Rhabdotohispa Maulik 1913: 239

Synonomys

None.

Type Species

Rhabdotohispa scotti Maulik.

Diagnosis

Rhabdotohispa 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 without frontal horn between antennae
• 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 seta in each angle, flattened, never constricted basally, lateral margin narrowly margined, anterior margin not projecting over head
• anterior margin of prosternumprosternum:
  contains two anterior coxal cavities
  not projecting forward, not partly covering mouth
• less than 14 mm in length
• antennae with 6-antennomeres, apical antennomeres with U-shaped pits on lower surface
• elytra with longitudinal and transverse carinae forming an irregular net-like sculpture

Description

Elongate; subparallel; surface rugose; black with yellowish markings; length 3.7 to 4.3 mm.

Head: large; with small, blunt projection between antennal bases; mandible subtriangular; maxillary palps with palpomeres 1 to 3 short, transverse, 4 incrassate, rounded at apex, as long and 1 to 3 combined; eyeeye:
elongate, slightly prominent, multifaceted; usually slightly kidney-shaped
strongly convex.

Antenna: short, does not reach 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
; thickened apically; with 6-antennomeres; antennomere 1 short, slightly incrassate; 2 longer than 1, slightly incrassate; 3 to 5 subequal in length, subcylindrical; 6 longest, in male as long as 3 to 5 combined, in female as long as 4 and 5 combined, broadly rounded at apex, with U-shaped pits on lower surface.

Pronotum: much narrower than base of elytra; longer than wide; lateral margin rounded, not margined; anterior angle rounded; anterior margin straight; posterior angle acute; posterior margin bisinuate; surface irregularly, coarsely punctate, longitudinal line impunctate medially.

Scutellum: shield-shaped; broadly rounded at apex.

Elytron: lateral margin straight, smooth; exterior apical angle rounded; apex rounded; sutural angle without tooth; humerus rounded, not produced; slightly constricted behind humerus; with 10 rows of punctures; interspaces 2, 4, and 6 carinate, transverse carinae present forming an irregular net-like sculpture.

Venter: finely, sparsely punctate.

Leg: short.

Distribution

Seychelles.

World Fauna

Described species: 1- Rhabdotohispa scotti Maulik (Staines 2012).

Hosts

Roscheria, Stevensonia, Phoenicophorium (Arecaceae).

References

Maulik, S. 1913. The Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905, under the leadership of Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, M.A. Vol. 5. Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae: Hispinae of the Seychelles. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 16:237-242.

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