Cephaloleia vittata Staines, 1996

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 278-279

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia vittata Staines, 1996 Image not available

Cephaloleia vittata Staines 1996: 70.

Description.

Small; elongate; subparallel; head, antennae, pronotum, and elytra whitish-yellow with black sutural vitta at base which reaches puncture row 2 then narrows gradually posteriorly until only suture darkened at apex; venter with yellow medially, dark laterally; legs whitish-yellow with coxae, apex of femur, base of tibia and, tarsi dark. Head: vertex densely punctate, medial sulcus absent; frons not projecting; not depressed between eyes. Antenna: reaches to humerus; slender; antennomeres 1-3 elongate, cylindrical; 1-2 subequal in length, 3 as long as 1-2 combined; 4-5 elongate, cylindrical, subequal in length; 6-10 transverse, subequal in length; 11 elongate, rounded at apex. Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin straight then rounding to anterior angle, canaliculate; anterior angle rounded, not produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin curved anteriorly; disc subconvex; surface irregularly punctate; basal impression absent; pronotal length 0.9 mm; pronotal width 1.0 mm. Scutellum: pentagonal, impunctate. Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth, margined; apex rounded; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; moderately punctate-striate, rows converge and unite apically; elytral length 3.3 mm; elytral width 1.4 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, metasterna, and abdominal sterna 1 and 2 punctate laterally; abdominal sterna 3-5 punctate, each puncture with pale seta; suture between sterna 1 and 2 obsolete medially. Leg: slender. Total length: 4.3 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia belti , Cephaloleia consanguinea , Cephaloleia erugatus , Cephaloleia semivittata , Cephaloleia triangularis , Cephaloleia trivittata , and Cephaloleia variabilis . It can be distinguished by the elytral puncture rows being distinct apically, by antennomere 1 being subequal in length to 2 and shorter than 3, and by antennomere 2 being elongate.

Distribution.

Costa Rica.

Comments.

The holoype is apparently lost since it could not be located in the CMNC collection.

Type material.

Holotype: Costa Rica: Punt. S. Vito, Las Cruces, July 1982, B. Gill, 1200 m/ Flt. Intercept/ Holotype Cephaloleia vittata Staines, Des. C. L. Staines 1994 [red label] (CMNC, not seen).