Caledonispa Uhmann 1952c: 82

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Brontispa sarasini Heller.

Diagnosis

Caledonispa can be distinguished by the following combination of characters:

• lateral margin of 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 elytra without long, stiff spines
• head with large, curved frontal horn between antennae
• antennomere 1 without spine-like process
• pronotum pronotum:
  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 distinct tooth in anterior angle
• elytra with 8 rows of punctures plus scutellar row basally, 9 medially, 10 to 12 apically

Description

Body elongate; subparallel; subconvex; color black or reddish-brown; total length 15.0 to 16.0 mm.

Head: transverse; cephalic plate not well-developed, anterior angles with small tooth, with medial sulcus; frontal horn narrow, curved, concave medially; clypeusclypeus:
usually quadrangular, elongate; joined to the labrum
transverse, emarginate basally; labrumlabrum:
triangular, joined to the clypeus and the oral orifice
transverse.

Antenna: reaches to humerus; thickened apically; with 11-antennomeres; antennomere 1 incrassate; 2 shorter, transverse; 3 and 4 subequal in length, subcylindrical; 5 slightly longer than 4 or 6; 7 longer than 6; 8 to 10 subequal in length, each shorter than 7; 11 longer than 5, rounded at apex.

Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin sinuate; anterior angle rounded, with distinct tooth; anterior margin weakly curved; posterior angle acute; posterior margin bisinuate; surface moderately convex, punctate.

Scutellum: cordate.

Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth; exterior apical angle rounded; apical margin sinuate, truncate; humerus angulate, not produced; with 8 rows of punctures plus scutellar row basally, 9 medially, 10 to 12 apically; tricostate.

Leg: short; profemur thicker than others.

Distribution

New Caledonia.

World Fauna

Described species: 2 (Staines 2012). Key: Gressitt 1960b.

Hosts

Freycinetia, Ptychosperma (Arecaceae).

References

Gressitt, J. L. 1960b. Hispine beetles from New Caledonia (Chrysomelidae). Pacific Insects 2:101‑123.

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

Uhmann, E. 1952c. Austral‑asiatische Hispinae des Zoologischen Museums der Humboldt‑Universität zu Berlin. 7. Teil: Cryptonychini. 126. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Hispinae (Chrysom. Coleopt.). Mitteilungen der Münchner Entomologischen Geselleschaft 42:71‑86.