David G. Furth

A species of reed beetle, Donacia simplex (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Donaciinae) was recently rediscovered in northern Israel. Now a second species, Donacia tomentosa, has been rediscovered (verified using molecular analysis) living further south in Israel. In 2021 a reed beetle expert discovered a very old record of Donacia tomentosa from modern day Israel in the collections of the Natural History Museum (London) from a few specimens collected near Tel Aviv by the British in 1918 during WWI. In 2022 the authors discovered a viable population of D. tomentosa in Israel. Given the extensive amount of collecting by many good field entomologists in that region since 1918, it is surprising that this species had not been seen for 104 years. The location, biology, molecular analysis, and other details of this newly found viable population of D. tomentosa in Israel are provided here.

Between 1951–1958, most of the Hula Lake and its surrounding swamps in the Upper Jordan River (Rift) Valley of Israel were drained with the supposed purposes to eliminate malaria and to reclaim land for agriculture; both reasons later proved to be unnecessary decisions. With the paucity of biological knowledge of the Hula region, especially its aquatic invertebrates, accurate assessment of the environmental damage from this drainage is still being realized. Based on natural history museum collection specimen records, the pre-drainage presence of some aquatic insect species has been verified. Among these was Donacia bicolora, a member of a semi-aquatic subfamily (Donaciinae) of Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae) and whose Israeli populations were thought to have gone extinct because of the drainage of the Hula and other locations. Recently this species was rediscovered in two populations. However, the molecular identification of two of these recently collected specimens from one population revealed that the identity of this species is actually Donacia simplex. In this work, the re-discovery of this species is detailed, and its conservation importance discussed.

Jan Bechyné described several genera within the species-rich subtribe Oedionychina Chapuis, 1875. A large part of his collection is housed at the Naturhistorisches Museum Basel – Georg Frey holdings (NMB). Images of type specimens of the following species are provided: Cuyabasa chiquitoensis Bechyné, 1959, Cuyabasa gastrophysoides Bechyné, 1959, Cuyabasa minor (Bechyné, 1955), Palmaraltica heteronycha Bechyné, 1959, Rhynchasphaera basisticta Bechyné, 1958, Rhynchasphaera latipleura Bechyné, 1956 and Rhynchasphaera orophila Bechyné, 1955. Additionally, photographs of Palmaraltica yepezi Bechyné & Bechyné, 1969 and Palmaraltica tomentosa (Jacoby, 1880), comb. nov. are provided. Keys to species of the treated genera are provided, as well as notes on taxonomy and distribution. Lastly, the following new combinations are established: Palmaraltica tomentosa (Jacoby, 1880), Walterianella basimaculata (Jacoby, 1905), Walterianella dimidiaticornis (Jacoby, 1905), Walterianella discolor (Jacoby, 1886), Walterianella illigeri (Jacoby, 1886), Walterianella jansoni (Jacoby, 1886), Walterianella marginicollis (Jacoby, 1885), Walterianella montana (Jacoby, 1886) and Walterianella pavonina (Jacoby, 1892), all comb. nov.

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.

West Indian genera of the flea beetle subtribe Oedionychina Chapuis, 1875 are reviewed. Two new genera and one new species are described: Argusonychis Konstantinov, Van Roie, & Furth gen. nov. with Argusonychis clarki Konstantinov, Van Roie & Furth sp. nov. as the type species (Bahamas); and Ciguapanychis Konstantinov, Van Roie & Furth gen. nov. with Alagoasa bicolor (Linnaeus, 1767) as the type species (Puerto Rico). An illustrated key to the genera found in the West Indies is provided. Each genus is illustrated with images of external and internal morphology, including thoracic structures, metendosternite, and female and male genitalia. Asphaera subfasciata Clark, 1860 is designated as the type species for Asphaera Duponchel & Chevrolat in d???Orbigny, 1842. The genus Ptena Chevrolat, 1836 is considered a long-overlooked senior synonym ofAsphaera; the use ofAsphaera is maintained. The lectotypes are designated for: Chrysomela albicollis Fabricius, 1787, Oedionychis crucipennis Suffrian, 1868, and Haltica decipiens Klug, 1829. Pleurasphaera Bechyn??, 1958 is recognized as an objective junior synonym ofLitosonycha Chevrolat, 1836 since these two generic names share the same type species, Haltica decipiens Klug, 1829. Oedionychis punctipennis Blake, 1971 is synonymized with Alagoasa sharpi (Jacoby, 1897). The following 17 new combinations are proposed: Alagoasa lunata (Fabricius, 1801), Alagoasa sharpi (Jacoby, 1897), Alagoasa smithi (Jacoby, 1897), Argusonychis megalopia (Blake, 1939), Argusonychis orientensis (Blake, 1959), Argusonychis zayasi (Blake, 1959), Asphaera amplilimbata (Blake, 1959), Asphaera cristalensis (Blake, 1959), Ciguapanychis bicolor (Linnaeus, 1767), Ciguapanychis dimidiatus (Olivier, 1808), Ciguapanychis fasciatus (Fabricius, 1798), Ciguapanychis jamaicensis (Jacoby, 1894), Ciguapanychis pseudofasciatus (Blake, 1940), Ciguapanychis viridipen-nis (Blake, 1971), Kuschelina pseudothoracica (Blake, 1945), Omophoita turquino (Zayas, 1988), and Walterianella gurneyi (Blake, 1968). The following three species are removed from synonymy and restored to species status as new combinations: Ciguapanychis cinctus (Olivier, 1808), Ciguapanychis lantanus (Blake, 1928), and Ciguapanychis purpurellus (Blake, 1940).

The present study updates previously published biodiversity/faunistics of the flea beetles of Mexico published by the author after examination of 6132 specimens from 8 institutional collections. The following 9 genera were selected as indicators of the effects of known diversity only through examination of museum specimens (i.e., “indoor collecting”): Alagoasa Bechyné; Asphaera Chevrolat; Capraita Bechyné; Disonycha Chevrolat; Kuschelina Bechyné; Omophoita Chevrolat; Prasona Baly; Systena Chevrolat; and Walterianella Bechyné. From the specimens examined in these genera from the 8 collections, there were 394 new records for Mexican states of the 287 new species records representing 47% new records of the species recorded from those states. Total new state records 287 from 80 species. States with most new records: Chiapas (32); Nayarit (27); Sinaloa (24). 80 spp. (47%) with new state records. Systena oberthuri Baly is reported from Mexico for the first time. The current total of Alticinae in Mexico is 90 genera/626 species. The difficulties of the generic boundaries between Systena and Prasona, Alagoasa and Kuschelina; as well as the specific boundaries between A. jacobiana and A. decemguttatus and the specific level pattern variation in Disonycha glabrata and Alagoasa decemguttatus are discussed. Kuschelina semipurpurea, formerly placed in Alagoasa, is placed is considered as a new combination.

This is a preliminary study of the diversity of the Flea Beetles (Alticinae) of the Mexican state of Oaxaca based on fieldwork by the author in 1991, 1997, and