ZooKeys 666: Synopsis of the Pelidnotine Scarabs (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae, Rutelini) and Annotated Catalog of the Species and Subspecies

About this book

The pelidnotine leaf chafers are a speciose assemblage of scarab beetles that are ecologically important as herbivores, pollinators, and habitat bioindicators. These beautiful beetles have long attracted the attention of local people, collectors, scientists, and artists. The group includes the spectacular metallic “jewel scarabs” (Chrysina species) that occur in shades of iridescent green, gold, silver, and copper. The large and brilliant green species, Chrysophora chrysochlora, is used for adornment by native Indians in South America. The extant pelidnotine leaf chafers are entirely distributed in the New World and include 26 genera and over 400 species and subspecies. New species remain to be described. This group has had a complex nomenclatural history due primarily to 20th century taxonomic and nomenclatural errors. The authors synthesise the taxonomic and biodiversity information for the pelidnotine scarabs, provide a key and overviews of all genera, a catalogue of all taxa (including synonyms, distributional data, and type specimen information), and images of 107 exemplar species. This work makes biodiversity research on pelidnotine leaf chafers tractable and accessible, thus setting the stage for studies that address evolutionary and ecological trends.

Contents

Introduction   16
Materials and methods   22
Overview of the pelidnotine genera   30
Key to the genera of pelidnotine scarabs (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae, Rutelini)      31
      Catoclastus Solier, 1851   35
      Chalcoplethis Burmeister, 1844   36
      Chipita Soula, 2008   36
      Chrysina Kirby, 1828   37
      Chrysophora Dejean, 1821   38
      Ectinoplectron Ohaus, 1915   39
      Epichalcoplethis F. Bates, 1904   39
      Eremophygus Ohaus, 1910   40
      Homeochlorota Soula, 2006   41
      Homonyx Guérin-Méneville, 1839   42
      Homothermon Ohaus, 1898   43
      Hoplopelidnota F. Bates, 1904   43
      Mecopelidnota F. Bates, 1904   44
      Mesomerodon Ohaus, 1905   45
      Microogenius Gutiérrez, 1951   45
      Neogutierrezia Martínez, 1953   46
      Oogenius Solier, 1851   46
      Pachacama Soula, 2006   47
      Parhomonyx Ohaus, 1915   48
      Parhoplognathus Ohaus, 1915   48
      Patatra Soula, 2008   49
      Pelidnota MacLeay, 1819   49
      Peruquime Mondaca & Valencia, 2016   51
      Pseudogeniates Ohaus, 1910   52
      Sorocha Soula, 2006   52
      Xenopelidnota F. Bates, 1904   53
      Pelidnota punctata (Linnaeus) species hypothesis and synonyms   54
Annotated catalog of the Pelidnotine scarabs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini)   57
Acknowledgments   325
References   325

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