Cassida andreinii Spaeth, 1933

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 : 31-33

Cassida andreinii Spaeth, 1933

( figs. 5 , 236–238 )

Cassida andreinii Spaeth, 1933 b: 48 ; Borowiec, 1999: 237, 2005: 122.

Cassida (Cassidulella) torrida Spaeth, 1939: 20 ; Borowiec, 1994 b: 156 (as syn.).

Description. L: 3.65–4.55 mm, W: 2.75–3.10 mm, Lp: 1.50–1.80 mm, Wp: 2.25–2.6 mm, L/W: 1.33–1.47, Wp/Lp: 1.44–1.50. Body oval ( figs. 236, 237 ).

Pronotum yellow. Scutellum yellow, elytral disc yellow, in most specimens with reddish to brown pattern: small stripe on humeral callus, small spot behind scutellum, and small stripe in posterolateral parts of disc, usually also punctures in postscutellar impression, base of disc and in apex of sutural row with dark centre, apex of suture narrowly reddish to brown ( fig. 237 ). In pale specimens only humeral callus with small reddish spot and punctures in postscutellar impression with reddish centre ( fig. 236 ). Explanate margin always yellow. Head, ventrites, legs and antennae uniformly yellow.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides rounded, no basal corners. Surface of disc slightly alutaceous, with well marked and impressed area above head. Punctation of elevated parts of disc moderately coarse but dense, distance between punctures as wide as puncture diameter, in northern populations punctation much dense, punctures almost touching each other then surface appears irregular. Punctation of area above head smaller and sparser than on elevated parts of disc. Explanate margin broad, slightly alutaceous, with shallow, sparse punctation in southern populations surface appears regular in northern populations appears slightly irregular, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra only slightly wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, angulate. Disc regularly convex ( fig. 238 ), with shallow postscutellar impressions and slightly elevated postscutellar transverse fold. Punctation coarse, arranged in completely regular rows, dense, distance between punctures mostly narrower than puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures only slightly coarser than punctures in central rows, submarginal row incomplete, starts from posthumeral area. Intervals flat to slightly convex, on top of disc approximately as wide as rows on sides narrower than rows to linear, marginal interval in anterior 1/4 length twice wider than submarginal one in posterior part only slightly wider than submarginal interval, no distinct lateral fold but interspaces in posterior half of the interval more or less convex. Surface of intervals alutaceous, regular. Explanate margin narrow, strongly declivous, in the widest part 5.5 times narrower than disc, surface alutaceous with shallow but coarse and moderately dense punctation, appears more or less irregular, semitransparent, honeycomb structure often invisible.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus moderately broad, approximately as wide as long. Clypeal grooves very fine, run close to margin of eye with row of setose punctures, at top of clypeus converging in angle, surface of clypeal plate flat, shiny, with few very small punctures. Labrum minutely emarginate to 1/6 length. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 distinctly transverse. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:58:81:54:54:42:42:46:46:50:100. Segment 3 approximately 1.4 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 1.5 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa shallowly impressed without special sculpture, expanded part with several moderately coarse, setose punctures.

Claws with large basal tooth.

Distribution. Known from dry localities in almost all of eastern Africa; a single locality is also known from north–eastern Nigeria ( fig. 5 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida andreinii species–group, Cassida andreinii with Cassida heroni , form a group of small cassids with length below 4.6 mm; dorsum predominantly green to yellow with at most small reddish to brown spots, ventrites yellow; body oval to broadly–oval; pronotum elliptical, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners; base of elytra not or only slightly wider than pronotum, disc regularly convex, without hump, elytral rows regular, explanate margin narrow, strongly declivous and claws with large basal tooth. Cassida heroni differs in stouter body with L/W ratio 1.22–1.30 and explanate margin of elytra broader and more explanate (figs. 239, 240) while in C. andreinii the L/W ratio is 1.33–1.47 and explanate margin of elytra are narrower and less explanate ( figs. 236–238 ). The elytral pattern in C. andreinii is usually more distinct with small reddish spots on the postscutellar elevation, humeral calli and posterolateral parts of disc ( fig. 237 ) while in C. heroni the postscutellar elevation is never spotted and spots on humeral calli and posterolateral parts of disc look like srtripes (fig. 239). Both species have pale forms with more or less reduced elytral spots but in in the palest form of C. andreinii there is a small spot on the postcutellar elevation while in C. heroni elytra is completely yellow.

Types examined. Holotype of Cassida andreinii Spaeth : [ ETHIOPIA]: Eritrea, Cheren, IV 1903, D’A. Andreini (MZUF); holotype of Cassida torrida Spaeth : [ ZAMBIA]: Lukanga Distr., Yiafusa R., VII 1915, H.C. Dollman (MM).

Other specimens examined. NIGERIA: Bauchi St., Yankari Game Res., 11 XII 1979, 1, University of Łódź Exp. ( MNHW) .

SOUTH AFRICA: Kruger Nat. Park, Sataro , 15–17 XII 1985, 2, M. Sanborne ( MZSNV, MNHW) ; Limpopo Prov., Thabazimbi , 12 XII 2006, 1, M. Snižek ( MNHW) ; Lydenburg , 1896, 1, Krantz ( MNHW) ; Transvaal , 15 km E Klaserie, 19–31 XII 1985, 1, M. Sanborne ( MZSNV) ; Vereeniging , 16 XI 1924, 1, G. v. Son ( MNHW) .

ZAMBIA: Batoka , XII 1895, 1 ( MCZC); Chilanga, 10 VII 1913, 1 ( LS) .

ZIMBABWE: env. Kotwa , Chimana Causeway, 8 IX 1986, 1, M. Lillig & S. Potel ( NKE) .

TANZANIA: Kirumba n. Mzansa, 6 IV 1916, 1, Holtz ( MM) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Cassida andreini.

FIGURES 236–238. Cassida andreinii. 239–240. Cassida heroni. 236–237, 239. Dorsal; 238, 240. Lateral.