Cassida devylderi Spaeth, 1928

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 : 54-56

Cassida devylderi Spaeth, 1928

( figs. 15 , 271–273 )

Cassida Devylderi Spaeth, 1928: 11 ; Borowiec, 1995: 371, 1999: 252 (as syn. of C. franklinmuelleri ), 2005: 122 (as good species).

Description. L: 4.80–5.75 mm, W: 3.70–4.35 mm, Lp: 1.75–2.00 mm, Wp: 3.05–3.50 mm, L/W: 1.29–1.34, Wp/ Lp: 1.68–1.75. Body short–oval, slightly converging posterad ( figs. 271, 272 ).

Entire body, including head, ventrites, legs and antennae yellow, only last antennal segment infuscate apically. In this species often parts of body preserve life green colour ( figs. 271–273 ).

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width behind the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides narrowly rounded, no basal corners.Area above head only slightly impressed, sides of disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin. Surface of disc from slightly alutaceous to slightly shiny, moderately coarse, shallow but dense punctation and more or less visible irregular wrinkles, appears mostly irregular. Explanate margin broad, impunctate or with extremely shallow punctation, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure, surface from slightly alutaceous to slightly shiny, appears regular.

Base of elytra slightly to moderately wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, subangulate to angulate. Disc slightly irregularly convex in profile with well marked H–shaped elevation ( fig. 273 ), with distinct postscutellar, principal and posterolateral impressions. Punctation coarse and dense tend to form regular rows, but in postscutellar impressions and in posterolateral parts of disc additional punctures disturb regularity but elytra appear mostly regularly punctate, distance between punctures from twice narrower to as wide as puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures from as coarse as to slightly coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals on top of disc from as wide as to slightly wider than rows, on sides slightly to twice narrower than rows, marginal interval broad, as wide as submarginal row and submarginal interval combined, without humeral but with flat lateral folds. Explanate margin narrow, moderately declivous, in the widest part five times narrower than disc, surface from slightly alutaceous to slightly shiny with shallow but coarse and dense punctation, appears irregular, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus broad, approximately 1.35 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, in basal part run close to margin of eye, converging in arch on obtuse angle, surface of clypeus flat or shallowly impressed, its surface shiny with few very small, setose punctures. Labrum small, deeply emarginate to 1/3 length. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly longer than wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:63: 67:67:70:57:67:53:57:60:110. Segment 3 only slightly longer than segment 2 and approximately as long as segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa impressed to canaliculate, shiny, without special sculpture except several very small setose punctures, expanded apex shiny, slightly convex in central part, shallowly impressed laterally, lateral lobes with few moderately coarse, setose punctures but surface appears regular.

Claws with large basal tooth.

Distribution. Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe ( fig. 15 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida viridipennis species–group. It belongs to the complex of species with the elytral disc uniformly green to yellow and elytral punctation mostly regular, especially on the sides of the elytral disc ( figs. 271–273 ). The most similar species is Cassida viridipennis but it differs in stouter body with L/W ratio 1.17–1.24 (L/W ratio 1.29–1.34 in C. devylderi ), base of elytra distinctly wider than pronotum, sides of elytra distinctly converging posterad, more broadly rounded pronotal sides, and surface of pronotal disc finer and sparsely punctate ( figs. 246–248 ). Cassida franklinmuelleri is also similar but differs in less distinct postscutellar H–shaped elevation and more irregular elytral punctation and pronotal sculpture (figs. 269, 270).

Type examined. Holotype: [ NAMIBIA]: Damara, De Vyld. ( NRS).

Other specimens examined. BOTSWANA: Maun , Island Safari Lodge, 15 I–29 I 1997, 2, M. Snižek ( MS, MNHW) .

MALAWI: Cholo, 1919, 10, R. C. Wood ( BMNH, LS).

NAMIBIA: Kavango, Popa Falls , 18.35 S 20.07 E, 29 X 1987, 1, E. Marais ( WM) ; Mahango Park , 26–28 II 1998, 1, U. Göllner ( MNHW) ; Okahandja , 31 V 1954, 1 ( MNHW) ; Okosongomingo, Otjiwarongo , 6–8 III 1979, 1, M.–L. Penrith & S. Louw ( MNHW) ; Ovamboland, Ogongo Campus , 17°40’35.6’’S 15°17’33.6’’E, 1100 m, 26 I 2012, 1, R. Dobosz & G. Kopij ( USMB) ; Popa Falls , 18.07.16 S/21.34.51 E, 2–4 III 1994, 1, U. Göllner ( MNHW) ; Windhoek, Fichthofen , 22.34 S 17.45 E, 16–24 V 1977, 1, M.–L. Penrith & S. Louw ( WM) .

ZIMBABWE: 60 km N Bulawayo, Maraposa Rd. , 3 XII 1998, 2, M. Snižek ( MS, MNHW) .

Figures

FIGURE 15. Distribution of Cassida devylderi (black circles) and Cassida leleupi (black diamonds).

FIGURES 271–273. Cassida devylderi. 274–275. Cassida rhodesiaca. 271–272, 274. Dorsal; 273, 275. Lateral.

FIGURES 246–249. Cassida viridipennis. 250–251. Cassida granula. 246–247, 249–250. Dorsal; 248, 251. Lateral.