Phidodontina Uhmann 1938d: 442

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Phidodontina gedyei Uhmann.

Diagnosis

Phidodontina 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 11-antennomeres, antennomere 1 with long 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 anterior margin without spines
• tarsal claws fused at base, separate apically

Description

Body small; elongate; subparallel; subconvex; color black with blue metallic sheen; total length 4.2 mm.

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

Antenna: 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
; thick; with 11-antennomeres; antennomere 1 subincrassate, as long as 2 and 3 combined, with long spine; 2 transverse; 3 cylindrical, longer than 2; 4 subequal in length to 2; 5 to 6 shorter than 4; 7 slightly shorter than 3; 8 to 10 transverse; 11 short, pointed at apex.

Pronotum: obconic; lateral margin rounded, with 2 bifurcate spines plus a single spine (2+2+1); anterior angle angulate, with small tooth; anterior margin straight, without spines; posterior angle acute; posterior margin weakly bisinuate; surface punctate, each puncture with white seta, with longitudinal medial sulcus basally.

Scutellum: narrowly triangular.

Elytron: lateral margin straight, with stout spines; exterior apical angle and apical margin rounded, with slightly longer spines; humerus rounded, not produced; with 10 rows of punctures plus scutellar row, each puncture with white seta; disc with spines.

Leg: tibiatibia:
variable in length; joins femur and tarsus
emarginate apically; tarsal claws fused at base, separate apically.

Distribution

Kenya.

World Fauna

Described species: 1- Phidodontina gedyei Uhmann (Staines 2012).

Hosts

Unknown.

References

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. 1938d. Hispinen aus dem Britischen Museum.-II. Teil. 72. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Hispinen (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11)1:405-428.