Cassida quatuordecimsignata Spaeth, 1899

(figs. 37, 162–164)

Cassida (Cassida i.sp.) 14–signata Spaeth, 1899: 217 .

Cassida (Cassida) quatuordecim–signata: Spaeth, 1914 b: 119.

Cassida quatuordecim–signata: Shaw, 1963: 457; Borowiec, 1999 a: 276.

Description. L: 3.85–4.85 mm, W: 2.65–3.40 mm, Lp: 1.45–1.75 mm, Wp: 2.20–2.90 mm, L/W: 1.35–1.51, Wp/ Lp: 1.52–1.68. Body oval, male distinctly stouter than females (figs. 162, 163).

Dorsum yellow, elytra with 14 smaller or larger black spots arranged as in figs. 162 and 163, spot on humerus sometimes partly coalescent with spot at base of elytra. Head and thorax black, abdomen usually completely black, sometimes the basal sternites on sides with small yellowish spots. Coxa and trochanters black, femora in basal half to 3/4 length black, apex yellow, tibiae and tarsi yellow. Antennal segments 1–6 yellow, segment 7 more or less infuscate, apical four segments black.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width slightly behind the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides from narrowly rounded to subangulate, no basal corners. Disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin, without lateral lobes. Surface of disc shiny, mostly with fine and sparse punctation only area above head impunctate. Distance between punctures several times wider than puncture diameter. Explanate margin moderately broad, impunctate, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra not or slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, rounded.Disc regularly convex in profile (fig. 164),without impressions or elevated sculpture.Punctation moderately coarse arranged in completely regular rows, moderately dense, distance between punctures from slightly narrower to slightly wider than puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures slightly smaller than punctures in central rows. Intervals flat, in sutural half of disc thrice on side twice wider than rows, marginal interval broad, twice wider than submarginal interval, no humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin narrow, strongly declivous, in the widest part approximately eight times narrower than disc, surface shiny with very shallow punctation, appears mostly regular.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus moderately broad, approximately as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, converging in triangle with obtuse top, surface of clypeus flat or very shallowly impressed, its surface from slightly alutaceous to slightly shiny with several very small punctures. Labrum narrowly emarginate to 1/5 length. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly transverse. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:52:69:59:55:38:48:45:48:55:124. Segment 3 approximately 1.3 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 1.2 times as long as segment 4.

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

Claws simple.

Host plants. Asteraceae: Berkheya maritima J.M. Wood & M.S. Evans; Berkheya pinnatifida (Thunberg) Thell.; Berkheya onopordifolia (DC) O. Hoffm. ex Burtt Davy. —adults only; Berkheya sp. Prefers undersides of spiky leaves or amongst spicy bracts surrounding capitulum inflorescence (H. Heron pers. comm.).

Distribution. South Africa (fig. 37).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida sphaerula species–group. Its elytral pattern with 12-14 small, black spots spread regularly across the entire surface of the elytral disc place C. sphaerula close to the typical form of C. guttipennis but it differs in larger size, stouter body and the broader and more explanate explanate margin of elytra (figs. 158, 160). In size and body shape C. sphaerula and C. vespertilio are more similar but the first species differs in dorsum uniformly yellow or with only two very small black spots or stripes on sides of the elytral disc (figs. 165, 166) and the second species differs in the black elytral pattern more expanded, forming a stripe along sides of the disc and humeral and posterolateral spots on the explanate margin of elytra (fig. 136).

Types examined. Three syntypes: [SOUTH AFRICA]: Natal (IRSN, MM) .

Other specimens examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Free State, Adullam Farm, near Clarens, 28°32’S, 28°28’E, 1 (ARC) ; Free State, Harrismith, 28°15’S, 29°09’E, 1 (HH) ; Free State, Knypesheim, Bethlehem, 1 (ARC) ; Free State, Laaufontein, Zastron, 30°18’S, 27°05’E, 1 (ARC) ; Free State, Lancaster Quarry, Stillerust 991, 15 km SW of Harrismith, 28°20’S, 29°20’E, 1 (HH) ; Natal, 2 (ZMHU) , 1, Schneider (ZMHU); Natal, Drakensberg, Loteni Res., 7 XII 1976, 1, P.E. Reavell (MNHW) ; Natal, Indaleni, 1, W. Hunt (MNHW) ; Natal, Cumberland Nat. Res., 15 km NE of Pietermaritzburg, 1 (HH) ; Natal, Pietermaritzburg, XII 1959, 1, E. Haaf (MNHW) ; Natal, Umgeni Valley Resreve, Howick, 29°28’S, 30°14’E, 1 (HH) ; Free State, Voorkeur Siding, 18 km W of Greytown, 29°08’52’’S, 30°26’47’’E, 1 (HH) ; Oranje F. State, Greenslands 1245, Harrismith, 17–19 XII 1984, 10, A. v. Rensburg (BM, MNHW) , 10 I 1999, 1, H. Heron (MNHW); Oranje F. State, Villers env., 15 I 2003, 1, M. Snižek (MS) ; Standerton, I 1937, 3 from Berkheya sp. (TM) .