Cassida successiva Spaeth, 1924

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 : 156-157

Cassida successiva Spaeth, 1924

( figs. 44 , 199–201 )

Cassida successiva Spaeth, 1924: 357 ; Borowiec, 1999 a: 287.

Description. L: 3.80–4.75 mm, W: 3.15–3.55 mm, Lp: 1.35–1.55 mm, Wp: 2.50–2.90 mm, L/W: 1.21–1.42, Wp/ Lp: 1.77–1.87. Body almost circular to short–oval, males slightly stouter than females ( figs. 199, 200 ).

Pronotum uniformly yellow, or with small brown spot in front of scutellum, or with more or less developed V–shaped brown spot in front of scutellum. Scutellum yellow, elytral disc yellow, each puncture at least with black centre, sometimes also with narrow black areola then black partly coalescent and form more or less developed reticulation, top of postscutellar elevation usually with brown to black stripe. Explanate margin always yellow ( figs. 199, 200 ). Head usually with black base, brown sides and yellow apically, sometimes completely brown with paler apex, thorax black abdomen mostly black surrounded by yellow. Coxa black, rest of legs yellow. Antennal uniformly yellow, sometimes last segment more or less infuscate dorsally.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners. Disc indistinctly bordered from explanate margin except short lateral impressions, area above head slightly impressed. Surface of disc shiny, with very fine and sparse punctation. Distance between punctures several times wider than puncture diameter, interspaces regular. Explanate margin broad, impunctate, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra moderately to much wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, subangulate. Disc depressed in profile ( fig. 201 ), with shallow postscutellar and principal impressions, and low and obtuse H–shaped elevation, yellow parts of disc more or less elevated form more or less developed pale relief. Punctation moderately coarse but dense, tend to form regular rows but the regularity disturbed by pale relief, distance between punctures varies from smaller to thrice larger than puncture diameter, in several impressed transverse rows punctures almost touching each other. Marginal row distinct, its punctures not coarser than punctures in central rows. Intervals mostly not marked, in specimens with only dark punctures sometimes is more or less visible elevated second interval and central part of elevated fourth interval, marginal interval narrow, as wide as submarginal interval and submarginal row combined, with short but distinct humeral or lateral folds. Explanate margin moderately broad, moderately declivous, in the widest part 4.5 times narrower than disc, surface shiny with shallow, moderately coarse but dense punctation, appears slightly irregular, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus narrow, approximately 1.1 times as long as wide. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, converging in regular triangle, surface of clypeus flat or very shallowly impressed apically, its surface shiny with several very small, setose punctures. Labrum broadly emarginate to 1/5 length. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly transverse. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:64:75:61:61:46:46:43:46:50:121. Segment 3 approximately 1.2 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 1.25 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa on sides with impressed row of punctures, central part slightly convex with few moderately coarse, setose punctures, expanded apex convex centrally, impressed apically with several moderately coarse, setose punctures, surface appears irregular to rugose.

Claws with large basal tooth.

Distribution. East Africa from Kenya to Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo ( fig. 44 ).

Remarks. At first glance Cassida successiva is very similar to C. stipidosa . Both species have similar size, sculpture and colouration with black and black areolate punctures forming more or less thin black reticulation. Cassida successiva differs in slightly smaller but denser punctation at least on the sides of the disc forming, on long distance, regular rows, while in C. successiva the punctation appears completely irregular.

Type examined. Holotype: TANZANIA: Zanzibar ( MM).

Other specimens examined. KENYA: near Kakemega , 10–13 VI 1997, 2, O. Buzga ( MNHW) .

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (ZAIRE): Alokoko, 13 II 1930, 1, A. Collart ( MNHW); Rumangabo, 6 XII 1946, 1 ( MNHW) .

RWANDA: Rutare, L. Mohasi, 1570 m, V 1968, 8, E. Vertriest ( MNHW) .

TANZANIA: Aruscha–Yu , X–XI 1905, 1, Kittenberger XII 1905, 1, Katona ( MNHW); Mt. Meru, Olkokola, 26 IX 1965, 1, J. Szunyoghy ( MNHW) .

UGANDA: Mabira , 1, R.A. Dummar ( MNHW); Mubende env., 19–22 XI 2001, 1, M. Snižek ( MS) .

Figures

FIGURE 44. Distribution of Cassida stipidosa (black diamond), Cassida successiva (black circles) and Cassida villiersi (black squares).

FIGURES 199–201. Cassida successiva. 202–203. Cassida stipidosa. 199–200, 202. Dorsal; 201, 203 Lateral.