Ceratispa (Metallispa) Gressitt 1963: 639

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Oxycephala metallica Gestro.

Diagnosis

Ceratispa (Metallispa) 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 narrow frontal horn between antennae, horn shorter than antennomere 1
• antennae filiform, 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 anterior angles oblique, with seta in each anterior angle
• elytra with 8 rows of punctures basally plus scutellar row, 10 apically, interspaces 2 and 4 same width as others, apical margin subtruncate
• anterior margin of prosternumprosternum:
  contains two anterior coxal cavities
  not projecting forward, not partly covering mouth

Description

Elongate; thickset; subparallel; subdepressed; color yellow, brown or black, may have metallic sheen.

Head: cephalic plate quadrate, with medial sulcus, coarsely, irregularly punctate; narrow frontal horn narrow, shorter than antennomere 1, more or less parallel-sided.

Antenna: filiform; reaches past humerus; with 11-antennomeres; antennomere 1 incrassate, punctate; 2 transverse; 3 longer than 2; 4 to 10 slightly increasing in length; 11 subequal in length to 1, pointed at apex.

Pronotum: subquadrate; lateral margin straight, converging; anterior angles oblique, with seta; anterior margin rounded; posterior angle acute; posterior margin bisinuate; convex; surface deeply, densely punctate.

Scutellum: subtriangular.

Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth; exterior apical angle rounded; apical margin subtruncate; humerus angulate, not produced; with 8 rows of punctures basally plus scutellar row, 10 apically, interspaces 2 and 4 same width as others, costate.

Venter: anterior margin of prosternumprosternum:
contains two anterior coxal cavities
not projecting forward, not partly covering mouth; finely punctate, more dense laterally.

Leg: short; robust; punctate.

Distribution

New Guinea.

World Fauna

Described species: 2 (Staines 2012). Key: Gressitt 1963.

Hosts

Calamus sp. (Araceae); Daemonorops, Korthalsia (Arecaceae).

References

Gressitt, J. L. 1963. Hispine beetles (Chrysomelidae) from New Guinea. Pacific Insects 5:591‑714.

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