Jolanta Świętojańska

Detailed description of the immature stages and supplementary data on variation of dorsal pattern of adults of Poecilaspidella proxima (Boheman, 1850)—a species new to Argentinian fauna (prov. Buenos Aires)—is presented, along with some biological notes. Additionally, a commentary on the systematic position of the genus Poecillaspidella, based on studies of immature stages, is given.

Immature stages of Cassida japana Baly, 1874 and Cassida piperata Hope, 1842 are described and illustrated in detail for the first time and compared to each other. The analysis of the morphological body structure of the preimaginal stages of the studied species revealed subtle characteristics distinguishing C. japana from C. piperata, confirming their species status. This was further supported by DNA barcode data and host plant specificity.

Two new for science species of the genus Thlaspidula Spaeth, 1901 are described and illustrated from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Thlaspidula gandangdewata, sp. nov. is described based on specimens collected from Mount Gandangdewata whereas Thlaspidula sarinoi, sp. nov. on material from Mount Torompupu. Photographs of the habitus and illustrations of diagnostic characters are presented. Key to all members of the genus Thlaspidula is given.

Lech Borowiec’s collection of tortoise beetles, recently stored in the Museum of Natural History, University of Wrocław is reviewed in detail. The collection contains 21 292 specimens of 2 491 species, including 229 primary types and 979 secondary types (paratypes, syntypes, paralectotypes). Additionally, a complete list of 202 papers on Cassidinae published by Prof. Lech Borowiec, a list of publications written by other authors with descriptions of new species whose descriptive types are deposited in the collection of Lech Borowiec, and a checklist of all taxa described by Prof. Lech Borowiec are given.

The immature stages of Hybosa acutangula Spaeth, 1913, member of the tribe Cassidini Gyllenhal, 1813, are described in detail and compared with other members of Cassidini and Ischyrosonychini Chapuis, 1875 species. The eggs, oothecae and first instar larvae are described for the first time. The morphology of the immatures of H. acutangula, unusual for the species of the Cassidini tribe, was the impulse that initiated the research. The result of the comparative analysis is the conclusion that the morphological features of the immature stages of H. acutangula are a mixture of characters observed in representatives of the Cassidini and Ischyrosonychini tribes. The similarity to Ischyrosonychini may only be convergence, but it cannot be ruled out that there is a separate phylogenetic lineage within Cassidini, represented by H. acutangula. Verification of this hypothesis requires further research.

A new species Paraselenis (Spaethiechoma) convolvuli is described from Argentina (prov. Buenos Aires). The first detailed description of immature stages within the subgenus Spaethiechoma is given with some biological notes.

Immature stages of Cassida koreana Borowiec et Cho, 2011 are described in detail for the first time and compared with its closely related species, C. vespertina Boheman, 1862. Line drawings, chaetotaxy, live photographs, and SEM photos of morphological details are provided.

The genus Cassida Linnaeus, 1758 is revised and 103 species are recognized as valid, all distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa and the south-western part of the Arabian Peninsula. Twenty-four species are described as new: Cassida bamendana sp. nov. (Cameroon), Cassida benaadirensis sp. nov. (Ethiopia and Somalia), Cassida elgonensis sp. nov. (Kenya), Cassida emontinensis sp. nov. (South Africa), Cassida garambana sp. nov. (Democratic Republic of Congo), Cassida heroni sp. nov. (Mozambique and South Africa), Cassida kantnerorum sp. nov. (Malawi), Cassida leleupi sp. nov. (Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda), Cassida minutissima sp. nov. (Somalia), Cassida nigeriana sp. nov. (Nigeria), Cassida oromiaensis sp. nov. (Ethiopia), Cassida overlaeti sp. nov. (Democratic Republic of Congo), Cassida oxylepiformis sp. nov. (South Africa), Cassida rabaiensis sp. nov. (Kenya), Cassida rogozinskii sp. nov. (Cameroon), Cassida satanas sp. nov. (Uganda), Cassida senegalensis sp. nov. (Senegal), Cassida shimba sp. nov. (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa), Cassida sparteiformis sp. nov. (Angola), Cassida stipidosa sp. nov. (Ethiopia), Cassida villersi sp. nov. (Burkina Faso and Niger), Cassida voiensis sp. nov. (Kenya), Cassida wanati sp. nov. (South Africa), and Cassida wittmeri sp. nov. (South Africa). The following new synonyms are proposed: Cassida callosicollis Spaeth, 1926 = Cassida magilensis Spaeth, 1926 syn. nov.; Cassida eluta Boheman, 1862 = Cassida cherenica Spaeth, 1917 syn. nov.; Cassida lacrymosa Boheman, 1854 = Cassida trepidula Spaeth, 1932 syn. nov.; Cassida praetimida Spaeth, 1912 = Cassida chapuisi Spaeth, 1912 syn. nov.; Cassida troglodytes Boheman, 1834 = Cassida impompalis Spaeth, 1924 syn. nov. = Cassida lueboensis Spaeth, 1932 syn. nov. Cassida setosa Chapuis, 1880 is a valid species and removed from synonymy with Cassida innotata Boheman, 1854. Colour photos, including intraspecific variablity, a key to species and maps of distribution are given.

Immature stages of Cassida pfefferi Sekerka, 2006 from Cyprus are described and illustrated for the first time and compared with immatures of closely related species Cassida nobilis Linnaeus, 1758 and Cassida vittata Villers, 1789. Detailed descriptions of mature larvae and pupae of C. nobilis and C. vittata are also given. Analysis of the morphological body structure of the preimaginal stages of the studied species reveals subtle characters distinguishing C. pfefferi from other species of C. nobilis groups and confirms its species status.

New Caledonian members of the tribe Cryptonychini are revised. The tribe is represented by eigth genera and 23 species, all but one endemic to New Caledonia. A new genera Paratorquispa gen. nov. and Wanatispa gen. nov. are proposed, and 11 species are described as new: Brontispa caledonica sp. nov., Caledonispa bivittata sp. nov., Caledonispa panieensis sp. nov., Caledonispa spinosa sp. nov., Isopedhispa costata sp. nov., Isopedhispa latemarginata sp. nov., Teretrispa daccordii sp. nov., Teretrispa longicollis sp. nov., Torquispa convexifrons sp. nov., Wanatispa cylindricollis sp. nov., and Wanatispa rutai sp. nov. Torquispa caledoniae Uhmann, 1954 is transferred to the genus Paratorquispa, comb. nov. Each taxon is provided with a detailed description, set of figures and studied material. Keys to all taxa are proposed.