Sceloenopla lutena Staines

Staines, C. L., 2002, Nomenclatural notes and new species of Sceloenoplini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Zootaxa 89, pp. 1-32 : 22-23

Sceloenopla lutena Staines , new species

Figure 13

Type material. Holotype (): Costa Rica, Heredia: Est. Biol. La Selva, 50­150 m, 10°26'N, 84°01'W, Oct. 1994, INBio­OET// 15 octubre 1994, Virola koschnyi , FVK/ 24/ 38// 2270307 ( INBio). Paratypes (4, 4): same location as holotype except date­ Sep. 1993 (2), Nov 1993 (2), Jul 1993 (1), Oct 1994 (1), Jan 1994 (1) ( INBio).

Derivation of name. From lutena (Latin= yellow) for the yellowish body color.

Diagnosis. This species is in group 6 ( Uhmann 1937). It can be distinguished from all other species in group 6 by the strongly angulate frons, the elongate second antennomere, the striate­sulcate fifth antennomere, and the yellowish body color.

Description. Yellowish­brown, with head and antennae darker. Head: medial sulcus present; vertex impunctate; not depressed between eyes; frons strongly angulate. Antenna: antennomere I subglobose; II elongate; II­IV cylindrical, subequal in length; V cylindrical, striate­sulcate; VI­X transverse, setose; XI bluntly pointed at apex, setose. Pronotum: convex; with distinct basal impression; tooth present in each anterior angle; lateral margin distinctly angulate in middle, straight and divergent from base to middle, then convergent and sinuate to apex; surface sparsely punctate; pronotal length 1.2 mm; pronotal width 1.6 mm. Scutellum: quadrate; alutaceous. Elytron: lateral margin smooth; tooth present in exterior apical angle and tooth along apical margin; with 12 complete rows of punctures plus scutellar row; costae absent; elytral length 6.1 mm; elytral width 2.4 mm. Venter: pale; sides of metasternum darker brown; mesosternum punctate at sides; abdominal sterna with dark apical margin. Leg: yellowish with scattered darker markings. Total length: 7.4 mm.

Variation. Specimens vary in pronotal length from 1.0­ 1.3 mm, in pronotal width from 1.4­1.9 mm, in elytral length from 5.0­ 6.3 mm, in elytral width from 2.1­2.7 mm, and in total length from 6.3­7.9 mm. The color and sculpture is very similar to that of the holotype.

Notes. Collected fogging Virola koschnyi Warb. (Myristicaceae) .

Figures

FIGURES 13 - 15. Habitus. 13. Sceloenopla lutena. 14. Sceloenopla minuta. 15. Sceloenopla nigropicta.