Elevating Omophoita octoguttata elytralis Bechyné, 1956 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) to species

An updated morphological description for Omophoita elytralis (Bechyné, 1956), stat. nov., is presented, including the first account of the genitalia for this species. The separation Omophoita elytralis from O. octoguttata (Fabricius, 1775) is supported by differences found in the median lobe of males, elytral tegument uniform in color (not patterned), and their allopatric geographical distribution.

First species of Laselva Furth from Brazil (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini)

Laselva cleidae sp. nov., the first species of LaselvaFurth, 2007 found in Brazil is described and illustrated. Species of Laselva are compared with those of DeciplatusLinzmeier & Konstantinov, 2009 and AndersonalticaLinzmeier & Konstantinov, 2012. This is the first species of Laselva recorded to South America.(AU)

First species of Laselva Furth from Brazil (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini)

Laselva cleidae sp. nov., the first species of LaselvaFurth, 2007 found in Brazil is described and illustrated. Species of Laselva are compared with those of DeciplatusLinzmeier & Konstantinov, 2009 and AndersonalticaLinzmeier & Konstantinov, 2012. This is the first species of Laselva recorded to South America.

First species of Laselva Furth from Brazil (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini)

Abstract Laselva cleidae sp. nov., the first species of LaselvaFurth, 2007 found in Brazil is described and illustrated. Species of Laselva are compared with those of DeciplatusLinzmeier & Konstantinov, 2009 and AndersonalticaLinzmeier & Konstantinov, 2012. This is the first species of Laselva recorded to South America.

Recent advances in the knowledge of Mexican Alticinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae).

The present study updates previously published biodiversity/faunistics of the flea beetles of Mexico published by the author after examination of 6132 specimens from 8 institutional collections. The following 9 genera were selected as indicators of the effects of known diversity only through examination of museum specimens (i.e., "indoor collecting"): Alagoasa Bechyné; Asphaera Chevrolat; Capraita Bechyné; Disonycha Chevrolat; Kuschelina Bechyné; Omophoita Chevrolat; Prasona Baly; Systena Chevrolat; and Walterianella Bechyné. From the specimens examined in these genera from the 8 collections, there were 394 new records for Mexican states of the 287 new species records representing 47% new records of the species recorded from those states. Total new state records 287 from 80 species. States with most new records: Chiapas (32); Nayarit (27); Sinaloa (24). 80 spp. (47%) with new state records. Systena oberthuri Baly is reported from Mexico for the first time. The current total of Alticinae in Mexico is 90 genera/626 species. The difficulties of the generic boundaries between Systena and Prasona, Alagoasa and Kuschelina; as well as the specific boundaries between A. jacobiana and A. decemguttatus and the specific level pattern variation in Disonycha glabrata and Alagoasa decemguttatus are discussed. Kuschelina semipurpurea, formerly placed in Alagoasa, is placed is considered as a new combination.

Possible living fossil in Bolivia: A new genus of flea beetles with modified hind legs (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini).

A new genus (Chanealtica) with three new species (Chanealtica cuevas, Chanealtica ellimon, and Chanealtica maxi) from Bolivia is described and illustrated. It is compared with Aphthonoides Jacoby, 1885, Argopistes Motschulsky, 1860, Metroserrapha Bechyne, 1958, Psylliodes Berthold, 1827 and Psyllototus Nadein, 2010. Remarkably, based on the available characters, among all the flea beetles, Chanealtica is mostly similar to an extinct genus Psyllototus. A discussion of diversity and function of the hind leg in flea beetles is provided.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of Alticini (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in a fragment of Araucaria Forest in the state of Parana, Brazil / Dinâmica espaço-temporal de Alticini (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) em um fragmento de Floresta com Araucária no Paraná, Brasil

Alticini fauna from five areas, two with different types of management (Borda and Araucaria) and three with different levels of conservation (Fase 1, Fase 2 and Fase 3), in the Araucaria Forest of the Parana was captured with malaise traps. The material was collected weekly, from September/1999 to August/2001, in the Parque Estadual of Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa. 1,891 individuals of 106 Alticini species were collected with only seven species common to all areas. Despite the proximity between sampling areas, the number of species shared between pairs of areas was low, not reaching 40 percent, with the Araucaria and Fase 1 areas being the most similar. The community structure of the areas Fase 1 and Fase 2 were most related. Fase 1, in initial stage of succession, showed the largert variation in the abundance and richness from one year to another.

A fauna de Alticini foi inventariada em cinco áreas, duas com diferentes tipos de manejo (Borda e Araucária) e três em diferentes níveis de conservação (Fase 1, Fase 2 e Fase 3), na Floresta com Araucária do Paraná. Os insetos foram coletados semanalmente, com o uso de armadilha malaise, de setembro/1999 a agosto/2001. No total foram coletados 1.891 exemplares de Alticini pertencentes a 106 espécies das quais apenas sete foram comuns a todas as áreas. Apesar da proximidade entre as áreas o número de espécies compartilhadas foi baixo, não atingindo 40 por cento, com as áreas Araucária e Fase 1 sendo as mais similares. A estrutura das comunidades das áreas Fase 1 e Fase 2 mostraramse mais relacionadas. A área Fase 1, em estágio inicial de sucessão, apresentou a maior variação, tanto na abundância quanto na riqueza, de um ano para outro.