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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #373061
Research Project: Beetle Taxonomy and Systematics Supporting U.S. Agriculture, Arboriculture and Biological Control

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: 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

Author
item LINZMEIER, A. - Federal University Of Parana Polytechnic Center
item Konstantinov, Alexander - Alex

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/5/2020
Publication Date: 5/29/2020
Citation: Linzmeier, A.M., Konstantinov, A.S. 2020. 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. Zootaxa. 4786(1):1-22.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4786.1.1

Interpretive Summary: Leaf beetles, especially flea beetles, are among the most important insects for U.S. agriculture. Many are serious pests and feed on crops destroying valuable plants costing millions of dollars annually. Others are important biological control agents that can be used to control unwanted and invasive weeds. This work documents a discovery of a new genus and three flea beetle species previously unknown to science in Puerto Rico. The genus and species are described, illustrated and compared to known species of the appropriate genera. The study will be useful to biological control workers, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and anyone interested in plant feeding beetles.

Technical Abstract: 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. Hadropoda barberi (Blake, 1943b). Aedmon barberi (Blake, 1943b) and Distigmoptera chamorrae Konstantinov and 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 details for the first time