Cassida limpopoana Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2001

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 : 101-102

Cassida limpopoana Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2001

( figs. 18 , 317–319 )

Cassida limpopoana Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2001: 158 .

Description. L: 6.10–7.60 mm, W: 4.50–5.60 mm, Lp: 2.30–2.60 mm, Wp: 3.70–4.50 mm, L/W: 1.26–1.39, Wp/ Lp: 1.61–1.73. Body short–oval, sides regularly rounded ( figs. 317, 318 ).

Uniformly yellow or yellowish green, including ventrites, legs and antennae ( figs. 317–319 ). In some specimens on humeri and on slope there are irregular, pale yellow spots probably as effect of inappropriate maturation.

Pronotum almost semicircular, with maximum width at base, sides angulate. Disc not bordered from explanate margin. Surface of disc finely, shallowly punctate, punctures much finer than those of elytral disc. Distance between punctures mostly as wide as to slightly narrower than puncture diameter. Surface between punctures appears slightly irregular. Explanate margin of pronotum appears impunctate, surface regular.

Base of elytra as wide as base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, angulate. Disc distinctly, regularly convex in profile, without impressions or elevations ( fig. 319 ). Punctation completely irregular, moderate, quite dense, distance between punctures from twice narrower to as wide as puncture diameter, but surface between punctures regular. Marginal row and marginal interval not marked. Explanate margin strongly declivous, moderately broad, in the widest part 4.5–5 times narrower than disc, its punctation slightly coarser than on disc but very sparse, in some specimens margins appear impunctate, their surface regular.

Eyes short, the shortest in the group, gena elongate, distance between under margin of eye and lateral angle of labrum more than twice longer than half eye width. Clypeus very broad, approximately 1.7 times as wide as long, clypeal grooves very fine, run close to margin and at top converging in triangle. Labrum shallowly emarginate. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly elongate. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:53:86:66:60:53:63:66:70: 70:113. Segment 3 approximately 1.6 times longer than 2 and approximately 1.3 times longer than 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa, flat, shiny,

Distribution. Malawi, Mozambique and S Zimbabwe ( fig. 18 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida litigiosa species–group. It belongs to the complex of large species with an almost semicircular pronotum. This complex comprises also C. distinguenda , C. pudens , and C. wittmeri . Cassida distinguenda next to C. wittmeri is the slimmest species of this complex, but differs in larger eyes, more coarse punctation of pronotal and elytral disc and less convex elytral disc ( figs. 309, 310 ). Cassida wittmeri also differs in more elongate body and strongly declivous explanate margin of elytra (figs. 307, 308). Cassida pudens differs in longer eyes, slightly coarser and denser elytral punctation, less convex elytral disc and less declivous explanate margin of elytra (figs. 333 – 335).

Types examined. Holotype and 6 paratypes: [ ZIMBABWE]: Beit Bridge , 500 m, 13V1958, 8, R. zur Strassen ( SMF, MNHW); paratype: [ MALAWI]: Nyasaland, Beua, VIII. 1929 ( MNHW); paratype: [ MOZAMBIQUE]: Lourenço – Marquès, Makulane (T.d.), G. Audeoud ( MNHW).

Figures

FIGURE 18. Distribution of Cassida granula (black circles) and Cassida limpopoana (black diamonds).

FIGURES 317–319. Cassida limpopoana. 320–321. Cassida penelope. 317–318, 320. Dorsal; 319, 321. Lateral.

FIGURES 309–310. Cassida distinguenda. 311–312. Cassida spatiosa. 309, 311. Dorsal; 310, 312. Lateral.