Ivalia, JACOBY, 1887

Damaška, Albert František, Konstantinov, Alexander & Fikáček, Martin, 2022, Multiple origins of moss-inhabiting flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): molecular phylogeny, overview of genera and a new genus from Africa, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 196, pp. 647-676 : 663

IVALIA JACOBY, 1887

( FIG. 4 )

Type species: Ivalia viridipennis Jacoby, 1887 , designated by Maulik (1926).

Synonyms: Ancyloscelis Ogloblin, 1930, synonymized by Scherer (1969); Amphimeloides Jacoby, 1887 , synonymized by Duckett et al. (2006); Taizonia Chen, 1934 , synonymized by Duckett et al. (2006); Schereria Medvedev, 1984 , synonymized by Gruev & Askevold, (1988).

Phylogenetic position: The genus belongs to the Chabria group, based on both our analyses and DamaŠka et al. (2021); the latter study revealed polyphyly of the genus, therefore, the genus will require revision.

Diversity and distribution: There are 86 known species of Ivalia ; most species were catalogued by Nadein (2013a) listing 67 species.An additional two species were described by Medvedev (2016) and a further species by Takizawa & Konstantinov (2018). New species from the Philippines were described by DamaŠka et al. (2020) and from Japan by Takemoto & Suenaga (2021). The genus is distributed from India and the Himalayas to central China, Japan and southwards to Australia. Most species are described from high mountain ranges (Himalayas, Mt. Kinabalu and New Guinea).

Revisions: The genus has not been revised recently. Duckett et al. (2006) redescribed the genus, described its larva and established new synonyms; fauna of Australia was revised by Nadein (2013a). Synoptic keys were presented by Medvedev (2009) for Indochina and Yang et al. (2015) for China and Taiwan.

Morphological characteristics: The morphological features diagnosing Ivalia were proposed by Duckett et al. (2006) and should possibly be revised based on DamaŠka et al. (2021). The genus consists mainly of small to large flea beetles (1.5–5.0 mm). General body shape oval to rounded, convex in lateral view. Body colour from black, with or without metallic lustre, to yellow basic colour and variable pattern or dark elytral and pronotal spots. The majority of species are wingless. Head nearly hypognathous, antennal shape from long and slender to relatively short, with distal antennomeres somewhat widened, frontal calli poorly developed ( Nadein, 2013a; Takizawa & Konstantinov, 2018). Pronotum usually about twice as wide as long, convex, on apical margins sometimes with rounded lobes visible anterolaterally. Pronotal margin with a setiferous pore situated in the apical half of the pronotal length. Procoxal cavities widely open posteriorly.The anterior process of the metaventrite expanding between the mesocoxae partially covering the mesoventrite, similar to that of Clavicornaltica and Cangshanaltica . Metaventral intercoxal process surface excavated, forming a horseshoe-shaped structure (as in Cangshanaltica ). Metafemora strongly curved in many species, some described species bearing straight metafemora ( Takizawa & Konstantinov, 2018). Metatibiae with a long apical spur, proximal metatarsomere elongated. Vaginal palpi fused basally, with apices widely separated. Spermatheca simply formed, with duct not bearing coils. Aedeagus usually simple with long, wide and flat apex.

Ecology: In most species the ecology is not known, but all species with known biology are associated with mosses and known larvae feed on mosses ( Duckett et al., 2006; Takizawa & Konstantinov, 2018; Takemoto & Suenaga, 2021). The majority of known species are described from high elevations up to 3500 m, but mid-elevation and lowland species are known as well ( DamaŠka & Aston, 2019; Takemoto & Suenaga, 2021).

Remarks: Diagnoses from Clavicornaltica and Cangshanaltica were mentioned above. Ivalia is also similar to Phaelota Jacoby, 1887 , from which it can be distinguished by the morphology of procoxal cavities, closed posteriorly in Phaelota , open in Ivalia ( Konstantinov et al., 2013) .

Figures

Figure 4. Moss-inhabiting flea beetle genera distributed in Asia. A A, Paraminotella nigrita; B, Benedictus shivalayanicus; C, Paraminota lauribina; D, Ivalia korakundah; E, Cangshanaltica nigra; F, Baoshanaltica minuta; G, Phaelota viridipennis; H, Clavicornaltica dali.