Revision of the genusMenippusClark in Australia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)

Abstract

The genus Menippus is revised for Australia, with six species, three of which are new: M. cynicus Clark, M. darcyi sp. nov., M. ewani sp. nov., M. fugitivus (Lea), M. sufi sp. nov. and M. yulensis (Jacoby) comb. nov. (from Diorhabda Weise). Menippus yulensis was described from New Guinea. This species and M. darcyi were formerly confused in Australia with M. fugitivus, which is now considered endemic to Lord Howe Island. The species formerly considered M. fugitivus and protected under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, New South Wales, is now named M. darcyi. A key is provided for the Australian species of Menippus and a lectotype designated for M. yulensis. The composition of Menippus is discussed and three non-Australian species are transferred to this genus: M. inconspicua (Jacoby) comb. nov. (from Diorhabda Weise); M. laterimaculata (Jacoby) comb. nov.; and M. marginipennis (Jacoby) comb. nov. (from Galerucella Crotch). A revised checklist of Menippus species is given. The recorded foodplants of Menippus are species of Celtis (Ulmaceae). SYSTEMATICS Menippus ClarkType species. Menippus cynicus Clark, by monotypy. Description. Length: 4.5-12 mm. Colour. Pale brown to dark brown (note that this background colour is yellow or green in live specimens of at least three species), with or without darker areas on head, pronotum, legs, venter. Sculpture. Dorsum entirely densely pubescent, except anterior and median ridges of frontoclypeus, the setae short and recumbent, with additional scattered erect setae on elytra; venter with dense recumbent setae, except hypomeron, sides of prosternum, and midline of metaventrite glabrous. Head. Densely punctured posterior to antennae; postantennal tubercles weakly to strongly demarkated, with triangular anterior margins and distinct or obliterated posterior margins; interantennal space broad and longitudinally ridged, joining transverse anterior frontoclypeal ridge, the resultant inverse T-shape glabrous and impunctate, contrasting with adjacent areas; antennal sockets close to margin of eyes and situated between anterior half of eyes, separated by 1-2 socket-diameters; eyes prominent, evenly convex, separated by 2-2.5¥ width of eye (eyes smaller in females); gena short, minimum length <0.2¥ length of eye; buccal margin with prominent tooth between mandible and maxilla; antenna short 0.4-0.7¥ body length (female antenna shorter than male antenna), all antennomeres elongate, length of antennomere 4 > 3 > 2; first antennomere expanded from base to apex; last maxillary palpomere elongate-conical, similar in length to penultimate, but slightly narrower. Thorax. Pronotum strongly transverse, width approximately 2.5¥ length; sides of pronotum rounded or sinuate, anterior angles with small right-angled tooth, posterior angles evenly rounded, each with single trichobothrium; anterior and posteror of pronotum with or without borders; pronotal disc with sides depressed and usually shallow median longitudinal depression; procoxal cavities almost adjacent; prosternal process thin, eit...

Australopapuan leaf beetle diversity: the contributions of hosts plants and geography

“…The genera Cassena (two or three species), Galerucella (one species) and Hoplosaenidea (one species) are rare examples of widespread Eurasian or southeast Asian genera occurring in Australopapua but with low diversity (Reid , ). In contrast, the genera Atysa , Menippus and Poneridia are most diverse in tropical Australopapua but also occur further west and east (Reid and Nally ; Reid and Beatson ).…”

Disentangling a taxonomic nightmare: a revision of the Australian, Indomalayan and Pacific species of Altica Geoffroy, 1762 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)

“…The most recent review of Altica morphology (Döberl 2010b) has added new characters: development of the pronotal groove, shape of external face of tibia, and structure of the apical lobe of male ventrite V (named the hemicyclus by Döberl). The characters listed by Kangas & Rutanen (1993) and Döberl (2010b) were applied to the Australian and regional specimens, as well as a few other characters based on the experience of CAMR with galerucine genera (for example, Reid 1988Reid , 2003Reid & Nally 2008). A limited range of dorsal colours was shown by the six Altica species studied, with a predominant hue in each, but some variation present.…”

“…In Altica and many other alticines (Reid 1988(Reid , 1992 this projection is a strongly sclerotised narrow rod, with the sclerotisation extending towards the apical edge of sternite VIII, but separated from the weakly sclerotised and setose apical margin by the relatively unsclerotised membranous remainder of the sternite (Figs 30-31). This isolated rod, part of which is the true spiculum ventrale and part of which is the rest of sternite VIII, has been named the tignum, although in Galerucinae there is a continuum of variation from a well-defined isolated rod to uniform sclerotisation of sternite VIII, including a short flat spiculum (Reid 1992;Reid & Nally 2008). In Altica the tignum is distinct and provides useful characters for separation of species, including the paired branches at the point of contact between spiculum and sternite 8 proper, and the shape of tignum distal to this.…”