Cassida oromiaensis sp. nov.

(figs. 23, 252–253)

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: A6A763CE-F239-4094-94F1-256967A8F17F

Etymology. Named after Oromia Region in Ethiopia where the locus typicus Gembi village is placed.

Description. L: 5.45 mm, W: 4.15 mm, Lp: 2.00 mm, Wp: 3.35 mm, L/W: 1.31, Wp/Lp: 1.68. Body elongateoval, almost parallel sided (fig. 252).

Entire body, including head, ventrites, legs and antennae yellowish green (figs. 252, 253), only last antennal segment infuscate apically.

Pronotum elliptical, with maximum width behind the middle, anterior margin regularly convex, sides rounded, no basal corners. Area above head only slightly impressed, sides of disc distinctly bordered from explanate margin by thin sulcus. Surface of disc shiny, moderately coarse, area above head and top of disc with moderately coarse and sparse punctation, sides with punctures and irregular wrinkles. Explanate margin broad, with shallow, moderately dense punctation, surface appears slightly irregular, in the only known specimen not transparent thus honeycomb structure invisible.

Base of elytra slightly to moderately wider than base of pronotum, humeral angles moderately protruding anterad, subangulate. Disc slightly irregularly convex in profile with well marked but thin H–shaped elevation (fig. 253) and slightly elevated second interval, with distinct postscutellar, principal and shallow posterolateral impressions. Punctation moderately coarse and dense, on sides slightly coarser than on top of disc, mostly irregular but with regular first and posterior part of second row, and two submarginal rows, distance between punctures from twice narrower to as wide as puncture diameter. Marginal row distinct, its punctures as coarse as in central rows. Intervals mostly not marked except slightly elevated second interval, posterior half of first interval, and narrow submarginal interval, marginal interval broad, as wide as two submarginal rows and submarginal interval combined, without humeral and lateral folds. Explanate margin narrow, moderately declivous, in the widest part 4.5 times narrower than disc, surface shiny with shallow but coarse and punctation and numerous wrinkles, appears irregular, not transparent thus honeycomb structure invisible.

Eyes very large, gena obsolete. Clypeus very broad, approximately 1.5 times as wide as long. Clypeal grooves well marked, converging in obtuse angle, surface of clypeus flat, shiny with few very small punctures. Labrum narrowly emarginate to 1/4 length. Antennae moderately stout, segments 9–10 slightly longer than wide. Length ratio of antennal segments: 100:53:59:56:53:44:59:50:50:62:106. Segment 3 approximately 1.1 times as wide as segment 2 and approximately as long as segment 4.

Prosternum moderately broad in the middle, strongly expanded apically, area between coxa shallowly canaliculate, shiny, without special sculpture except few very small setose punctures, expanded apex shiny, slightly convex in central part, shallowly impressed laterally, shiny, with few moderately coarse, setose punctures, surface appears regular.

Claws with large basal tooth.

Distribution. Ethiopia, Oromia Region (fig. 23).

Remarks. A very distinct species, at first glance more similar to some Palearctic members of the nominotypical subgenus than to any African species except C. penelope from southern Africa. Cassida oromiaensis differs in sides of pronotum with irregular sculpture of punctures and wrinkles and explanate margin of pronotum and elytra deeply punctate with surface appearing distinctly irregular while in C. penelope pronotal sides are only finely punctate without wrinkles, explanate margin of pronotum and elytra with very shallow punctation and surface appearing only slightly irregular. In C. penelope the posterolateral parts of the elytral disc are regularly punctate while in C. oromiaensis additional punctures on intervals disrturb the regularity. Both species are separated geographically, as C. penelope is known only from southern Africa while C. oromianesis occurs in Ethiopia.

Type examined. Holotype: [ETHIOPIA]: Ethiopia / Gembi nr. Agaro / 15.6.1963 (MNHW).