Cryptonychus (Cryptonychellus) Weise 1910c: 240

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Cryptonychus angusticeps Gestro.

Diagnosis

Cryptonychus (Cryptonychellus) 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 small frontal horn between antennae, labrumlabrum:
  triangular, joined to the clypeus and the oral orifice
  with tuft of setae on each side
• antennae with 11-antennomeres, apical 5 antennomeres thickened, antennomere 1 short, thick, 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 seta in each anterior angle
• elytra with more than 8 rows of punctures basally plus scutellar row and 10 rows apically, non-costate

Description

Body wide; subparallel; subdepressed; color reddish-brown with black markings; total length 8 to 10.0 mm.

Head: short, wide; frontal horn slender, flat; labrumlabrum:
triangular, joined to the clypeus and the oral orifice
with tufts of setae on each side; maxillary palps with palpomere 1 short, 2 and 3 obconic, nearly subequal in length, 4 longer, acuminate; eyeeye:
elongate, slightly prominent, multifaceted; usually slightly kidney-shaped
large, convex.

Antenna: robust; thickening apically; as long as head and 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
combined; with 11-antennomeres; antennomere 1 short, incrassate; 2 short, obconic; 3 oblong; 4 to 10 subequal in length; 11 longer than 10, pointed at apex.

Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin straight, convergent; anterior angle oblique, with seta; anterior margin straight; posterior angle acute; posterior margin bisinuate; surface lightly punctate.

Scutellum: cordate.

Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth; exterior apical angle and apical margin rounded; humerus rounded, not produced; with 8 rows of punctures basally plus scutellar row, additional rows apically; non-costate.

Leg: short; robust; femurfemur:
largest part of the leg; more or less cylindrical, attached at base to trochanter and at apex to tibia
thickened; tibiatibia:
variable in length; joins femur and tarsus
expanding apically, obliquely truncate at apex.

Distribution

Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Rhodesia, South Africa, Uganda.

World Fauna

Described species: 5 (Staines 2012). Key: none.

Hosts

Cocos, Elaeis (Arecaceae).

References

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

Weise, J. 1910c. Chrysomelidae und Coccinellidae. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedischen zoologischen Expedition nach dem Kilimandharo, dem Meru und den umgebenden Massaisteppen Deutsch-Ostafrikas 1905-1906 1(7):153-266.