Cassida garambana, Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2022

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 : 71

Cassida garambana sp. nov.

( figs. 19 , 282–283 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:91AA9F4C-A80F-4F35-B11B-C3D963EF7885

Etymology. Named after its terra typica, Garamba National Park in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Description. L: 4.07 mm, W: 3.20 mm, Lp: 1.50 mm, Wp: 2.60 mm, L/W: 1.25, Wp/Lp: 1.73. Body almost circular ( fig. 282 ).

Pronotum uniformly yellow. Scutellum and elytra yellow, punctures in lateral rows 7–9 and few punctures on slope with indistinct reddish–brown areola, apical part of suture infuscate ( figs. 282, 283 ). Clypeus brown with blackish basal corners and sides, thorax black, abdomen black narrowly surrounded by yellow. Coxa trochanters and extreme base of femora dark brown, rest of legs yellow. Antennal segments 1–6 yellow, segments 7–11 gradually brown to black.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width at basal 1/3, sides narrowly rounded. Disc moderately convex, on sides separated from explanate margin by short furrow. Surface of disc shiny, with fine, shallow but dense punctation, distance between punctures from slightly narrower to as wide as puncture diameter, only area above head impunctate. Explanate margin smooth, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra only slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, angulate. Disc regularly, moderately convex in profile ( fig. 283 ), with well marked scutellar and principal impressions, and low and obtuse H–shaped elevation, in front not surrounding postscutellar impressions, and with short posterior branches. Punctation fine, regular, distance between punctures in rows mostly as wide as puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, with sparse punctures, distinctly coarser than punctures in lateral rows. Intervals mostly twice wider than rows, flat, microreticulate but shiny. Marginal interval well marked on entire length, broad, in anterior half almost twice wider than lateral intervals, with short humeral and lateral folds. Explanate margin moderately declivous, broad, in the widest part 3.5 times narrower than disc. Surface of explanate margin shallowly but densely punctate, appears slightly irregular, shiny, transparent with well marked honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus narrow, slightly longer than wide, frontal grooves fine, runs close to margin of eye, on top converging in angulation. Surface of clypeal plate flat, microreticulate bit shiny with several very small setose punctures. Part of clypeus between clypeal triangle and margin of eyes with a row of long hair. Labrum distinctly emarginate to 1/3 length. Antennae moderately stout, segments 9–10 approximately as long as wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:50:79:63:58:42:50:50:46:50:96. Segment 3 approximately 1.6 times as long as segment 2 and 1.3 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternal process moderately broad, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa canaliculate with oblique wrinkles, central part of rhomboidal apex convex, sides impressed, surface with wrinkles and setose punctures, appears rugose.

Claws with small basal tooth.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of Congo (Garamba National Park) ( fig. 19 ).

Remarks. A unique species. Its almost circular body, elytral disc without hump, only with a low H–shaped elevation, and elytral punctation completely regular ( fig. 282 ) place it closer to the Oriental species of the C. nigriventris species–group especially to C. cognobilis Spaeth , C. fukhanica Medvedev & Eroshkina , C. nigriventris Boheman and C. subtilis Weise than to any of African species. All Oriental species distinctly differ in subangulate pronotal sides. Among small African species with a completely yellow dorsum it is similar only the C. capensis , C. senegalensis and the pale form of C. luxuriosa . First two species distinctly differ in subangulate or angulate pronotal sides ( figs. 287 , 280). Cassida luxuriosa differs in a less circular body (fig. 284) and completely yellow ventrites (in C. garambana partly black).

Type examined. Holotype: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (ZAIRE): Congo Belge, P.N.G. / Miss. H. De Saeger / II/gd/10, 28–XII–1951 / H. De Saeger. 1954 // Cassida sp. ? / near to / C. trepidula Sp. / det. S. Shaw 1965 ( MRAC).

Figures

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

FIGURES 282–283. Cassida garambana. 284–286. Cassida luxuriosa. 282, 284–285. Dorsal; 283, 286. Lateral.

FIGURES 287–288. Cassida capensis. 289–290. Cassida senegalensis. 287, 289. Dorsal; 288, 290. Lateral.