Mniophilosoma, WOLLASTON, 1854

Damaška, Albert František, Konstantinov, Alexander & Fikáček, Martin, 2022, Multiple origins of moss-inhabiting flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): molecular phylogeny, overview of genera and a new genus from Africa, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 196, pp. 647-676 : 666

MNIOPHILOSOMA WOLLASTON, 1854

( FIG. 6 )

Type species: Mniophilosoma laeve Wollaston, 1854 .

Synonymy: No generic synonyms.

Phylogenetic position: The phylogenetic placement of Mniophilosoma has not been sufficiently resolved in our analysis; with a low support, it was revealed as a member of the Aphthonine–Chabrine clade.

Diversity and distribution: The two known species of the genus are distributed in the Macaronesian islands of the Azores and Madeira. These species are similar and differ mostly in morphological details in elytral microsculpture and genitalia. Gillerfors (1986)

proposed a hypothesis that the two species are closely related.

Revisions: The genus contains two species only and was never revised. Diagnoses of both species were provided by ( Gillerfors, 1986).

Morphological characteristics: Body small, around 1.5–2.0 mm long, elliptical in dorsal view, convex in lateral view. Body surfaces darkened or black with metallic lustre. Head nearly hypognathous, frontal calli well developed. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, pale yellowish. Apical antennomeres tending to form a slightly developed antennal club. Pronotum convex, lacking any grooves or impression, impunctate. Procoxal cavities open posteriorly. Posterior process of proventrite process strongly punctated. Elytra convex, sparsely punctate or microsculptured. Wings and humeral calli not developed. Legs pale, metafemora not strongly widened. Aedeagus long and parallelsided, spermathecal duct without coils.

Ecology: The species are enigmatic and only a few papers comment on their biology. In the Azores, Mniophilosoma obscurum Gillerfors, 1986 was collected from Sphagnum L. moss cushions under Ericaceae shrubs ( Gillerfors, 1986). The Madeiran species, M. laeve , inhabits moss cushions in wet subtropical laurisilva forests typical for Macaronesia ( Prada et al., 2009). Mniophilosoma laeve is a common species in Madeira and can be easily collected. Interestingly, the beetles are slow in their movement and are almost unable to jump (DamaŠka, personal observation).

Remarks: The genus is somewhat similar to the European Mniophila , from which it was diagnosed above.

Figures

Figure 6. Moss-inhabiting flea beetle genera distributed in Europe. A, Minota obesa; B, Mniophila muscorum; C, Mniophilosoma laeve.