Metacycla Baly, 1861

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 : 16

Genus Metacycla Baly, 1861

Metacycla Baly, 1861: 206 (type species Metacycla sallei Baly, 1861 , by original designation). Gastrogyna LeConte, 1865: 210 (type species Diabrotica insolita LeConte, 1861 , by monotypy).

Remarks

This genus includes eight described species, plus several undescribed species. See Fig. 49 for a habitus illustration. They occur in Mexico and Guatemala (also doubtfully recorded from Peru). Whereas the larvae of most Metacyclini are unknown, those of Metacycla are clearly leaf-feeders ( Andrews & Gilbert 2005). This suggests a closer relationship of Metacyclini with Galerucini (leaf-feeding larvae) than with Luperini (root-feeding larvae). It is noteworthy that, based on the morphology of Metacycla, Beenen (2013) advocated the synonymy of Metacyclini with Galerucini . Although Cneorane nigripes Allard, 1889 has most recently been classified in Scelida Chapuis, 1875 , examination of the male holotype (Museum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris) reveals that this species properly belongs in the genus Metacycla as comb. nov.

Figures

Figs 46–54. Dorsal views. 46. Hecataeus nigricollis Jacoby, 1888. 47. Nyctiplanctus? farri Blake, 1963. 48. Nyctiplanctus ferrugineus (Blake, 1963). 49. Metacycla sallei Baly, 1861. 50. Metalepta degandii Baly, 1961. 51. Zepherina defensa (Bechyné, 1956). 52. Zepherina trinidadensis (Weise, 1929). 53. Zepherina brevicollis (Weise, 1921). 54. Zepherina parvicollis Bechyné & Bechyné, 1976.