Monolepta Chevrolat, 1836

Viswajyothi, Keezhpattillam & Clark, Shawn M., 2022, New World genera of Galerucinae Latreille, 1802 (tribes Galerucini Latreille, 1802, Metacyclini Chapuis, 1875, and Luperini Gistel, 1848): an annotated list and identification key (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 842, pp. 1-102 : 37

Genus Monolepta Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836

Monolepta Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836: 383 (type species Crioceris bioculata Fabricius, 1781 , by subsequent designation of Chevrolat 1845).

Damais Jacoby, 1903: 118 (type species Damais humeralis Jacoby, 1903 , by monotypy).

Chimporia Laboissière, 1931: 413 (type species Chimporia monardi Laboissière, 1931 , by original designation).

Aemulaphthona Scherer, 1969: 89 (type species Aphthona ochracea Weise, 1922 , by original designation).

Remarks

Wilcox (1973) listed 19 New World species for this genus, distributed from Mexico to Panama. However, similar to the situation with Luperodes and Metrioidea , future taxonomic study may eventually show that true Monolepta does not occur in the New World . The genus was originally named from Africa. Wagner (2007) re-described the type species of Monolepta and made some notes on the Afrotropical fauna. The New World species currently included in the genus are hardly distinguishable from those currently in Lilophaea , Luperodes , and Metrioidea . The genus Monolepta is sometimes reported to differ from the others by having closed anterior coxal cavities, and this character is employed in the key below. Even so, the character is not very useful for the New World fauna. Many of the current generic placements are not correlated with this character. Moreover, some species appear to have open cavities in some individuals and closed cavities in others. This variability may be true in some instances. However, in other instances the apparent difference may be a result of the flimsy nature of the very thin strip of sclerotized cuticle behind the coxae. Possibly, the strip is sometimes present, but withdrawn into the thorax, such that the coxal cavities appear to be open. See Fig. 142 for a habitus illustration of one of the New World species currently included in Monolepta .

Figures

Figs 136–143. Dorsal views. 136. Triariodes vittipennis (Horn, 1893). 137. Pteleon brevicornis (Jacoby, 1887). 138. Eusattodera pini Schaeffer, 1906. 139. Metrioidea ocularis (Blake, 1942). 140. Halinella malachioides Bechyné, 1956. 141. Luperodes nigricornis Jacoby, 1888. 142. Monolepta violacea Jacoby, 1888. 143. Lilophaea brasiliensis (Jacoby, 1888).