Alurnus eckardtae Günther 1936

Staines, C. L., 2013, A review of the genus Alurnus Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Insecta Mundi 2013 (291), pp. 1-34 : 11-12

Alurnus eckardtae Günther 1936 ( Figure 9)

Alurnus eckardtae Günther 1936: 273 [type: Brazil, São Paulo d’Olivença, depository unknown]. Günther 1940: 467 (noted); Blackwelder 1946: 721 (faunal list); Papp 1953: 32 (catalog); Uhmann 1957a: 37 (catalog).

Description. Head, pronotum, antennae, scutellum, and legs black; elytra brick-red with transverse black band from humerus to suture (absent in some specimens), black transverse band behind middle, lateral (after middle) and apical margins black, suture darkened or black; venter black, with last abdominal sternite reddish on apical margin, others yellowish laterally. Head: vertex densely punctate, medial sulcus present, row of setae present on inner margin of each eye; front punctate, slightly rugose laterally; clypeus covered with yellowish setae. Antenna: antennomere 1 robust, longer than 2; 2 cylindrical; 3 more than 2x length of 1 and 2 combined; 4-10 cylindrical (4 length 0.33x length of 3), gradually decreasing in length; 11 subequal in length to 10, obliquely truncate at apex; 1-7 sparsely punctate, each puncture with white seta; 8-11 more densely punctate. Pronotum: lateral margin slightly sinuate then converging to anterior angle; anterior angle rounded; posterior angle acute; surface finely punctate anteriorly, strongly coarsely punctate laterally; disc at base rugose-striate; glabrous; pronotal length 4- 5 mm; pronotal width 5-6 mm. Scutellum: slightly cordate; punctate. Elytron: lateral and apical margins smooth, slightly explanate; sutural angle acute, without tooth; humerus slightly produced, rounded; surface sparsely punctate; without costae; elytral length 15-19 mm; elytral width 10-14 mm. Leg: coxa, femur, tibia punctate, each puncture with pale seta; tibia with fringe of setae on inner apical margin. Venter: prosternum expanded behind coxae; pro- and mesosterna punctate medially, impunctate laterally; metasternum impunctate medially, slightly rugose laterally; abdominal sterna punctate; sterna 1-4 pustulate laterally; last sternite setose. Total length: 19-24 mm.

Larval host plant. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil, Peru.

Specimens examined. Brazil. Amazonas: no further data (USNM, 1); São Paulo d’Olivença (USNM, 6; CMNH, 2). Peru. No further data (USNM, 1). Total: 10.