Nuzonia gestatrix ( Boheman, 1855 )

Sekerka, Lukáš, 2016, Taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (1), pp. 275-344 : 297

Nuzonia gestatrix ( Boheman, 1855)

Charidotis Gestatrix Boheman, 1855: 47 (original description).

Charidotis luculenta Boheman, 1862: 379 (original description), syn. nov.

Litocassis placidula Weise, 1921: 198 (original description); SPAETH (1931b): 184 (synonymy), syn. confirm.

Type localities. Charidotis gestatrix : Brazil, Pará [fixed by lectotype designation]; C. luculenta : ‘Cayenne’; Litocassis placidula : ‘Manáos’ [= Brazil, Amazonas, Manaus].

Type material examined. Charidotis gestatrix : LECTOTYPE (designated by BOROWIEC 1999a): pinned, ‘29463 [w, p, s] || Para int. [g, hw, cb] || Sieber [g, hw, cb] || geftatrix. Lacord. [w, hw by Boheman, s] || LECTOTYPE | des. L. Borowiec [red, p, cb]’ ( ZMHB) . PARALECTOTYPE: pinned, ‘ Cayen [w, p, s] || Mhm. [w, p, cb] || Type. [w, p, s] || NHRS-JLKB | 000022389 [w, p, cb]’ ( NHRS).

Charidotis luculenta : HOLOTYPE: pinned, ‘Ex Musaeo | Mniszech [w, p, cb]’ ( MNHN).

Litocassis placidula : HOLOTYPE: pinned, ‘Maná- | os [w, p, cb] || Amazon | Roman [w, p, cb] || aug. [w, p, cb] || Typ. [w, p, cb] || Litocassis | placidula | m. [w, hw by Weise, cb] || NHRS-JLKB | 000022390 [w, p, cb]’ ( NHRS).

Remarks. SPAETH (1931b) synonymized Litocassis placidula with Nuzonia gestatrix . I have compared both types and the synonymy is correct. Additionally, I have studied the holotype of Nuzonia luculenta and in my opinion it is only a colour form of N. gestatrix . It has elytral disc mostly brown with two yellow circular spots in anterior third and laterally with deep yellow emargination around midlength, other characters are identical to N. gestatrix . The latter has elytra mostly yellow with thin brown pattern dividing each elytron to two or three large yellow areas: basal on basal third of disc, lateral (identical to the lateral emargination of N. luculenta ) and apical. Often the stripe dividing the two last yellow areas is reduced to a short projection of the central broad band or completely reduced. The brown pattern of N. gestatrix exactly demarcates the outer margin of the brown pattern of N. luculenta and I therefore consider the latter only a colour morph of N. gestatrix and synonymize them.

Distribution. Brazil: Amazonas ( WEISE 1921) and Pará ( BOHEMAN 1855); French Guyana ( BOHEMAN 1855).