Biodontocnema Biondi, 2000 stat. prom.

Biondi, Maurizio & D'Alessandro, Paola, 2012, Afrotropical flea beetle genera: a key to their identification, updated catalogue and biogeographical analysis (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini), ZooKeys 253, pp. 1-158 : 24

Biodontocnema Biondi, 2000 stat. prom. Figs 22141-145296

References.

Biondi 2000: 347; 2002b: 356; Biondi and D’Alessandro 2010a: 404; Konstantinov et al. 2011: 19.

Type species.

Biodontocnema brunnea Biondi, 2000: 348 (Namibia, Kaross), designation by monotypy.

Distribution.

Namibia (Fig. 296).

Ecology.

Biodontocnema brunnea is the only species in this genus, and it is associated with moist habitats ( Biondi 2000).

Notes.

One species has been described. This genus was erroneously synonymized with Chaetocnema Stephens by Konstantinov et al. (2011). These authors did not examine material of Biodontocnema and based their synonymy only on the examination of some photos and figures. Chaetocnema schlaeflii ( Stierlin 1866: 31) and Chaetocnema major ( Jacquelin du Val 1852: 717), display an apparently bidentate dorsal tibial margin, which differs from the bidentate dorsal tibial margin of Biodontocnema (Fig. 144). These two species are easily distinguishable from this Namibian genus by having: hind tibial socket narrow with no dentiform inner margin [hind tibial socket wide with dentiform inner margin in Biodontocnema (Figs 142-143)]; ratio of metasternal width/metasternal length ≤ 2.50 [> 2.50 in Biodontocnema (Fig. 145)]; first metatarsomere not laterally compressed [laterally compressed in Biodontocnema (Fig. 142)]; antennomeres 6-10 distinctly longer than wide [antennomeres 6-10 about as long as wide in Biodontocnema (Figs 22)]; distinctly larger size (LB> 3.00 mm) (LB <2.5 mm in Biodontocnema ); longer antennae that reach at least the middle of the elytra [antennae shorter reaching only base of elytra in Biodontocnema (Fig. 22)]; Moreover, Biodontocnema is phylogenetically more closely related to Carcharodis Weise than to Chaetocnema ( Biondi 2002b). On the basis of these considerations, we regard Biodontocnema Biondi, 2000 as a valid genus.