Mimastra Baly, 1865

Bezděk, Jan, 2011, Revisional study on the genus Mimastra (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae). Part 3: Mimastra oblonga and M. tarsalis species groups, Zootaxa 2766, pp. 30-56 : 31-32

Genus Mimastra Baly, 1865

Mimastra Baly, 1865: 253 (type species: Mimastra arcuata Baly, 1865 , by original designation).

Anthraxantha Fairmaire, 1878 in Deyrolle & Fairmaire, 1878: 137 (type species: Anthraxantha davidis Fairmaire, 1878 , by monotypy). Synonymised with Mimastra by Jacoby, 1888: 351.

Brachita Allard, 1889: 103 (type species: Brachita terminata Allard, 1889 , by subsequent designation, see Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963: 535). Synonymised with Mimastra by Allard, 1890: 80.

Differential diagnosis. Mimastra can be distinguished from other externally similar genera (especially Hoplasoma Jacoby, 1884 and Haplosomoides Duvivier, 1890 ) by the combination of the following characters: body moderately elongate, parallel-sided or slightly divergent posteriorly, glabrous (but usually with some very fine sparse setae on posterior third of elytra), antennae filiform, pronotum with a transverse median depression, anterior and posterior margins of pronotum bordered, procoxal cavities opened posteriorly, posterior tibiae without apical spurs, claws appendiculate.

Both Hoplasoma and Haplosomoides share posteriorly opened procoxal cavities with Mimastra , but differs in not having bordered anterior margin of pronotum, and the type of the aedeagus. The males of many species of Hoplasoma and Haplosomoides have appendages on ventrites (never in Mimastra ). Moreover, the claws are bifid in Hoplasoma .

Distribution. Indian subcontinent, China and South-East Asia (southwards to Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo and the Philippines).