Cassida benguelica 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 : 36

Cassida benguelica Spaeth, 1933

( figs.1 , 119 )

Cassida benguelica Spaeth, 1933 a: 345 ; Borowiec, 1999: 239.

Description. L: 4.70 mm, W: 3.65 mm, Lp: 1.60 mm, Wp: 2. 70 mm, L/W: 1.29, Wp/Lp: 1.69. Body oval ( fig. 119 ).

Pronotum yellow, disc with large, black, triangular spot occupying almost entire surface of disc except sides, insides the black spot, close to scutellum two large, yellow spots. Apex of the triangular black spot rounded. Scutellum black. Elytral disc with black ground colour and pattern of yellow spots. In humeral and posterolateral area the black ground colour extending to submarginal row but in the middle and on apex margin of the black spot emarginate. Yellow pattern forms two small, round yellow spots close to base of scutellum, two large, irregular, elevated spots at sides of postscutellar point, two smaller, elevated spots in the mid length of disc close to suture, two irregular spots in ¾ length of disc close to suture, and two small spots in posterolateral part of disc ( fig. 119 ). Ventrites, legs and antennae yellow only apex of last antennal segment infuscate.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width in the middle, sides rounded. Disc indistinctly margined from explanate margin, without distinct lateral lobes, surface smooth and shiny. Explanate margin broad, with honeycomb structure, surface smooth and shiny.

Base of elytra much wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, angulate, elytral margins behind humeral angle very shallowly emarginate. Disc moderately, regularly convex in profile, with shallow postscutellar and principal impressions emphasized by elevated yellow spots. Punctation moderately coarse and sparse, distance between punctures mostly wider than puncture diameter. Rows regular but interrupted by yellow spots. Three pairs of central yellow spots elevated, first and third pair of the spots marked with 1–2 coarse punctures. Marginal row distinct, its punctures only slightly coarser than in submarginal row, dense with distance between punctures mostly narrower than puncture diameter. Intervals 1.5–2.5 times as wide as rows, flat (except elevated yellow spots), their surface slightly alutaceous but shiny. Marginal interval without humeral fold, lateral fold very narrow, hardly visible. Explanate margin moderately declivous, broad, in the widest part approximately three times narrower than disc, its surface shallowly and densely punctate, appears slightly irregular.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus moderately broad, approximately as long as wide, flat. Clypeal grooves fine, in basal part run very close to margin of eye, apically converging in arch. Surface of clypeal plate impunctate, shiny. Labrum emarginate to ¼ length. Antennae slim, segment 9 approximately 1.8 times as long as wide, segment 10 twice longer than wide, segment 11 very long, 1.8 times as long as wide. Segment 3 approximately 1.2 times longer than segment 2 and slightly shorter than segment 4.

Prosternal process narrow, flat and impunctate between coxae, very broad apically, central part of rhomboidal apex shiny with few punctures.

Claws simple.

Distribution. Angola ( fig. 1 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida flavosignata species–group. General shape, dorsal colouration and sculpture place this species near to only C. leleupi but it differs in body more circular, humeral angles more acute with the elytral margin distinctly emarginate behind the humeral angle (figs. 120, 121) while in C. benguelica , the elytral margin behind the humeral angle is very shallowly emarginate thus the angles appear rather angulate than acute ( fig. 119 ). In C. leleupi two small, yellow spots occur at apex of scutellum (in C. benguelica without spots), elytral spots not elevated and impunctate (in C. benguelica the large, central spots are elevated and with 1–2 coarse punctures), the black pronotal spot with acute apex (in C. benguelica the apex of the pronotal spot is rounded) and the black ground colour behind the humeral callus extending to the marginal row (in C. benguelica extending to the submarginal row). Pronotal sides in C. leleupi are more broadly rounded than in C. benguelica , the punctation of disc is approximately two times smaller than in C. benguelica , and the surface of the disc is more shiny with mirror brilliance while in C. benguelica the surface is slightly alutaceous.

Type examined. Holotype: [ ANGOLA]: Benguela, 1914, Staud. ( MM).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Cassida aethiopica (black circles) and Cassida benguelica (black diamond).

FIGURE 119. Cassida benguelica. FIGURES 120–121. Cassida leleupi. FIGURES 122–123. Cassida flavosignata. 119–120, 122. Dorsal; 121, 123. Lateral.