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Acentroptera Guerin 1844a: 271

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Hispa pulchella Guérin-Méneville.

Diagnosis

Acentroptera can be distinguished by the following combination of characters:

  • the lateral margins of the pronotumpronotum:
    occupies all of dorsal part of the prothorax; in anterior angles or posterior angles there may be a small tubercle or pore with a seta
    and the elytra lacking long, stiff spines
  • the head lacking a frontal horn
  • the pronotumpronotum:
    occupies all of dorsal part of the prothorax; in anterior angles or posterior angles there may be a small tubercle or pore with a seta
    with a seta in each anterior angle
  • the apex of the elytra lacking a tooth-like projection
  • the antennae being not thickened at the apex
  • the antennae having 11-antennomeres with the apical four being different from the others (either longer or shorter, thinner or thicker, more pubescent, different in color)
  • the body being more or less convex
  • the legs being short
  • the sides of the of the elytra not being nearly vertical from costa 3
  • the elytra with four prominent costae with the lateral margins subparallel

Description

Body elongate, slightly convex.

Head: vertexvertex:
occupies the area behind and between the eyes
depressed; medial sulcus present.

Antenna: with 11-antennomeres; 1 to 2 transverse, subcylindrical, subequal in length; 3 to 4 cylindrical, elongate, subequal in length, each longer than 2; 5 shorter than 4; 6 to 10 transverse; 11 pointed at apex; 7 to 11 combined longer than 2 to 6 combined, hirsute.

Pronotum: longer than wide, widest at base, convex; lateral margin bisinuate; anterior angle with seta; basal impression present; tooth present in anterior angle.

Scutellum: quadrate.

Elytron: humerus slightly produced; margined laterally; apex with slight lamina; with 10 rows of punctures plus scutellar row, 1 or 2 secondary rows may be present; with 4 well prominent costae, costa 4 may be obsolete in middle.

Venter: with 5 visible abdominal sterna.

Leg: short, robust; anterior pair not prolonged.

Distribution

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guyana, México, Panamá, and Paraguay.

World Fauna

Described species: 13 (Staines 2012). Key to species: Monrós & Viana (1947)- Argentina.

Hosts

Aechmea, Ananas, Neoregelia (Bromeliaceae).

References

Guérin‑Méneville, F. E. 1844. Iconographie du regne animal de G. Cuvier, vol. 7, insectes, 576 pp., 104 pls. J. B. Baillière. Paris.

Monrós, F. & M. J. Viana. 1947. Revisión sistemática de los Hispidae Argentinos (Insecta, Coleop. Chrysomeloid.). Anales del Museo Argentino Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" 42: 125-324.

Staines, C. L. 2012. Tribe Sceloenoplini. Catalog of the hispines of the world (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). http://entomology.si.edu/Collections_Coleoptera.html