Microrhopala Chevrolat 1836: 389

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Hispa vittata Fabricius.

Diagnosis

Microrhopala can be distinguished by the following combination of characters:

• 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
• the apex of the elytra without a tooth-like projection
• the elytra with 8 rows of punctures for entire length plus short scutellar row, with 3 weak costae
• the antennae thickened at apex, not clavate, with 8-antennomeres
• the prosternumprosternum:
  contains two anterior coxal cavities
  does not expand anteriorly to partly cover the mouth

Description

Head: subglobular; vertexvertex:
occupies the area behind and between the eyes
impressed, impression bordered on each side by longitudinal row of punctures; medial sulcus present; fronsfrons:
upper anterior portion of head capsule above the clypeus
not projecting; area surrounding eyeeye:
elongate, slightly prominent, multifaceted; usually slightly kidney-shaped
punctate.

Antenna: reaching beyond 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 8-antennomeres; antennomeres 7 and 8 wider and more pubescent than preceding.

Pronotum: longer than wide, widest posteriorly, often narrowed anteriorly, narrower than elytra at humeri; convex; anterior margin straight, lateral margin straight, arcuate, sinuate or bisinuate, posterior margin bisinuate; punctation usually dense; a slender, usually slightly elevated strip lacking coarse punctures present in front of scutellumscutellum:
sclerotized portion of the mesonotum, visible between elytral bases; usually more or less triangular, pentagonal, or quadrate
.

Elytron: longer than wide; usually slightly narrowed behind humerus; with 8 rows of punctures plus a scutellar row; rows 1 and 2 extending to apex, 8 and 9 separate or sometimes confused apically, extending to near suture where they unite with 1 and 2; intervals 1 and 9 and also 3 and 7 uniting apically; interval 9 strongly elevated.

Venter: prosternumprosternum:
contains two anterior coxal cavities
margined anteriorly by row of short setae; abdomenabdomen:
with five visible sternites
sparsely punctate and pubescent, apical sternite more coarsely punctate and often more pubescent than preceding sterna.

Distribution

Belize, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, México, Nicaragua, United States.

World Fauna

Described species: 17 (Staines 2012). Key: McCauley 1938; Clark 1983; Staines 2006b.

Hosts

Ambrosia, Aster, Balsamorhiza, Boltonia, Doellingeria, Encelia, Euthamia, Haplopappus, Helianthus, Heterotheca, Isocoma, Pityopsis, Seriocarpus, Silphium, Solidago, Symphtotrichum (Asteraceae); Salvia (Lamiaceae); Marsypianthes (Labiatae).

References

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.

Clark, S. M. 1983. A revision of the genus Microrhopala (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in America north of Mexico. Great Basin Naturalist 43:597‑618.

McCauley, R. H. 1938. A revision of the genus Microrhopala in America north of Mexico. Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 33:145-168.

Staines, C. L. 2006b. The hispine beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) of America north of Mexico. VirginiaMuseum of Natural History Special Publication Number 13. 178 pp.

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