Cassida granulicollis Spaeth, 1905

Borowiec, Lech & Świętojańska, Jolanta, 2022, A monograph of the Afrotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Part 6. Revision of the tribe Cassidini 3, the genus Cassida L., Zootaxa 5171 (1), pp. 1-250 : 75-77

Cassida granulicollis Spaeth, 1905

( figs. 19 , 218–221 )

Cassida granulicollis Spaeth, 1905: 108 ; Shaw, 1956: 268; Heron & Borowiec, 1997: 630; Borowiec, 1999: 254, 2005: 126. Cassida (Cassida) granulicollis: Spaeth, 1914 b: 118 .

Cassida (s. str.) Jeanneli Spaeth, 1924: 335 ; Borowiec, 1999: 254 (as syn.).

Description. L: 5.35–6.20 mm, W: 3.90–4.60 mm, Lp: 2.00–2.30 mm, Wp: 3.30–3.70 mm, L/W: 1.31–1.38, Wp/ Lp: 1.61–1.70. Body short oval to oval ( figs. 218, 220, 221 ).

Polymorphic species. In typically coloured specimens pronotum and scutellum yellow, elytral disc yellow with several punctures with black centre and black areola, forming lyriform figure and pattern in scutellar area and along suture and few spots on slope ( fig. 220 ). Apex of suture often narrowly brown to black but explanate margin yellow. In pale form entire dorsum uniformly yellow ( fig. 218 ). In dark form pronotum ochraceous, scutellum brown, elytral disc black, explanate margin from brown to black except yellowish to yellowish brown extreme margin ( fig. 221 ). Head, ventrites and legs usually yellow, basal margin of metathorax often infuscate to brown, central part of abdomen sometimes infuscate. Antennal segments 1–7 yellow, segment 8 more or less infuscate, segments 9–11 brown to black.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width behind the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners. Elytral disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin, area above head slightly impressed. Surface of disc alutaceous, on entire surface with granulate sculpture. Explanate margin broad, alutaceous to slightly shiny, surface slightly irregular, semitransparent with honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, rounded. Disc regularly rounded in profile ( fig. 219 ), with very shallow postscutellar and principal impressions, without H–shaped elevation but second interval on entire length slightly convex, often also fourth interval in the middle slightly convex. Punctation coarse and dense, mostly irregular, but partly tend to form regular rows, especially along suture and along margin of disc, distance between punctures mostly narrower to as wide as puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures as coarse as in central rows. Intervals mostly not marked except elevated second and partly elevated fourth interval, interspaces between punctures slightly convex and surface of disc often appears slightly irregular, marginal interval in humeral part broad, as wide as two submarginal rows combined then strongly narrowed posterad, humeral or lateral folds in some specimens lacking in other more or less visible. Explanate margin narrow, strongly declivous, in the widest part six times narrower than disc, surface from alutaceous to slightly shiny, irregular, usually semitransparent with more or less visible honeycomb structure but often not transparent.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus broad, approximately 1.2 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, run close to margin of eye, converging in triangle with obtuse top, surface of clypeus flat, shiny with several small punctures. Labrum without or with very shallow emargination. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly transverse. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:50:54:62:62:50:56:54:54:56:103. Segment 3 approximately 1.1 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 0.9 times as long as segment 4.

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

Claws simple.

Host plants. Asteraceae : Brachylaena discolor D.C. (H. Heron pers. comm.); Brachylaena huillensis O. Hoffm. , Brachylaena rotundata S. Moore (label data, H. Heron pers. comm.).

Distribution. South Africa and S Mozambique, probably introduced and established in Kenya ( fig. 19 ).

Remarks. A distinct species, the distinctly granulate sculpture of the pronotum combined with coarse, almost irregular punctation of elytra, alutaceous interspaces and elytral sculpture with only two low longitudinal elevations but without postscutellar elevations are unique characters. Only two other African species have alutaceous pronotal and elytral background and a more or less irregular surface of the pronotal disc: Cassida thomsoni and C. weinmanni . Both species differ in colour of dorsum predominantly yellowish brown, reddish brown to brown with numerous small dark markings and elytral sculpture composed with postscutellar low elevations and longitudinal and/or transverse folds ( figs. 176 –181). Cassida thomsoni and C. weinmanni never have aberrations with completely black elytra. Cassida weinmanni is distinctly separated geographically distributed only in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Types examined. Holotype of Cassida granulicollis Spaeth, 1905 : [ MOZAMBIQUE]: Rilcatla or Aikatla (MM); syntype of Cassida j eanneli Spaeth, 1924: [ KENYA]: Foret de Nairobi, XI–XII 1911, Alluaud & Jeannel (MM).

