Stevenaltica, KONSTANTINOV ET AL., 2014

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 : 669

STEVENALTICA KONSTANTINOV ET AL., 2014

( FIG. 3 )

Type species: Stevenaltica normi Konstantinov et al., 2014 .

Synonymy: This genus has no generic synonyms.

P h y l o g e n e t i c p o s i t i o n: O u r a n a l y s i s p l a c e d Stevenaltica as a member of the Leptophysa group, where it stands as a sister-lineage to Leptophysa and Borinken .

Diversity and distribution: Two species of Stevenaltica are known so far. Both species were collected in mountain ranges in Bolivia.

Revisions: The genus has not been revised, but a key to distinguish both known species is given in the generic description ( Konstantinov et al., 2014).

Morphological characteristics: Body 1.6–1.8 mm long, elongate in dorsal view, feebly convex in lateral view. General body colour dark brown. Head prognathous with developed antennal calli. Frontal ridge narrow. Antennae with 11 elongate antennomeres, not forming apical club. Pronotum with a feeble antebasal transverse impression, nearly as long as wide, pronotal margin S-shaped. Procoxal cavities open posteriorly. Proventral intercoxal process strongly widened apically.Anterior metaventral process exceeding into the space between the mesocoxae, not cover the mesoventrite. Anterior process of the first abdominal ventrite wide. Legs generally pale. Metatibiae gradually widening from base towards apex. Aedeagus simple, parallel-sided in dorsal view, relatively flat in lateral view. Spermathecal pump well separated from the receptacle, slender. Spermathecal receptacle longer than wide, slender. Spermathecal duct long with developed coils. Vaginal palpi fused basally and slightly separated apically.

Ecology: The beetles were collected by sifting moss cushions on tree trunks, ground and rocks. Sampling sites of both known species were in montane cloud forests at high elevations (2500 m).

Remarks: Stevenaltica somewhat resembles the Neotropical Exoceras Jacoby, 1891 , from which it is diagnosed, e.g. by having frons and vertex feebly convex laterally (in Exoceras , they are strongly convex) or having the base of the pronotum feebly convex (in Exoceras , the base of the pronotum is extended into a lobe).

Figures

Figure 3. Moss-inhabiting flea beetle genera distributed in America. A, Distigmoptera borealis; B, Erinaceialtica janestanleyae; C, Andersonaltica neiba; D, Ulrica eltoro; E, Menudos maricao; F, Kiskeya baorucae; G, Monotalla guadeloupensis; H, Nicaltica selvanegra; I, Stevenaltica normi; J, Borinken elyunque.