Genus Vol. 17(4): 545-560 Wroc³aw, 28 XII 2006 Cassida inopinata, a new species from Italy and Balkan Region (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) DAVIDE SASSI 1 & LECH BOROWIEC 2 1 Via San Rocco 17, 22030 Castelmarte, Italy, e-mail: davide.sassi@tele2.it 2 Zoological Institute, University of Wroc³aw, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wroc³aw, Poland, e-mail: cassidae@biol.uni.wroc.pl ABSTRACT. Cassida inopinata is described from Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, and Greece. It belongs to the Cassida vibex group, characterised by green elytra with a large median, reddish, longitudinal stripe. Phylogenetic and biogeographic remarks on C. vibex group of species are given. Cassida veselyi GÜNTHER, 1958 is synonymised with Cassida pusilla WALTL, 1839. Key words: entomology, taxonomy, new species, new synonymy, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae, Cassida, Italy, Balkans, phylogenetic remarks, biogeographic remarks. From Europe (including Caucasus, Cyprus, Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia) 68 species of the tribe Cassidini have been recorded hitherto (AUDISIO 2004; SEKERKA 2005, 2006), 58 of them belonging to the genus Cassida Linnaeus, 1758. One species, Cassida veselyi GÜNTHER, 1958, according to the type series pre- served in Prague Museum, and studied by junior author, is a junior synonym of Cassida pusilla WALTL, 1839, new synonymy. Moreover, two subspecies, both occurring in the eastern part of Europe, have been described for C. sanguinolenta MÜLLER, 1776 and C. margaritacea SCHALLER, 1783, but their taxonomical status needs revision. Most taxonomic studies on Cassidinae, including European, based only on external morphology and feeding preferences, ignored morphology of genitalia. Structure of both male and female genitalia in many groups of cassids is very