Paola D'Alessandro

Afrotropical flea beetle genera: a key to their identification, updated catalogue and biogeographical analysis (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini).

Abstract A revision of the Alticini genera from the Afrotropical region is reported. The paper includes the following for the flea beetle fauna occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar: a key to their identification; habitus photos of all the genera; microscope and scanning electron micrographs of many diagnostic morphological characters; and an updated annotated catalogue with biogeographical notes that include new distributional data. The following new synonymies are proposed: Aphthona Chevrolat, 1836 = Ethiopia Scherer, 1972 syn. n.; Sanckia Duvivier, 1891 = Eugonotes Jacoby, 1897 syn. n.; Eurylegna Weise, 1910a = Eurylegniella Scherer, 1972 syn. n.; Kimongona Bechyné, 1959a = Mesocrepis Scherer, 1963 syn. n.; Diphaulacosoma Jacoby, 1892a = Neoderina Bechyné, 1952 syn. n.; Sesquiphaera Bechyné, 1958a = Paropsiderma Bechyné, 1958a syn. n.; Podagrica Chevrolat, 1836 = Podagricina Csiki in Heikertinger and Csiki 1940 syn. n.; Amphimela Chapuis, 1875 = Sphaerophysa Baly, 1876a syn. n. The following new combinations are proposed: Blepharida insignis Brancsik, 1897 = Xanthophysca insignis (Brancsik, 1897) comb. n.; Blepharida multiguttata Duvivier, 1891 = Xanthophysca multiguttata (Duvivier, 1891) comb. n.; Hemipyxis balyana (Csiki in Heikertinger and Csiki 1940) = Pseudadorium balyanum (Csiki in Heikertinger and Csiki, 1940) comb. n.; Hemipyxis brevicornis (Jacoby, 1892a) = Pseudadorium brevicornis (Jacoby, 1892a) comb. n.; Hemipyxis cyanea (Weise, 1910b) = Pseudadorium cyaneum (Weise, 1910b) comb. n.; Hemipyxis gynandromorpha Bechyné, 1958c = Pseudadorium gynandromorphum (Bechyné, 1958c) comb. n.; Hemipyxis latiuscula Bechyné, 1958c = Pseudadorium latiusculum (Bechyné, 1958c) comb. n.; Hemipyxis soror (Weise, 1910b) = Pseudadorium soror (Weise, 1910b) comb. n. The genera Buphonella Jacoby, 1903aand Halticopsis Fairmaire, 1883a are transferred to the tribe Galerucini; the genus Biodontocnema Biondi, 2000 stat. prom. is considered to be valid and reinstated at generic level. Finally, a zoogeographical analysis of the flea beetle fauna in the Afrotropical region is provided.

Endemism patterns in the Italian leaf beetle fauna (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

Abstract In this contribution the results of a zoogeographical analysis, carried out on the 123 endemic leaf beetle species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) occurring in Italy and its immediately adjacent regions, are reported. To assess the level of faunistic similarity among the different geographic regions studied, a cluster analysis was performed, based on the endemic component. This was done by calculating the Baroni Urbani & Buser’s similarity index (BUB). Finally, a parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) was used to identify the most important areas of endemism in Italy.

Jacobyana Maulik, an Oriental flea beetle genus new for the Afrotropical Region with description of three new species from Central and Southern Africa (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Alticinae).

Abstract An Orientalflea beetle genus Jacobyana Maulik, 1926 including 7 species from India, Nepal, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, is reported in the Afrotropical Region for the first time. It is represented there by three new species, Jacobyana bezdeki sp. n., Jacobyana centrafricana sp. n., and Jacobyana sudafricana sp. n. Micrographs of male and female genitalia, scanning electron micrographs of some diagnostic morphological characters, a key to identification and distributional data for the new species, are provided.

Revision of the Afrotropical genus Notomela Jacoby, 1899 with description of N. joliveti sp. n. from Principe Island (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

Abstract The Afrotropical flea beetle genus Notomela Jacoby, 1899 is reviewed. Notomela joliveti sp.n. from Principe Island is described. The following new synonymies are established: Notomela cyanipennis Jacoby, 1899 = Notomela viridipennis Bryant, 1941, syn. n. = Notomela cyanipennis macrosoma Bechyné, 1959, syn. n. In addition, the new combination is established: Notomela fulvofasciata Jacoby, 1903 is transfered to Amphimela [Amphimela fulvofasciata (Jacoby, 1903), comb. n.]. Micrographs of male and female genitalia, scanning electron micrographs of some diagnostic morphological characters, a key to identification, and distributional data for all species of Notomela, are provided.

