Cephaloleia maxima Uhmann, 1942b

Staines, Charles L. & Garcia-Robledo, Carlos, 2014, The genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae), ZooKeys 436, pp. 1-355 : 186-187

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Cephaloleia maxima Uhmann, 1942b Fig. 187

Cephalolia maxima Uhmann 1942 b: 99.

Cephaloleia maxima Uhmann. Uhmann 1957b: 22 (catalog); Gaedike and Döbler 1971: 354 (types); Staines 1997 b: 414 (Uhmann species list).

Uhmannispa maculata Monrós and Viana 1947: 172 (Holotype: Argentina, Chaco, Pto. Tizol, MACN, not seen). Uhmann 1957b: 22 (synonymy); Staines 1995 b: 863 ( Monrós species list); Staines and Staines 1997: 13 (types); Roig–Juñent 2004: 119 (faunal list); Bachmann and Cabrera 2010: 67 (types).

Description.

Elongate; slightly expanding apically; large; subconvex, shining, head, antennae, and scutellum black; pronotum orangy-yellow, with a triangular black macula as wide as the head and reaches more or less ⅓ its length; elytra orangy-yellow, with three black maculae- one humeral, which extends beyond basal ⅓, from puncture row 6 to the lateral margin; another postscutellar, irregular, extends beyond basal ½ from the suture to the interspace 3; the last, from anterior margin on the apical ⅓, irregular; venter orangish-yellow, with a black macula on the penultimate sternite, which does not reach the lateral margin; legs yellow, femora with a black apical ring, trochanters, tarsi, and base and apex of tibiae reddish-chestnut color. Head: vertex densely irregu larly punctate, medial carina present; eye slightly convex, elongate, finely faceted; frons projecting; not depressed between eyes. Antenna: reaches to humerus; slender; antennomeres 1-2 cylindrical, elongate; 1 longer than 3; 2 slightly shorter than 3; 3 ¾ length of 1; 3-4 obconic, subequal in length; 5-10 transverse, subequal in length, shorter than 4; 11 pointed at apex, as long as 9-10 combined; 1-3 punctate with scattered setae; 4-11 setose. Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin slightly divergent from base to middle then rounding to anterior angle, narrowly margined; anterior angle rounded, not produced; posterior angle acute; anterior margin weakly emarginate behind head; disc transversely subconvex, depressed on each side; surface with coarse, fine, irregular punctures, more dense laterally and basally; basal impression present; pronotal length 1.9-2.1 mm; pronotal width 2.7-3.0 mm. Scutellum: pentagonal; punctate. Elytron: lateral margin somewhat divergent for basal ⅔, smooth, slightly laminate from humeral angle; apex rounded; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; moderately punctate-striate, row 1 becomes furrow on posterior half, rows confused on humerus and apex; declivity beginning just behind humerus at puncture row 7 not edged with faint carina; elytral length 6.5-7.0 mm; elytral width 3.5-3.8 mm. Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna punctate; abdominal sterna punctate, each puncture with short yellow seta, punctures denser on apical sternites; suture between sterna 1 and 2 completely obsolete; last sternite with apical margin emarginate laterally, sinuate medially in male, female sinuate laterally and rounded medially. Leg: short; robust, punctate, each puncture with fine seta; tibia flattened, triangular, with fringe of setae on inner apical margin. Total length: 8.5-9.2 mm.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Cephaloleia dilectans , Cephaloleia ornatula , and Cephaloleia strandi . It can be distinguished by the pronotum with a basal impression and which is as wide as the base of the elytra.

Host plant.

Ananas macrodentes E. Morren ( Bromeliaceae ) ( Monrós and Viana 1947).

Distribution.

Argentina.

Type material.

Holotype male: Argentina, Chaco, entre Villa Jalón y 'la Popilar’, Picada Venturini, 11.IV.1936, Denier (not seen).

Specimens examined.

Argentina: Chaco- entre Villa Halon y "la Popular", Picada Venturini, February-April 1936 (DEI); Pto. Tizol (MACN), 11 April 1936 (USNM). Total: 5.