Sceloenopla minuta Staines

Staines, C. L., 2002, Nomenclatural notes and new species of Sceloenoplini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Zootaxa 89, pp. 1-32 : 23-24

Sceloenopla minuta Staines , new species

Figure 14

Type material. Holotype (φ): Est. Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S Santa Cecilia, Guanac. Pr., Costa Rica, Malaise Tp. 1988, GNP Biod. Survey, 330200, 380200// 107871 ( INBio). Paratypes (8 φ): 1- with same label data as holotype // 149501; 2- with same label data except date 1990// 303793 & 525623 ( INBio); 4- Costa Rica, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 50-150 m, 1026'N, 8401'W, Proy ALAS, INBio-OET, collected 0 3 mayo 1993, 0 1 junio 1993, 15 julio 1993, 15 octubre 1993 ( INBio); 1- Costa Rica, Prov. Heredia, 16 km SSE La Virgen, 1050-1150 m, 1016'N 8405'W, 0 9 marzo 2001, INBio-OET-ALAS transect// 0 9 marzo 2001, 11/M/0 35 transect// 0 0 0 3204994 ( INBio); 1- Costa Rica, San José, Zurqui de Moravia, 1600 m, 9.5E-XI-1990, col. Paul Hanson ( UCRC); 1- Costa Rica, Alajuela, Est. Biol. San Ramon, 900 m, V-2000, P. Hanson ( UCRC).

Derivation of name. From minutus (Latin= little, small) for the small size of this species.

Diagnosis. This species is in group 4b ( Uhmann 1937). It can be distinguished from all other members of group 4b by its small size, antennomeres I­X that are cylindrical, and the laminate apical margins of the elytra.

Description. Yellowish­brown; pronotum with wide medial longitudinal vitta and lateral margins black; elytra with suture and apical 1/3 black; antennae and legs, except bases of femora, black. Head: faint medial sulcus present in depression between eyes; tooth present between antennal bases; frons not angulate. Antenna: antennomeres I­X cylindrical; I short; II longer than I; III­V subequal in length, longer than II; IV­X decreasing in length; XI acutely pointed at apex; VIII­XI setose; I­VII punctate. Pronotum: lateral margin distinctly angulate in middle; each anterior angle with small rounded tooth; posterior angle acute; surface impunctate along anterior margin, coarsely, densely punctate elsewhere; moderate transverse basal impression present; pronotal length 0.9 mm; pronotal width 0.9 mm. Scutellum: quadrate; alutaceous. Elytron: lateral margin smooth; apical margin laminate, sinuate, emarginate; exterior apical angle serrate; humerus rounded, not produced; with 10 rows of punctures plus short scutellar row; intervals 2, 4, and 8 costate, with none being strongly produced; sutural margin raised; sutural angle with tooth; elytral length 3.6 mm; elytral width 1.4 mm. Venter: prosternum yellowish­brown and smooth medially, black and punctate laterally; meso­ and metasterna black; suture between abdominal sterna 1 and 2 complete. Total length: 4.9 mm.

Variation. Specimens vary in pronotal length from 0.7­0.9 mm, in pronotal width from 0.7­0.9 mm, in elytral length from 3.3­3.9 mm, in elytral width from 1.3­1.4 mm, and in total length from 4.4­4.9 mm. The color and sculpture is very similar to that of the holotype.

Figures

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