Alexander S. Konstantinov

The first comprehensive taxonomic survey of the leaf beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of the oceanic volcanic Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Pernambuco State, northeastern Brazil, is presented herein. A total of 17 taxa distributed across five subfamilies (Bruchinae, Cassidinae, Cryptocephalinae, Eumolpinae, and Galerucinae) are recorded, including the description of two new species of seed beetles: Megacerus ibiaiso Santos, Sampaio & Viana, sp. nov., and Sennius binotatus Viana & Ribeiro-Costa, sp. nov. In addition, 11 new distributional records are provided, along with corrections of previously misidentified specimens from the archipelago. For the taxa identified to the species level, information on host plant associations and natural enemies, when available, is included. The study also provides photographs of the external morphology of all taxa and the internal structures of the new species, as well as a map of the beaches and sampling trails.

Type specimens of New World Oedionychini Chapuis, 1875, deposited in the collections of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MFNB) are examined and illustrated. Types assigned by Ludwig Wilhelm Schaufuss, Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger, Julius Weise, Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson, and Edgar von Harold were discovered. Lectotypes are designated for the following species: Asphaera corusca Harold, 1877, Asphaera deleta Harold, 1877, Asphaera t-album Harold, 1876, Asphaera schaufussi Harold, 1876, Haltica aemula Illiger, 1807, Haltica amicta Illiger, 1807, Haltica annularis Illiger, 1807, Haltica biloba Illiger, 1807, Haltica civilis Illiger, 1807, Haltica dipus Illiger, 1807, Haltica episcopalis Illiger, 1807, Haltica graecizans Illiger, 1807, Haltica hellwigii Illiger, 1807, Haltica honesta Illiger, 1807, Haltica humilis Illiger, 1807, Haltica infulata Illiger, 1807, Haltica interrupta Illiger, 1807, Haltica jaculus Illiger, 1807, Haltica macropus Illiger, 1807, Haltica ornata Illiger, 1807, Haltica paupera Illiger, 1807, Haltica personata Illiger, 1807, Haltica propugnaculum Illiger, 1807, Haltica rufina Illiger, 1807, Haltica sexmaculata Illiger, 1807, Haltica siebersii Illiger, 1807, Haltica vians Illiger, 1807, Haltica zebrata Illiger, 1807, Homophoeta clerica Erichson, 1848, Homophoeta curialis Erichson, 1847, Homophoeta inaequalis Erichson, 1847, Oedionychis alacris Erichson, 1847, Oedionychis basalis Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis coccinelloides Harold, 1877, Oedionychis cribriceps Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis dissepta Erichson, 1847, Oedionychis fairmairei Harold, 1877, Oedionychis florigera Harold, 1877, Oedionychis generosa Harold, 1877, Oedionychis inconstans Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis kiesenwetteri Harold, 1877, Oedionychis kraatzi Harold, 1880, Oedionychis livida Harold, 1881, Oedionychis longicollis Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis marginicollis Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis mendax Harold, 1881, Oedionychis opulenta Erichson, 1847, Oedionychis perforata Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis perspicillata Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis plagiata Erichson, 1847, Oedionychis praecincta Erichson, 1847, Oedionychis promta Erichson, 1847, Oedionychis punctulata Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis quadripunctata Schaufuss, 1874, Oedionychis sagulata Erichson, 1847, Oedionychis selloi Harold, 1881, Oedionychis taeniolata Harold, 1881, Oedionychis triplagiata Schaufuss, 1874, and Oedionychis vittata Harold, 1876. The following new combinations are proposed: Aspicela inaequalis (Erichson, 1847) comb. nov., Wanderbiltiana punctulata (Schaufuss, 1874) comb. nov., Capraita taeniolata (Harold, 1881) comb. nov., Asphaera triplagiata (Schaufuss, 1874) comb. nov., and Phenrica amicta (Illiger, 1807) comb. nov., effectively removing the latter species from Oedionychini. The following original combination is restored: Asphaera corusca Harold, 1877. The following species are restored: Alagoasa alacris (Erichson, 1847) and Omophoita longicollis (Schaufuss, 1874). The following synonyms are proposed: Haltica dipus Illiger, 1807 as a synonym of Alagoasa decemguttata (Fabricius, 1801) and Oedionychis quadripunctata Schaufuss, 1874 as a synonym of Walterianella venustula (Schaufuss, 1874). We figure and discuss a potential syntype of Oedionychis ophthalmica Harold, 1877. Lastly, we correct two placements in our previous publication and propose the following new combinations: Heikertingeria obsoleta (Fabricius, 1801) comb. nov., and Asbecesta avicenniae (Fabricius, 1792) comb. nov. In addition, a galerucine Asbecesta cyanipennis (Harold, 1877) (Galerucitae, Luperini) is synonymized with Asbecesta avicenniae (Fabricius, 1792). The present study ensures the taxonomic stability of a considerable proportion of names within New World Oedionychini. Moreover, many of the species have not been illustrated before, providing a resource for identification.

