Metaxycera Chevrolat 1836: 388

Synonomys

Metazycera Guérin-Méneville.

Metaxycera Baly 1864b: 255.

Cephalodonta (Metaxycera) Baly.

Type Species

Hispa trimaculata Olivier.

Diagnosis

Metazycera can be distinguished by the following combination of characters:

• body wedge-shaped
• the lateral margins of the 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 the elytra without long, stiff spines
• the head without a frontal horn
• the 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 a seta in each anterior angle, finely margined, without lateral teeth
• the apex of the elytra without a tooth-like projection
• the elytra with 10 rows of punctures for entire length and 4 regular costae, humerus angulate without spine or tooth
• the antennae thickened at apex, filiform, with 11-antennomeres
• leg with apical tarsomere bearing 2 claws
• anterior margin of prosternumprosternum:
  contains two anterior coxal cavities
  not expanding toward mouth
• abdominal sterna 1 and 2 with deep sulcus in middle

Description

Body wedge‑shaped, flat.

Head: clypeusclypeus:
usually quadrangular, elongate; joined to the labrum
transverse‑triangular, extending to base of antennaantenna:
3 to 11 segments, inserted in antennal pit in front of eyes
.

Antenna: with 11‑antennomeres, strongly filiform, apical 5 antennomeres thickened.

Pronotum: almost 2x as wide as long; lateral margin weakly rounded, finely margined.

Scutellum: wider than long, apex rounded.

Elytron: at humeri wider than 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
, gradually narrowing to apex; apex widely conjointly rounded; humerus angulate; with 10 rows of punctures plus scutellar row; 4 costae.

Venter: abdominal sterna 1 and 3 with deep sulcus in middle.

Distribution

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay.

World Fauna

Described species: 12 (Staines 2012). Key: none.

Hosts

Cecropia (Cecropiaceae).

References

Baly, J. S. 1864a. Descriptions of genera and species of Hispidae. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (3)14:261-271, 334-345.

Chevrolat, L. A. A. 1836. in P. F. M. A. Dejean, Catalogue des Coléoptères de la collection de M. le comte Dejean. Troisième edition, revue, corrigée et augmentée, livr. 5, pp. 385‑503. Mequignon-Marvis. Paris.

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