Cryptonychus (s. str.) Gyllenhal 1817: &

Synonomys

Cryptonychus (Brachycryptonychus) Spaeth 1933a:5 Nomen nudum.

Cryptonychus (Aulocryptonychus) Spaeth 1933a: 6.

Cryptonychus (Cochleocryptonychus) Spaeth 1933a: 7.

Type Species

Hispa (Cryptonychus) porrecius Gyllenhal.

Diagnosis

Cryptonychus (Cryptonychus) 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 frontal horn with keel and pits 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, with 4 distinct costae

Description

Elongate; subparallel; subdepressed; color reddish-brown with black markings; total length 6.0 to 17.0 mm, with iridescent sheen.

Head: short, wide; frontal horn large, with keel and pits; 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; with 4 distinct costae.

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

Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda.

World Fauna

Described species: 25 (Staines 2012). Key: Spaeth 1933a, 1936a.

Hosts

Carex (Cyperaceae); Oryza (Poaceae); Amomum, Aframomum (Zingiberaceae).

References

Gyllenhal, L. 1817. In: Schönherr, C. J. Synonymia insectorum, oder: Versuch einer Synonymie aller bisher bekannten Insecten; nach Fabricii Systema Eleutheratorum geordnet. Vol. 1, pt. 3. Stockholm. 506 pp.

Spaeth, F. 1933a. Studien über die Gattung Cryptonychus (Col. Chrys. Hisp.). Folia Zoologica et Hydrobiologica 5:1‑13.

Spaeth, F. 1936a. Ueber die Australasiathischen Cryptonychini. Temminckia 1:277-294.

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