Melanispa Baly 1858: 30

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Melanispa truncata Baly.

Diagnosis

Melanispa 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 without long, stiff spines
  • body elongate, parallel-sided
  • the head without a frontal horn; mouthparts not projecting forward; maxillary palp with palpomere 3 longer than 2
  • 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, wider than long
  • the apex of the elytra without a tooth-like projection
  • the elytra without costae, rounded, posterior margin smooth, pygidium not exposed, much wider at base than pronotum
  • the antennae with 11-antennomeres, filiform
  • venter with last 3 sternites not hirsute

Description

Head: moderately slender, flat; triangular depression present on vertexvertex:
occupies the area behind and between the eyes
; punctate between eyes; palpomere 3 of labial palp clavate, longer and wider than preceding.

Antenna: with 11-antennomeres, slender, filiform, 1/2 length of body; antennomere 1 thickened; 3 longest; 1 to 5 shiny, others dull.

Pronotum: transverse, slightly narrower than elytra; disc depressed; sparsely punctate; lateral margin convergent from base to apex; margined laterally; basal margin bisinuate.

Scutellum: large, triangular.

Elytron: lateral and apical margins smooth; humerus not produced; parallel-sided; truncate at apex; pygidium not exposed; with 10 rows of lightly impressed punctures plus scutellar row.

Venter: pro-, meso-, and metasterna smooth medially, punctate laterally; with 5 visible abdominal sterna.

Distribution

Cuba, Guadeloupe.

World Fauna

Described species: 2 (Staines 2012). Key to species: none.

Hosts

Unknown.

References

Baly, J. S. 1858. Catalogue of Hispidae in the collection of the BritishMuseum. London, 172 pp.

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

  Melanispa  habitus.

Melanispa habitus.