Lechispa Sekerka 2014, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Sekerka, Lukáš
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Lechispa

description: Lechispa gen. nov.   
(Figs 24, 28, 34)  
 Type species. Stenispa parallela Pic, 1930, here designated.   
 Other species transferred. Stenispa rosariana Maulik, 1933.   
 Description. Body ¿liform, elongate and parallel-sided, 4.5–4.7 times longer than wide. Length 5.8–6.2 mm. Body black (Fig. 24).   
Mouthparts large, occupying almost whole head between eyes, hypognathous but labrum directed anteriorly (Fig. 34). Labrum, transverse, elliptical, and almost as wide as mouth cavity. Maxillary palps as long as two basal antennomeres. Labial palps as long as three basal segments of maxillary palps. Clypeus very short, present as narrow carina above labrum and projecting between antennal insertions. Antennal insertions deeply impressed. Interantennal carina reaching to frontal margin of vertex. Antennae, 11-segmented, strangulate, 1/5 longer than pronotal length, two basal antennomeres shiny, ¿rst globular, second transverse. Length ratio of antennomeres: 100: 110: 126: 114: 105: 93: 110: 93: 101: 103: 191, second antennomere 1.1 times and third 1.3 times longer than ¿rst. Eyes smaller, covering approximately half of lateral length of head thus gena well visible and sparsely punctate. Vertex micro-punctate and micro-reticulate with shallow basal sulcus. Head almost as long as wide, not constricted behind eyes.  
Pronotum 1.3 times longer than wide, reversely trapezoidal, distinctly widened anteriad, and widest slightly behind anterior corners. Anterior margin smooth, convex and moderately projecting forwards and with small tubercle possessing seta situated next to anterior corners. Anterior corners rounded and slightly projecting due to explanate margin. Basal corners sharp and with small, projecting denticle due to weak basal constriction. Lateral margins smooth, not explanate but gradually swollen from base to anterior corners, and distinctly separated from disc. Basal margin convex, strongly projecting towards scutellum. Disc regularly convex, micro-reticulate, sparsely but distinctly punctate, punctures gradually coarser and denser towards lateral sides. Its surface appears rather dull due to micro-reticulation.  
Scutellum short, subpentagonal, smooth, micro-reticulate, and impunctate.  
Elytra about 3.3 times longer than wide, elongate, parallel-sided, weakly and regularly convex, disc flat, with ten rows of punctures plus scutellar row. Base smooth, bisinuate, constricted behind humeral calli and as wide as base of pronotum. Humeral angles rounded, not projecting. Humeral calli distinctly convex, impunctate and micro-reticulate. Punctation completely regular. Punctures moderately large, foveolate. Intervals ca. 1–2 times wider than puncture diameter, smooth and micro-reticulate. Punctures disposed regularly and densely in rows with interspaces ca. 1–2 times wider than puncture diameter. Punctures gradually slightly coarser from disc towards lateral slopes. Marginal row distinct in whole length, regular. Elytral margin not explanate only apical part slightly widened. Outer margin, swollen and smooth. Apex of elytra emarginate. Epipleura flat, micro-sculptured but shiny and very sparsely pubescent.  
Prosternal process broad with truncate, apically widening and projecting apex. Its surface with several coarse punctures and micro-sculptured. Apex coarsely punctate and rugose. Whole surface of thorax densely setose. Abdomen micro-sculptured, punctate, and densely setose, setae gradually sparser towards middle.All abdominal sterna well separated. Pygidium strongly transverse with convex apex and strongly elevated and sharp transverse carina along midwidth, its surface rugose and sparsely pubescent (Fig. 28).  
Legs normal, all pairs equal. Tarsal claws broadly divergent, simple.  
Sexual dimorphism not evaluated because only the two type specimens (one of each species) were studied and dissections were not permitted.  
 Differential diagnosis. Lechispa gen. nov. can be easily recognized by the narrow and long body, which is at least 4.5 times longer than wide. Other genera with elongate bodies (Stenispa and some Cephaloleia species), are at most 2.7 times longer than wide. Lechispa also differs from both in having a transverse sharp carina on the pygidium, which is absent in all other Imatidiini. Stenispa also differs in the cuneiform body-shape (completely parallel-sided in Lechispa), the serrate lateroapical margins of the elytra (smooth in Lechispa), the pronotum being subquadratic and almost parallel-sided (widening anteriorly in Lechispa) with a straight apical margin (convex and protruding in Lechispa). Some Cephaloleia species, particularly those feeding on Poaceae and Cyperaceae, are somewhat similar but all have stouter bodies, not more than two times longer than wide, and with a parallel-sided pronotum.   
 Etymology. The genus is dedicated to Lech Borowiec, world leading specialist in Cassidinae, for his friendship, support and knowledge shared with me. The name is derived from his ¿rst name and generic name ‘ Hispa ’; gender is feminine.   
 Number of species. 2.   
 Key to species. Both species were keyed in the key to Argentinean Stenispa by MONRÓS & VIANA (1947).   
 Biology. Both species were reported feeding on Paspalum species, Poaceae (BOSQ 1943, MONRÓS & VIANA 1947).   
 Distribution. Argentina (Buenos Aires, Chaco).
description: Published as part of Sekerka, Lukáš, 2014, Review of Imatidiini genera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), pp. 257-314 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54 (1) on pages 283-285, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5301732