A paradox indeed: description of genitalia and clarification of the subtribal classification of Pachyonychis paradoxus Clark and Pachyonychus paradoxus Melsheimer (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini).

Pachyonychis paradoxus Clark, 1860 and Pachyonychus paradoxus Melsheimer, 1847 are two species of Alticini whose strikingly similar names have led to significant confusion in the past. Recent study of American Oedionychina Chapuis, 1875 raised doubts about the validity of the subtribal placement of Pachyonychis Clark. Although general characteristics put this genus in Oedionychina, other features, especially the unusual shape of the pronotum, suggested that this monotypic genus would belong in Monoplatina Chapuis, 1875 instead. To collect evidence for the validity of its current placement, we compared external and genitalic morphology of both species to other members of Monoplatina and Oedionychina. Here we present images and descriptions of female genitalia for both species and male genitalia of Pachyonychus paradoxus Melsheimer, to our knowledge the first of their kind, and we conclude that the evidence supports the current subtribal placement of these two genera. Lectotypes are designated for both Pachyonychis paradoxus Clark and Pachyonychus paradoxus Melsheimer.

Discovery of the first leaf litter inhabiting flea beetles in Brazil (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae) with description of two new genera and three new species.

Two new genera of flea beetles are described and illustrated: Brasilplatus Oliveira, Linzmeier Konstantinov new genus, monotypic, type species B. bahianus Oliveira, Linzmeier Konstantinov new species, and Tupiniquim Linzmeier, Oliveira Konstantinov new genus, containing two species, T. pronotalis Linzmeier, Oliveira Konstantinov new species and T. confusa Linzmeier, Oliveira Konstantinov new species and type species of the genus. These are the first described genera of flea beetles inhabiting leaf litter in Brazil. Brasilplatus belongs to the subtribe Monoplatina and is compared to other Monoplatina genera known to occur in leaf litter or moss cushions: Andersonaltica Linzmeier Konstantinov, 2012, Apleuraltica Bechyn, 1956 and Ulrica Scherer, 1962. Tupiniquim is unique among New World flea beetles, it allies cannot be immediately identified. Here it is compared to several New World and Old World genera.

High turnover of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) species in semideciduous forest remnants in an agricultural landscape.

Differences in species composition between sites (ß diversity) may be the result of spatial species replacement (turnover) or nestedness (subgroups of species from a more diverse site). In fragmented landscapes, the environmental factors that lead to these differences may be spatially structured. Herein, our objective is to determine if the ß diversity of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) is due to turnover or nestedness and whether the observed pattern is due to loss of forest cover or spatial processes in forest remnants immersed in a matrix dominated by intense agricultural practice. We used an incidence matrix of 99 species sampled from 16 forest remnants and found that the difference in species composition among the fragments is mostly determined by turnover and that this variation is not explained by forest cover or spatial variables. In regions where high habitat loss has generated landscapes containing small and islated forest fragments, structural features, related both to habitat (area, isolation, shape, etc.) and landscape (land use, landscape heterogeneity, etc.) could predict diversity patterns.

Moss inhabiting flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) of the West Indies II: Menudos, a new genus from Puerto Rico and description of methods to collect moss inhabiting flea beetles.

Menudos Linzmeier Konstantinov, a new genus of moss inhabiting flea beetles, containing five species, three of them are new (M. illariosus, M. maricao, and M. toronegro-the type species of the genus), from Puerto Rico is described and illustrated. The new genus is compared to Aedmon Clark, Apleuraltica Bechyne, Andersonaltica Linzmeier Konstantinov, Distigmoptera Blake and Ulrica Scherer. Aedmon barberi (Blake, 1943b) and Distigmoptera chamorrae Konstantinov Konstantinova, 2011 are transferred to Menudos. A key to Menudos species identification is provided. Methods for collecting moss inhabiting flea beetles and other arthropods are described in detail for the first time.

Moss inhabiting flea beetles of the West Indies III: Erinaceialtica, a new genus from Hispaniola (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini).

Erinaceialtica Konstantinov & Linzmeier, a new genus of moss inhabiting flea beetles, containing seven species from the Dominican Republic and Haiti is described and illustrated. Five species are new (E. gabbysalazarae, E. janestanleyae, E. rickstanleyi (the type species), E. rileyi, and E. thomasi) and two species are transferred from Aedmon: A. albicincta (Blake) and A. hugonis (Blake) comb. nov. The new genus is compared to Aedmon Clark, Apleuraltica Bechyne, Andersonaltica Linzmeier & Konstantinov, Distigmoptera Blake, and Ulrica Scherer. Keys to Erinaceialtica and related genera and to Erinaceialtica species are provided.

Andersonoplatus, a new, remarkable leaf litter inhabiting genus of Monoplatina (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini).

Andersonoplatus, a new genus with 16 new species from Venezuela (A. andersoni, A. bechyneorum, A. castaneus, A. flavus, A. jolyi, A. laculata, A. lagunanegra, A. macubaji, A. merga, A. merida, A. microoculus, A. peck, A. rosalesi, A. sanare, A. saviniae) and Panama (A. baru), is described and illustrated. All the specimens were collected in leaf litter by R. Anderson and S. and J. Peck. Andersonoplatus is compared to Andersonaltica Linzmeier & Konstantinov, Apleuraltica Bechyne, Distigmoptera Blake and Ulrica Scherer.

On the taxonomy of the Brazilian flea beetle genus Miritius Bechyné & Bechyné (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini: Monoplatina) with description of two new species.

A taxonomic study was performed on the Brazilian genus Miritius Bechyné & Bechyné of Monoplatina, Alticini. Here Miritius and two of its species are redescribed and descriptions for another two new species were provided: Miritius abdominalis Morais & Linzmeier sp. nov. (Mato Grosso, Brazil) and Miritius claudius Morais & Linzmeier sp. nov. (Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil). For the first time characters of the male and female genitalia, illustrations and a key to the Miritius species are presented.

Review of the West Indian genus Monotalla Bechyné (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) with description of five new species.

The West Indian genus Monotalla Bechyné is reviewed, redescribed and illustrated. Five new species are added: Monotalladominica sp. n. (Dominica); Monotallalecticofolia sp. n. (St. Lucia); Monotallamaierae sp. n. (St. Lucia); Monotallaobrienorum sp. n. (Grenada); and Monotallaviridis sp. n. (St. Lucia). A key to Monotalla species is provided.

Body size of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera, Insecta) in areas with different levels of conservation in South Brazil.

Body size is correlated with many species traits such as morphology, physiology, life history and abundance as well; it is one of the most discussed topics in macroecological studies. The aim of this paper was to analyze the body size distribution of Chrysomelidae, caught with Malaise traps during two years in four areas with different levels of conservation in the Araucaria Forest, Paraná, Brazil, determining if body size is a good predictor of abundance, and if body size could be used to indicate environmental quality. Body size was considered the total length of the specimen from the anterior region of head to the apex of abdomen/elytron. Measurements were taken for up to ten specimens of each species for each area and for all specimens of those species represented by fewer than ten individuals. The highest abundance and richness of Chrysomelidae were obtained in the lowest body size classes. This herbivorous group showed a trend toward a decrease in body size with increasing abundance, but body size was not a good predictor of its abundance. There was a trend toward a decrease in body size from the less to the most conserved areas; however, the definition of a pattern in successional areas not seems to be entirely clear.