Other specimens examined. KENYA: Nairobi , V 1955, 1, D. Thomas ( BMNH) ; Karura Forest n. Nairobi , 1660 m, 31 XII 1964, 1, A. Holm ( NRS) ; Kilifi, IX 1944, 1, G. W. Jeffrey ( BMNH) ; Nairobi , 15 IV 1943, 1, Meneghetti ( LS) ; Nairobi, Langata , 1.20 S / 36.46 E, 1650 m, 12–14 I 1999, 3, T. Wagner ( SMNS) ; near Nairobi, Parkland , 5650 ft., 7 VI 1915, 1, A. Loveridge ( MCZC) ; Teita Hills , 1 VI 1941, 1, C. D. Knight ( BMNH) .

MOZAMBIQUE: Delagoa Bay, 1 (ZMHU).

SOUTH AFRICA: Durban , Natal, 1 ( LS) ; Gauteng Prov., Pretoria , 25°36’S, 28°12’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Gauteng Prov., Rhenosterpoort, near Bronkhorstspruit , 25°45’S, 28°55’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Limpopo Prov., Entabeni Forest, Soutansberg , 23°00’S, 30°16’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Limpopo Prov., Lillie Nat. Res., Acornhoek, north of Mica , 24°05’S, 30°51’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Natal, Amanzimtoti, South Coast , 30°03’S, 30°53’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Banana Beach, Lower South Coast , 29°50’S, 30°56’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Beachwood Mangrove Reserve, Durban , 29°48’S, 31°02’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Bluff ( Happy Valley ) Nat. Res. , Bluff , Durban , 31°00’S, 29°50’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Brighton Beach, Bluss , Durban , 29°55’29’’S, 31°00’14’’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Charters Creek Reserve , 16 km ESE of St Lucia, 28°03’S, 32°25’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Natal, Doonside beach, south of Amanzimtoti , South Coast , 30°04’S, 30°22’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Grunter Street, St Lucia , Zululand , 28°22’34’’S, 32°25’06’’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Kosi Bay, Zululand , 27°50’S, 30°56’E, 1 ( ARC) ; Natal, Southport beach, South Coast , 30°41’S, 30°30’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Umbogintwini, South Coast , 30°01’S, 30°53’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Umhlanga Rocks beach & Lagun Reserve , 29°42’S, 31°05’E, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Warner Beach , Kingsburgh, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Wentworth, Bluff , Durban, 1 ( HH) ; Natal, Winkelspruit, Kingsburgh , 30°42’52’’S, 30°51’40’’E, 1 ( HH) ; North Prov. , 8 km S Pienaarsriver, 25.15 S 28.17 E, 5 V 1998, 1, S. Bily ( JV) ; North West Prov., Rustenburg , 25°34’S, 27°10’E, 1 ( HH) ; Soutpansberg Mts., Sand River gorge, 4–6 XII 2003, Martinů ( LS) ; Transvaal, Acornhoek, Lillee Floral Reserve , 23 X 1983, 5, S. Louw ( BM, MNHW) ; Transvaal, Johannesburg , 4 ( MM) ; Transvaal , 20–25 km E Pretoria, 17–18 XI 1984, 3, H. and A. Howden ( CMN) ; Transvaal, Pretoria, Lynnwood , 12 X 1986, 1, S. EndrödyYounga ( TM) ; Transvaal, Rustenburg , 9 XI 1950, 1, 7 XII 1950, 30, XII 1962, 7, A.L. Capener ( MM, ZSM, MNHW) ; Transvaal, Rustenburg, near Meyjes Farm , 11–17 XI 1949, 1, A.L. Capener ( MM) ; Transvaal, Skukunea , 1 XII 1984, 1, C.H. Scholtz ( TM) ; Transvaal, Tzaneen, Letaba Valley , 10–31 XII 1958, 1, A.L. Capener ( MM) .

ZIMBABWE: Nyika , 50 km E Masvingo, 23 I 1998, 1, F. Kantner ( FK) .

Figures

FIGURE 19. Distribution of Cassida granulicollis (black circles), Cassida ghesquieri (black diamonds) and Cassida garambana (black square).

FIGURES 218–221. Cassida granulicollis. 218, 220–221. Dorsal; 219. Lateral.

FIGURES 176–178. Cassida thomsoni. 179–181. Cassida weinmanni. 176–177, 179–180. Dorsal; 178, 181. Lateral.