Cassida shimba, Borowiec & Świętojańska, 2022

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 : 145-146

Cassida shimba sp. nov.

( figs. 42 , 336–339 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:993C58FF-F5FD-4248-B384-116E4429BF0A

Etymology. Named after its type locality, Shimba Hills in Kenya.

Description. L: 3.90–4.60 mm, W: 3.00–3.70 mm, Lp: 1.40–1.70 mm, Wp: 2.45–2.95 mm, L/W: 1.23–1.24, Wp/Lp: 1.74–1.78. Body short–oval ( figs. 336, 338, 339 ).

Pronotum and scutellum uniformly yellow. Elytral disc black with yellow relief and yellow marginal interval ( figs. 336–339 ). Yellow relief in dark specimens occupies less than half space of disc, in pale specimens occupies more than half space of disc but black always surrounds disc, forms black spot on top of postscutellar elevation and more or less complete transverse band in 2/3 of disc. Explanate margins always yellow. Head yellow, thorax from uniformly yellow to slightly infuscate central part of metathorax, abdomen always uniformly yellow. Legs yellow. Antennae from uniformly yellow or with one to three apical segments more or less infuscate.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width in the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides broadly rounded, no basal corners.Area above head only slightly impressed, lateral lobes indistinctly bordered from explanate margin. Surface of disc shiny, with fine and sparse punctation. Distance between punctures mostly wider than puncture diameter. Explanate margin broad, impunctate, shiny, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Base of elytra moderately wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, subangulate. Disc moderately, regularly convex ( fig. 337 ), with well marked postscutellar and principal impressions, distinct postscutellar H–shaped elevation, yellow relief arranged as in figs. 336, 338, 339 , elevated second interval and central part of fourth interval. Punctation coarse and dense, arranged in regular rows partly interrupted by yellow relief, punctures in rows almost touching each other. Marginal row distinct, its punctures twice smaller than punctures in central rows. Intervals, except elevated parts of second and fourth interval, mostly linear, marginal interval narrow, as wide as submarginal row, without humeral and with narrow lateral folds. Explanate margin moderately broad, moderately declivous, in the widest part four times narrower than disc, surface shiny with shallow, coarse and dense punctation, appears more or less irregular, transparent with well visible honeycomb structure.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus moderately broad, approximately as wide as long. Clypeal grooves fine but well marked, converging in triangle with angulate top, surface of clypeus flat or with shallowly apical impression, 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: 100:54:85:73:69:46:58:50:50:54:112. Segment 3 approximately 1.6 times as long as segment 2 and approximately 1.2 times as long as segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa deeply impressed, on sides with few punctures and thin oblique wrinkles, along middle shiny, central part of expanded apex slightly convex, punctate with shiny interspaces, sides impressed, with some thin wrinkles and small setose punctures.

Claws with moderate basal tooth.

Distribution. Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa ( fig. 42 ).

Remarks. A member of the Cassida lacrymosa species–group. It belongs to the complex of species with the background of the elytral disc black and a pattern of more or less convex, partly coalescent yellow spots, ( figs. 336, 338, 339 ). The complex includes also C. delenifica (fig. 156), C. depicta ( figs. 128, 129 ), C. irregularis ( figs. 138, 140, 141 ), C. natalensis ( figs. 133, 134 ), and dark forms of C. humerosa ( fig. 90 ) and C. lacrymosa ( figs. 185, 186 ). Cassida shimba differs from most relatives in a completely yellow pronotum while in other species the pronotal disc is marked with a more or less distinct brown to black basal spot. Only C. humerosa has the pronotum immaculate but differs in larger size with, length 4.25–5.80 mm, elytral pattern regular, yellow spots spread regularly on top of disc, indistinct H– shaped elevation and ventrites mostly black. Cassida delenifica differs in the presence of a humeral spot on the explanate margin of elytra. Cassida shimba has the ventrites uniformly yellow or at most the metathorax slightly infuscate while most species of this complex have the ventrites partly black.

Types examined. Holotype: [ KENYA]: Kenya / Distr. Kwale / Shimba Hills R. / 25 VIII–’86 ( MNHW); paratype: [ KENYA]: Kenya, Nairobi District, Nairobi env., 28.II.–10.III.2000, Mauser leg. ( MNHW); paratype: [ KENYA]: Kenya, Coast Prov. , Muhaka Forest , 41 m, 4.32664°S, 39.52462°E, Malaise trap, Indigenous forest , 5–18 May 2016, R. Copeland ( LS); paratype: [ KENYA]: Kenya, Coast Prov. , Muhaka Forest , 52 m, 4.32530°S, 39.52345°E, 6 m Malaise trap, Indigenous forest , 30 May–19 June 2013, R. Copeland ( LS); paratype: [ KENYA]: Kenya, Nyanza Prov. , Gwazi Hills, foothils, nr Ungoye, c. 0.6160°S, 34.1000°E, c. 1350 m, Malaise trap, side of hill, next to woodland, 2–16 JUN 2005, R. Copeland ( LS); paratype: [ MOZAMBIQUE]: MOCAMBIQUE / PROV. SOFALA / 50 KM S INCHOPE / 17.– 18.12.2005 / A. KUDRNA JR. LGT. //COLLECTION Lukáš Sekerka / Liberec CZECH REPUBLIC ( LS); paratype: [ SOUTH AFRICA]: RSA, Kwa Zulu – Natal, Vryheid, 29/ 31.12.2008, P. Schüle leg. ( LS); paratype: [ SOUTH AFRICA]: RSA: Limpopo, Haenertsburg, Black Forest , 1500 m, 7.–9.I.2014, leg. W. Schawaller ( LS); paratype: [ TANZANIA]: A. d. Sammlung / Dr. Chr. Schröder / Bomole X. XII. 05 / 1100 m, D.– Ostafrika // Zool. Mus. / Berlin ( ZMHU).

Figures

FIGURE 42. Distribution of Cassida setosa (black circles), Cassida shimba (black diamonds) and Cassida spartea (black squares).

FIGURES 336–339. Cassida shimba. 336, 338–339. Dorsal; 337. Lateral.

FIGURES 128–132. Cassida depicta. 128–129, 131–132. Dorsal; 130. Lateral.

FIGURES 138–141. Cassida irregularis. 138, 140–141. Dorsal; 139. Lateral.

FIGURES 133–135. Cassida natalensis. 136–137. Cassida vespertilio. 133–134, 136. Dorsal; 135, 137. Lateral.

FIGURES 86–91. Cassida humerosa. 86–87, 89–91. Dorsal; 88. Lateral.

FIGURES 182–187. Cassida lacrymosa. 182–183, 185–186. Dorsal; 184, 187. Lateral.