Biodiversity and biogeography in Madagascar: revision of the endemic flea beetle genus Neodera Duvivier, 1891 with description of 19 new species (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)

A revision of the Malagasy flea beetle genus Neodera Duvivier is provided. This genus includes 31 species of which 19 are new to science: Neodera amplicollis sp.n., N. breviantennata sp.n., N. didiensis sp.n., N. diversitarsis sp.n., N. jenisi sp.n., N. kraussi sp.n., N. longicollis sp.n., N. marojejyensis sp.n., N. nigrotibialis sp.n., N. opaca sp.n., N. pauliani sp.n., N. perroti sp.n., N. peyrierasi sp.n., N. reducta sp.n., N. similvadoni sp.n., N. sogai sp.n., N. speronata sp.n., N. straminoides sp.n. and N. vadoni sp.n.. The following two synonymies are proposed: N. fraterna Duvivier = N. amarella Bechyné and N. fulva Jacoby = N. hilari Bechyné. In addition, neotypes for N. emarginata Duvivier and N. fraterna Duvivier, and lectotypes for N. fulva Jacoby, N. imitatrix Duvivier, N. madagassa (Harold), N. picticornis (Harold), N. transversicollis Jacoby and N. varicornis (Harold) are designated. Additionally, the revision comprises a key for the identification of all 31 species considered, some habitus photos, microscope and scanning electron micrographs of many diagnostic characters, including median lobe of aedeagus and spermatheca. A first phylogenetic analysis based on parsimony is also provided. It is used with distributional data to put forward hypotheses about the natural history of the taxon in the light of the species differentiation models proposed thus far for Madagascar.

Drakensbergianella rudebecki, New Genus and New Species from the Mountains of Southern Africa, and Taxonomic Observations on Gabonia Jacoby and Related Genera (Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Alticinae)

Abstract Drakensbergianella rudebecki, a new genus and new species of flea beetle (Chrysomelidae, Alticinae) found at high elevations from Southern Africa (Drakensberg mountains) is described. This new genus is closely related to the genus Gabonia Jacoby, 1893 but is easily distinguishable mainly by: the metasternum shorter than the length of the middle coxal cavities; the legs with femora and tibiae clearly elongate, especially the hind ones; the antennae generally longer than body in both sexes, especially in males; the metafemoral spring with inner side of the ventral lobe not angled; the metathoracic wings strongly reduced. Line drawings of male and female genitalia, metafemoral springs, and scanning electronic micrographs of particular morphological aspects of the taxa considered are provided. Finally, a brief discussion about Gabonia and related genera in the Afrotropical region with a key for the identification, is also reported. Moreover, the following new combination is proposed: Longitarsus ruandensis Weise, 1910 = Montiaphthona ruandensis Weise, 1910 n. comb.

The Afrotropical genus Afroaltica Biondi & D’Alessandro (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae): new data and description of a new species from Limpopo (Republic of South Africa)

Abstract A second flea-beetle species attributable to the South-African genus Afroaltica Biondi & D’Alessandro 2007, is here described: A. parvula n.sp. External habitus with scanning electronic micrographs and line drawings of some diagnostic morphological characteristics are reported. New localities for A. subaptera Biondi & D’Alessandro 2007, are also provided. Because of these new records, both new diagnostic characters and an update of the distribution of the genus Afroaltica are also supplied.

A revision of the South African Chaetocnema gahani species-group, with descriptions of four new flea beetle species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Abstract The Chaetocnema gahani species-group from Southern Africa is herein analyzed and revised. It includes C. gahani Jacoby 1897, C. brincki (Bechyné 1959), C. capeneri n. sp., C. danielssoni n. sp., C. sudafricana n. sp., and C. tuckeri n. sp. A key to all the species is presented. Line drawings of male and female genitalia and scanning electron micrographs of six diagnostic morphological characters are also included, along with ecological and zoogeographical data. Finally, discriminant analyses using the six morphological characters supports the close affinity of the six species within the C. gahani group.