Pseudispa Chapuis 1875: 328

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Cephalodonta marginata Guérin-Méneville.

Diagnosis

Pseudispa can be distinguished by 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 lacking long, stiff spines
• the head lacking 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 lacking a tooth-like projection
• the elytra being costate with 4 costae
• the antennae having 11-antennomeres which are not thickened at apex, the apical four antennomeres being longer than the preceding
• the more or less flattened body
• the slender legs
• the sides of the elytra being almost vertical from costa 3

Description

Body elongate, slightly convex.

Head: small; medial sulcus present.

Antenna: with 11-antennomeres; 1 short; 2 elongate; 3 to 7 obconical, decreasing in length; 8 to 11 shorter than 1 to 7, cylindrical, thickened.

Pronotum: subparallel; anterior angle with seta; basal impression present; longitudinal medial sulcus present.

Elytron: oblong, parallel-sided, almost vertical from costa 3; lateral and apical margins smooth; humerus not pronounced; apex almost vertical, truncate; with 10 rows of regular punctures, secondary rows often present between intervals 2 and 4, short scutellar row present.

Distribution

Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, México, Panamá, Peru, and Venezuela.

World Fauna

Described species: 18 (Staines 2012). Key to species: Monrós & Viana 1947 (Argentina); Staines (2002)- Central America.

Hosts

Unknown.

References

Chapuis, F. 1875. In Lacordaire, J. T. Histoire naturelle des insectes. Genera des Coléoptères. Vol. 10. Paris. 455 pp.

Monrós, F. and M. J. Viana. 1947. Revisión sistemàtica de los Hispidae Argentinos (Insecta, Colep. Chrysomeloid.). Anales de Museo Argentino Ci Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" 42: 125‑324.

Staines, C. L. 2002. Nomenclatural notes and new species of Sceloenoplini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae). Zootaxa 89: 1-32.

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