Cassida spartea Shaw, 1961

Borowiec, Lech & Świętojańska, Jolanta, 2022, A monograph of the Afrotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Part 6. Revision of the tribe Cassidini 3, the genus Cassida L., Zootaxa 5171 (1), pp. 1-250 : 147-148

Cassida spartea Shaw, 1961

( figs. 42 , 222–223 )

Cassida spartea Shaw, 1961: 31 ; Borowiec, 1999 a: 285.

Description. L: 4.35 mm, W: 3.60 mm, Lp: 1.60 mm, Wp: 2.85 mm, L/W: 1.21, Wp/Lp: 1.78. Body short–oval ( fig. 222 ).

In holotype pronotum yellow with dark elongate stripe in front of scutellum, and small, round brown spot on each sides of disc, upper corners of scutellum brown, elytra mostly yellow with seven, very small brownish spots: in the middle of base of elytron, in front and on humeral callus, below humeral callus, two in 1/3 length of submarginal intervals and one in 2/3 length of submarginal intervals, in the second examined specimen dorsum uniformly yellow ( fig. 222 ). Head, ventrites and legs yellow. Antennal segments 1–6 yellow, segment 7 more or less infuscate, apical four segments black.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides subangulate to angulate, no basal corners. Disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin except short lateral impressions. Surface of disc alutaceous, with very fine but dense punctation, appears slightly irregular, punctures almost touching each other. Explanate margin broad, impunctate, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure, its surface from slightly alutaceous.

Base of elytra slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, subangulate. Disc depressed in profile ( fig. 223 ), with shallow postscutellar and principal impressions, without H–shaped elevation or elevated intervals. Punctation coarse and dense, arranged in completely regular rows, punctures in rows almost touching each other. Marginal row distinct, its punctures slightly smaller than punctures in central rows. Intervals linear, marginal interval narrow, as wide as submarginal interval and submarginal row combined, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin moderately broad, slightly declivous, in the widest part slightly more than four times narrower than disc, surface shiny with shallow but coarse and dense punctation and irregular wrinkles, appears irregular to rugose, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus moderately broad, only slightly wider than long. Clypeal grooves fine, runs close to margin of eyes, converging in arch, surface of clypeus with shallow median impression, shiny, with several very small, setose punctures. Labrum minutely emarginate to 1/5 length. Antennae moderately slim, segments 9–10 approximately as long as wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:54:73:73:65:54:65:54:54:62:123. Segment 3 approximately 1.4 times as long as segment 2 and approximately as long as segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa canaliculate, shiny, without special sculpture except several very small, setose punctures, expanded apex flat, shiny, without sculpture, with several fine setose punctures.

Claws simple.

Distribution. Southern part of Democratic Republic Of Congo ( fig. 42 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida lacrymosa species–group, the only member of this group with body completely yellow. Its flat dorsum, elytral disc without postscutellar elevations, elytral punctation coarse and very dense with intervals linear, narrower than rows, and explanate margin of elytra very broad, strongly explanate, almost horizontal distinguished this species from all relatives ( figs. 222, 223 ). A similarly flattened body, coarse and dense elytral punctation and mostly yellow body has C. sparteiformis but this species differs in the presence of low and shiny H–shaped postscutellar elevation and elevated intervals with very small brown stripes or minute spots (figs. 224, 225).

Type examined. Holotype: [ DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (ZAIRE)]: Upemba Nat. Park , Mbuye Bala, 1750 m, 24–31 III 1948, Miss. de Witte ( MRAC).

Other specimens examined. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ( ZAIRE): Katanga, Jadotville terr., Kasompi, X 1956, 1 ( MNHW) .

Figures

FIGURE 42. Distribution of Cassida setosa (black circles), Cassida shimba (black diamonds) and Cassida spartea (black squares).

FIGURES 222–223. Cassida spartea. 224–225. Cassida sparteiformis. 222, 224. Dorsal; 223, 225. Lateral.