Chiridopsis circe (Weise, 1896)

Świ, Jolanta, 2017, A monograph of the Afrotropical Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Part 4. Revision of the genus Chiridopsis Spaeth, Zootaxa 4316 (1), pp. 1-85 : 24-25

Chiridopsis circe (Weise, 1896)

( figs 4 , 48, 49 )

Chirida Circe Weise, 1896 c: 27 ; Spaeth, 1914: 126.

Chiridopsis circe: Spaeth, 1924: 348 ; Borowiec, 1999: 299.

Description. Le: 5.8–6.0 mm, Wi: 4.2–4.4 mm, Lp: 2.2 mm, Wp: 3.40–3.45 mm; Le/Wi: 1.36–1.38, Wp/Lp: 1.55– 1.57.

Pronotum yellow, disc with three black spots: elongate stripe before scutellum, and round to triangular spot in front of each anterior margin of elytral stripes ( fig. 48 ). Scutellum yellow or with brownish–black anterior half.

Elytra yellow, disc with three elongate, black stripes: along basal 1/4 to 1/3 length of suture, laterally not extending behind first elytral row of punctures, and along sides of disc, between rows 5 to 7, not expending to apex of disc. Clypeus brown, thorax dark brown to black, abdomen mostly black, with narrowly yellow margins. Legs yellow, except brownish to black coxa. Antennae uniformly yellow.

Pronotum regularly elliptical ( fig. 48 ), with maximum width in the middle, sides broadly rounded. Disc moderately convex, smooth and glabrous ( fig. 49 ). Explanate margin smooth and glabrous, shiny, transparent with well–marked honeycomb structure.

Scutellum triangular, impunctate ( fig. 48 ). Base of elytra distinctly wider than pronotum, humeri moderately protruding anterad, angulate to almost acute, margin behind humeral angle not emarginate. Disc moderately, regularly convex ( fig. 49 ). Punctation regular, coarse, especially on sides of disc, in lateral rows not finer than punctation of marginal row. Punctures in marginal row coarse, approximately as coarse as in lateral rows. Intervals flat, in sutural half of disc approximately thrice and on sides twice wider than rows, their surface with fine secondary irregular punctation, punctures in rows from dense to sparse. Explanate margin moderately broad, in the widest part approximately as wide as three marginal intervals together, strongly declivous, its surface from almost smooth to slightly irregular.

Clypeus moderately broad, approximately 1.2 times wider than long, slightly convex with deep clypeal lines converging in triangle. Surface of clypeal plate microreticulate, slightly dull, with few fine punctures. Antennae slim, length ratio of antennal segments: 100:42:71:68:50:42:53:47:53:85:100, segment 3 approximately 1.7 times as long as segment 2 and only slightly longer than segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, moderately expanded apically, area between coxae flat but with more or less developed median groove, surface from regular to slightly obliquely wrinkled on sides with several small hairy punctures, expanded apex not or slightly convex with slightly irregular surface and few coarse, hairy punctures.

Claws with moderate basal tooth each.

Distribution. Angola ( fig.4 ).

Remarks. It belongs to the group of African species with clypeus brown to black. Elongate elytral stripes approaches it to Ch. aubei , especially forms with partly reduced pronotal pattern and lateral stripes not connected with suture ( figs 35 , 48 ). Chiridopsis circe distinctly differs in coarser elytral punctation, with rows on sides of elytra approximately as wide as intervals (in Ch. aubei lateral intervals approximately twice wider than rows). Sutural stripe in Ch. aubei , if present, occupies at least 3/4 length of suture (at most 1/3 length in Ch. circe ). Chiridopsis aubei is usually stouter with length/width ratio usually below 1.34 (the slimmest females extends 1.38) while in Ch. circe the index is 1.34–1.36. Western populations of Ch. aubei , from regions close to the range of Ch. circe , usually have more convex clypeus compared to specimens of Ch. cicrce . Because of the great similarity of Ch. circe (Weies) to striped forms of Ch. aubei (Boheman) , to avoid confusion in the interpretation of this taxon, we designated lectotype for one of the two known syntypes of Ch. circe .

Types examined. Lectotype (present designation): [ ANGOLA] Quango , Quedenf. ( ZMHU) ; paralectotype: the same data ( ZMHU) .

Other specimen examined. ANGOLA: Malange, 1 ( DBET).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Distribution of Chiridopsis circe (white circles), Chiridopsis congoana (black squares) and Chiridopsis tanzaniensis (black circles).

FIGURES 43 – 49. Chiridopsis boutareli. 43. Male dorsal, 44. Female dorsal, 45. Female lateral; 46 – 47. Chiridopsis castaneoplagiata. 46. Dorsal, 47. Lateral, 48 – 49. Chiridopsis circe. 48. Dorsal, 49. Lateral.

FIGURES 31 – 36. Chiridopsis aubei. 31 – 33. Nominotypical form, 31. Male dorsal, 32. Female dorsal, 33. Female lateral; 34 – 36. Variation of dorsal pattern.