Chiridopsis rorida (Boheman, 1854)

(figs 10, 125, 126)

Cassida rorida Boheman, 1854: 413, 1857: 133, 1862: 329; Gemminger and Harold, 1876: 3657. Chirida rorida: Spaeth, 1914: 127.

Chiridopsis rorida Spaeth, 1924: 350; Borowiec, 1999: 302.

Chirida natalensis Spaeth, 1905: 111, 1914: 127 (as synonym of Cassida rorida).

Description. Le: 4.8 mm, Wi: 3.5 mm, Lp: 2.0 mm, Wp: 2.9 mm, Le/Wi: 1.37, Wp/Lp: 1.45.

Pronotum yellow (figs 125, 126), disc on sides with small, indistinct, c-shaped brown spot or completely yellow. Elytra yellow with several small black spots: three along first interval and row, 4–5 along fourth interval and row, two in humeral area and 4–5 along intervals eight and nine. Spots are mostly narrower or as wide as width of interval, at most two largest spots are 1.5 times as wide as width of interval. Clypeus yellow. Thorax mostly brown, only lateral plates yellowish-brown. Abdomen mostly brown but broadly surrounded by yellow. Coxae and trochanters yellow. Antennae and legs uniformly yellow.

Pronotum elliptical (fig. 125), with maximum width in the middle, sides broadly rounded. Disc moderately convex, indistinctly bordered from explanate margin. Surface of disc and explanate margin smooth, with mirror brilliance.

Base of elytra moderately wider than base of pronotum (fig. 125), humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, rounded. Disc regularly convex (fig. 126), at top slightly depressed, without impressions. Punctation fine, regular. Intervals three to four times wider than rows. Punctures in marginal row only slightly coarser than in submarginal row. Marginal interval in anterior third almost twice wider than submarginal interval. Explanate margin strongly declivous, impunctate, but surface appears slightly irregular, especially along marginal row. Whole surface of elytra slightly dull.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus broad, approximately 1.7 times as wide as long. Labrum shallowly emarginate. Clypeal grooves deep, converging in triangle. Clypeal triangle moderately convex. Median groove distinct, extending from clypeal apex to half length of clypeal triangle. Prosternal collar long with deep lateral emarginations. Antennal grooves long and deep. Antennae stout, segments 9–10 slightly transverse. Segment 3 approximately 1.6 times longer than 2 and approximately 1.2 times longer than 4. Claws with large basal tooth.

Distribution. South Africa: Natal (fig. 10).

Remarks. Chiridopsis rorida with Ch. melanocephala and Ch. regionalis (figs 109, 110, 123–126) form a natural group of species characterized by broadly oval to almost circular body and dorsal colouration mostly yellow with pattern reduced to small black spots. Chiridopsis rorida distinctly differs from both congeners in yellow clypeus (in Ch. melanocephala black, in Ch. regionalis brown to black), smaller size with length below 5.0 mm (5.7–6.7 mm in Ch. melanocephala, 5.2–5.8 in Ch. regionalis), and slimmer body with Le/Wi ratio 1.37 (1.22– 1.29 mm in Ch. melanocephala, 1.30–1.32 in Ch. regionalis).

Types examined. Lectotype of Cassida rorida (designated by Borowiec, 1999: 303): Ot. Nat., I. Vahlb. (NRS); 2 paralectotypes of Cassida rorida: Pt. Nat., I. Vahlb. (NRS); 1 paralectotype of Cassida rorida: Pt. Natal (BMNH).

2 syntypes of Chirida natalensis: [SOUTH AFRICA] Natal, Estcourt (1 BMNH, 1 MM); 1 syntype of Chirida natalensis: Natal, Ivere (MM).

Other specimen examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Natal, Weenen, II 1925, 1, H.P. Thomasset (MM).