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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #394397
Research Project: Systematics of Beetles, Flies, Moths and Wasps with an Emphasis on Agricultural Pests, Invasive Species, Biological Control Agents, and Food Security

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

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

Author
item VAN ROIE, MARTIN - University Of Antwerp
item CLARK, S. - Brigham Young University
item Konstantinov, Alexander - Alex
item FURTH, DAVID - Smithsonian Institute
item LINZMEIER, A. - University Of Paranaense

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Biodiversity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2022
Publication Date: 1/4/2023
Citation: Van Roie, M., Clark, S., Konstantinov, A.S., Furth, D., Linzmeier, A.M. 2023. A paradox indeed: description of genitalia and clarification of the subtribal classification of Pachyonychis paradoxus Clark and Pachyonychus paradoxus Melsheimer (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini). Journal of Insect Biodiversity. 5227(1):127-136. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5227.1.6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5227.1.6

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 for properly classifies two genera of flea beetles and for the first time provides illustrations of morphological details of these beetles. The study will be useful to biological control workers, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and anyone interested in plant feeding beetles.

Technical Abstract: 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.