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Palmispa Gressitt 1960a: 9

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Palmispa parallela Gressitt.

Diagnosis

Palmispa 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 wide frontal horn between antennae, with small lamina visible from above under antennal base
  • antennomere 1 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 anterior angles rounded, each anterior angle with seta
  • elytra with 8 rows of punctures plus scutellar row basally, 10 rows apically
  • prosternum prosternum:
    contains two anterior coxal cavities
    with anterior margin not expanding forward

Description

Body elongate, narrow; subparallel; subdepressed; color black with some brown; total length 4.6 to 4.7 mm.

Head: longer than wide, narrowing anteriorly; with broad flat plate visible from above between antennal bases; frontal horn wide.

Antenna: filiform; about ½ body length; with 11-antennomeres; antennomere 1 incrassate.

Pronotum: subquadrate; lateral margin weakly rounded; anterior angle rounded, with seta; anterior margin slightly curved; posterior angle rounded; posterior margin bisinuate; surface deeply punctate.

Scutellum: cordate.

Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth; exterior apical angle rounded; apical margin rounded; humerus weakly angulate; with 8 rows of punctures plus scutellar row basally, 10 rows apically; non-costate.

Venter: prosternumprosternum:
contains two anterior coxal cavities
with anterior margin not expanding forward.

Leg: short; robust.

Distribution

New Guinea.

World Fauna

Described species: 2 (Staines 2012). Key: Gressitt 1960a.

Hosts

Calamus (Areceae); Korthalsia (Arecaceae)

References

Gressitt, J. L. 1960a. Papuan-West Polynesian hispine beetles (Chrysomelidae). Pacific Insects 2:1-90.

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

Palmispa habitus.

Palmispa habitus.