvium Napo’.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀, pinned, ‘Type [w, p, s, c, rf] || Napo. [hw] | Baly Coll. | 1905—54. [w, p, cb] || Mesomphalia | informis | Boh | Banks of Napo [w, hw by Baly, cb] || Cuming | Named by | Boheman | Type | 68 [hw by Baly on underside of preceding label]’ ( BMNH).

Remarks. Mesomphalia informis was described presumably from a single specimen from the collection of J. S. Baly and so far was listed in catalogues only. SPAETH (1914) transferred it to Pseudomesomphalia (= Stolas ) and BOROWIEC (1998a) to Cyrtonota . This taxon belongs certainly to Stolas as it has antennae only with four basal antennomeres shiny and sparsely pubescent while Cyrtonota have five. It belongs to the S. discoides (Linnaeus, 1758) speciesgroup and is very close to S. discoides itself. The latter is a widely distributed species through tropical regions of America with numerous local geographical forms, often described as separate taxa and currently considered as synonyms. In Ecuador there are at least two forms: montane, which is mostly black or dark metallic, and lowland Amazonian, which is bright metallic with red spots, quite similar to typical specimens from the Guyanas. Stolas informis is most similar to the montane form and recently described S. atalayaensis Borowiec & Takizawa, 2011 as it has large size and slightly indicated red reticulation in anterior third of explanate margin of elytra. However, S. discoides and similar species are in need of complex revision to set borders between taxa, therefore I leave S. informis as a valid species.

Distribution. Ecuador: Napo ( BOHEMAN 1862).