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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #336466
Research Project: Beetle Taxonomy and Systematics Supporting U.S. Agriculture, Arboriculture and Biological Control

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Myrmeconycha new genus: the first myrmecophilous flea beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini)

Author
item Konstantinov, Alexander - Alex
item TISHECHKIN, A. - Kerala Agricultural University

Submitted to: Insecta Mundi
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/13/2017
Publication Date: 2/7/2017
Citation: Konstantinov, A.S., Tishechkin, A.K. 2017. Myrmeconycha new genus: the first myrmecophilous flea beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini). Insecta Mundi. 0525:1-13.

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 describes a new genus and four new species from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama providing key characters, description, and illustrations. This study will be useful to biological control workers, taxonomists, ecologists, and anyone interested in plant feeding beetles.

Technical Abstract: The first myrmecophilous flea beetle genus (Myrmeconycha) with four new species (M. erwini – Ecuador, M. gordoni - Brazil, M. pakaluki - Panama and M. pheidole - Costa Rica) is described and illustrated. It is compared with Disonychine flea beetles and may be easily differentiated based on the external and internal features, which include waxy surface of the head and pronotum, reticulated surface of pronotum and 4 longitudinal ridges on elytra.