Fifteen species belonging to the Longitarsus cyanipennis species group are revised. All species are described or redescribed, accompanied by images of external morphology and genitalia. A key to the species of the group is provided. Eleven new species are described: L. bryanti Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. jinpingensis Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. lijiangensis Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. lodayi Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. mauliki Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. latipenis Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. medogensis Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. radialis Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. viridis Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., L. volkovitshi Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov., and L. zhejiangensis Liang & Konstantinov sp. nov. Longitarsus warchalowskii Scherer, 1969 is resurrected from synonymy with L. indigonaceus Lopatin, 1963, while L. indigonaceus Lopatin, 1963 syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of L. cyanipennis Bryant, 1924. Amongst the species group, four species are recorded in Mêdog County, i.e., L. warchalowskii, L. bryanti sp. nov., L. latipenis sp. nov., and L. medogensis sp. nov.

A new species, Chrysomila saintlucia Konstantinov, Clark, and Furth (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticitae), is described from St. Lucia, West Indies. This is the first report of Chrysomila Savini, Escalona, and Furth in the West Indies. Leptophysa therminieri (Bryant) is diagnosed, illustrated, and compared to the type species of Leptophysa Baly. Systena Chevrolat is briefly mentioned

All eight Monoplatina genera occurring in the West Indies are reviewed and illustrated. The following new combinations are proposed: Bonfilsus glabra (Blake, 1943), Hypolampsis antillarum (Bechyné, 1956), Hypolampsis aspila (Blake, 1943), Hypolampsis smithi (Jacoby, 1897), and Hypolampsis stenotrachela (Blake, 1944) and a subsequent combination is restored (Aedmon ferruginea (Suffrian, 1868)). The following two genera are excluded from the list of West Indian flea beetles: Homotyphus Clark, 1860 and Physimerus Clark, 1860.

A new species of Longitarsus Latreille, 1829, Longitarsus cohongorooto Konstantinov, new species, with the type locality of Plummers Island, Montgomery Co., Maryland, USA is described. It is illustrated and compared to dark-colored Longitarsus species known to occur in the eastern United States. A key for species identification is proposed. Mertensia (Boraginaceae) is reported as the host plant for flea beetles (Alticini) for the first time. Variability of female genitalic characters is illustrated. The lectotype of Longitarsus traductus Horn, 1889 is designated.

Encathona gen. nov. is described to accommodate Aphthona lamprocyanea Blake, 1964. It is illustrated and compared to Acallepitrix Bechyné, Apraea Jacoby, Argopistes Motschulsky, Heikertingerella Csiki and Suffrianaltica Konstantinov and Linzmeier.

The lectotype of Longitarsus californicus (Motschulsky, 1845) is designated, described, and illustrated. An illustrated key to eight light-colored Longitarsus species known to occur in the western United States is presented. A brief history of Russian entomological collecting in North America during the first half of 19^th century, with specimens preserved in Zoological Museum of Moscow University, Moscow and Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg, is provided.

Prey animals employ masquerade to avoid recognition by visual predators by developing a resemblance to inedible objects in their environment. Phytophagous flea beetles seem to resemble models of their own manufacture. While feeding they cause light- or dark-coloured hole-like damage on the leaves of their host plants that resembles the beetle's body in colour and size. Resemblance to the model and the frequency of the model can influence the efficiency of masquerade. To examine masquerade efficiency in light- and dark-coloured beetles, we evaluated their survival benefits from resembling feeding damage in the field. This was done by using two species of beetle of different colour as prey and a jumping spider as the predator. Dark-coloured species were more likely to avoid predation when they were placed on a background with damage similar in colour to their body, whereas increased survival was not recorded for light-coloured species. The extent of the feeding damage of 34 light- and dark-coloured species of beetle was compared. Variation in the extent of the damage was associated more with host plant taxa than beetle body colour. These results indicate that the efficiency of masquerade can vary among beetle species and/or phenotypes.

Thirty-five observations of 25 leaf beetle species and their feeding damage are reported. The beetles belong to 13 genera. Obvious masquerade is found in 29 observations. Nine beetle species in our sample are light in color, but two, being generally light colored, have a wide dark stripe along the elytral suture, so that on the photos (and presumably to visual predators in the field) they appear dark. Feeding damage that these two are surrounded with is also dark. In six observations light colored beetles were making light colored damage. In five examples dark colored beetles were observed among both light and dark colored damage. In remaining observations dark colored beetles were making dark colored damage. Masquerade in Cassidinae and larvae of Alticini and Galerucini is reported here for the first time. In addition, observation of flea beetle interacting with ants on leaf surface and use of feeding holes to move from the upper to the lower leaf surface are reported.