Hispa Linnaeus 1767: 603

Synonomys

Hispella Chapuis 1875: 334 (not Linnaeus).

Type Species

Hispa atra Linnaeus.

Diagnosis

Hispa 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 with long, stiff spines
• antennae with antennomere 1 with long spine 2 to 6 each with shorter spine
• 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 branched spine with common base on each side
• tarsal claws not fused

Description

Small; subparallel; subconvex; color black; total length 2.7 to 4.5 mm.

Head: small; convex; vertexvertex:
occupies the area behind and between the eyes
punctate, with medial sulcus; eyeeye:
elongate, slightly prominent, multifaceted; usually slightly kidney-shaped
large, flattened.

Antenna: filiform; robust; reaches to base 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
; with 11-antennomeres; antennomeres 1 with long spine, 2 to 6 each with shorter spine, 1 incrassate; 2 short; 3 to 6 obconic; 8 to 10 transverse; 11 slightly longer than 10, pointed at apex.

Pronotum: transverse; lateral margin rounded, with 3 spines, a branched spine with a common base and a single spine (2+1) or 3 spines with a common base (3); anterior angle rounded; anterior margin curved, with branched spine on common base on each side; posterior angle acute; posterior margin bisinuate; surface rugose with white setae.

Scutellum: cordate.

Elytron: lateral margin straight, with long spines; exterior apical angle rounded, with long spines; apical margin rounded, with long spines; humerus rounded; with 8 rows of punctures plus scutellar row; non-costate; disc with long spines, setose.

Leg: short; robust; tibiatibia:
variable in length; joins femur and tarsus
straight, expanding apically; tarsal claws not fused.

Distribution

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Byelorussia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dalmatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macedonia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, Yugoslavia.

World Fauna

Described species: 7 (Staines 2012). Key: Weise 1893, 1897, 1905f; Maulik 1919; Uhmann 1949a; Gressitt 1950; Gressitt & Kimoto 1963a; Würmli 1976d; Chen et al. 1986; Kimoto 1999.

Hosts

Agrostis, Apropyrum, Calamagrostis, Centotheca, Coix, Dactylis, Dichanthium, Elymus, Elytrigia, Helictotrichon, Imperata, Ischaemum, Oryza, Panicum, Poa, Polytoca, Themeda, Triticum (Poaceae); Lantana (Verbenaceae).

References

Chapuis, F. 1875. in J. T. Lacordaire, Histoire naturelle des insectes. Genera des Coléoptères, Vol. 11, Famille des Phytophages, 420 pp. Encylopédique de Roret; Paris.

Chen, S. H., P. Y. Yu, C. H. Sun, C. H. T'an, & Y. Zia. 1986. Fauna Sinica (Insecta: Coleoptera: Hispidae). Science Press, Beijing. 653 pp.

Gressitt, J. L. 1950. The hispine beetles of China (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Lingnan Science Journal 23(1-2):53-142.

Gressitt, J. L. & S. Kimoto. 1963a. The Chrysomelidae (Coleopt.) of China and Korea. Part 2. Pacific Insects Monograph 1B:301‑1026.

Kimoto, S. 1999. Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. VI. Hispinae. Bulletin of the Institute of Comparative Studies of International Cultures and Societies 23: 59-159.

Linnaeus, C. 1767. Systema naturae. Vol. 1, pars 2. Holmiae. pp. 533-1327.

Maulik, S. 1919. Hispinae and Cassidinae of India, Burma and Ceylon. The fauna of British India. Taylor & Francis, London. 439 pp.

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

Uhmann, E. 1949a. Palaearktische Hispinae. 105. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Hispinae (Coleopt. Chrysom.). Koleopterologische Zeitschrift 1:3-12.

Weise, J. 1893. Chrysomelidae. In: W. F. Erichson (ed.), Naturgeschichte der Insecten Deutschlands. Coleoptera. VI. Berlin. 1161 pp.

Weise, J. 1897. Kritisches Verzeichnifs der von Mr. Andrews eingesandten Cassidinen und Hispinen aus Indien. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1897:97-150.

Weise, J. 1905f. Bemerkungen über Hispinen. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1905:317‑320.

Würmli, M. 1976d. Die Arten der Gattung Hispa Linné, 1767 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Hispinae). Entomologische Arbeiten aus dem Museum G. Frey 27:317-322.