Systematic studies on hispine cassidinae coleoptera, chrysomelidae of southern India

Abstract

a speciose clade in the subfamily Cassidinae of the Chrysomelidae. They make up half of the Cassidinae, with 2980 described species under 170 genera worldwide, and form 8% of the total chrysomelid diversity. Being phytophagous during both larval and adult stages, and having leaf-mining larvae, some of them are noxious pests of economically important plants. Despite their economic importance and diversity, the Indian hispine Cassidinae are poorly studied, with several species still awaiting discovery, and none of the Indian museums have an authentically identified collection of this group. This necessitated a comprehensive study to revise their systematics and prepare illustrated keys for precise identification. The present study was aimed at collection of hispine Cassidinae from various ecosystems in southern India, with special emphasis on recording host plants, description of new species encountered during the study, and reviewing their systematics. This study has resulted in a comprehensive review of the systematics of 102 species of hispine Cassidinae. Seventy nine species belonging to 22 genera were studied, resulting in 18 putative new species, three of which have already been published in reputed journals. The study recorded the presence of the genus Bothryonopa and two species, Dactylispa anula and Downesia insignis, for the first time in south India. Illustrated keys and diagnoses of all the tribes and genera of south India, as well as keys to the species of all genera, species diagnoses, and distributions of all the studied species are provided. Endophallic sclerites in Wallacea and Oncocephala, as well as tignum in Platypria were used in species delimitation. The following nomenclatural changes are proposed: Callispa violaceicornis Pic, 1937 n. syn. = Amblispa laevigata (Guérin-Méneville, 1844); Callispa maindroni (Pic, 1943) n. syn. = Callispa nigronotata (Pic, 1943) n. syn. = Callispa octopunctata sexmaculata Weise, 1905 = Callispa sexmaculata Weise, 1905 n. stat.; Agonita nigricornis Gestro, 1911 n. syn. = Agonita fallax Gestro, 1911; Downesia linkei Uhmann, 1963 n. syn. = Downesia kanarensis Weise, 1897; and Gonophora donckieri Pic, 1930 n. syn. = Gonophora brevicornis Weise, 1905. The study also proposed the resurrection of the species status of Dactylispa filiola Weise, 1897 status restored, from the synonymy of Dactylispa feae (Gestro, 1888); Dactylispa krishna Maulik, 1919 status restored, from the synonymy of Dactylispa spinipes Weise, 1905, and of Hispa andrewesi (Weise, 1897)ombination, Chaeridiona crassicornis (Gestro, 1909) new comb., is proposed for Prionispa crassicornis Gestro, 1909. The host plants of 49 species belonging to 16 genera were recorded for the first time, besides additional host plants for 13 species in ten genera. The study resulted in the creation of a well-curated and authentically identified collection of south Indian hispine Cassidinae, which forms the basis of further ecological and taxonomic studies. status restored from the synonymy of Hispa ramosa Gyllenhal, 1817. A new combination, Chaeridiona crassicornis (Gestro, 1909) new comb. is proposed for Prionispa crassicornis Gestro, 1909. The host plants of 49 species belonging to 16 genera were recorded for the first time, besides additional host plants for 13 species in ten genera. The study resulted in the creation of a well-curated and authentically identified collection of south Indian hispine Cassidinae, which forms the basis of further ecological and taxonomic studies.