Chaeridiona pseudometallica Basu, 1999

Staines, C. L., 2007, A review of the genus Chaeridiona Baly, 1869 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Zootaxa 1521 (1), pp. 19-29 : 25-26

Chaeridiona pseudometallica Basu

Chaeridiona pseudometallica Basu 1999: 163 [Holotype: India, West Bengal, Darjeeling dist., Rangiroom , 2000 m, 3.iv.1978, C. R. Basu coll. (ZSIC); paratype with same label data (ZSIC)].

From Basu (1999): Small, wedge-shaped; convex; pronotum and elytra metallic green medially, purplish-red laterally and apically, extreme apex yellowish-brown; basal 2 antennomeres dark red, apical 4 black, remain- der reddish-brown; scutellum purplish-red; venter dark brown, metasternum black; legs yellowish-brown, tarsi brown. Head: vertex deeply, coarsely punctate; carina present around each eye; frons produced, with longitudinal carina to upper margin of clypeus. Antenna: extending beyond middle of elytra; antennomere I thick, rounded; II thick, small; III longer than II, subequal in length to IV; V–VI subequal in length, each shorter than IV; VII shorter than VI; VIII–X subequal in length, each longer than VII. Pronotum: subquadrate; subcylindrical; lateral margin bisinuate; surface deeply, coarsely rugosely punctate; pronotal length 0.6 mm; pronotal width 0.65 mm. Scutellum: elongate; impunctate. Elytron: expanding apically; narrowly margined laterally, smooth; humerus strongly produced; with 4 strongly produced costae; costa 4 entire, 3 interrupted in middle with large depression, 1 and 2 raised on apex; suture raised; interspace 7 raised; 10 rows of punctures at base and apex, rows 5 and 6 reduced to single row in middle plus short scutellar row; punctures deep, coarse. Venter: prosternum coarsely punctate; metasternum with row of coarse punctures along apical and lateral margins; abdominal sternites impunctate. Total length: 3.2 mm.

Distribution. India: West Bengal.

Food plants. Unknown.

Specimens examined. None.

Comments. The type series of this species is deposited in the Zoological Survey of India Collection but for unexplained reasons is not available for loan (Mukhopadhyay, per. com.). From the description it appears that the species belongs to Chaeridiona , but Basu (1999) does not mention many of the generic characters. Until someone can examine the type, the species is retained in Chaeridiona and is treated as valid.