Borinken, KONSTANTINOV & KONSTANTINOVA, 2011

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 : 659

BORINKEN KONSTANTINOV & KONSTANTINOVA, 2011

( FIG. 3 )

Type species: Borinken elyunque Konstantinov et al., 2011 .

Synonymy: No generic synonyms.

Phylogenetic position: The genus belongs to the Leptophysa generic group, together with the mossinhabiting genus Stevenaltica and the winged, leafsurface-living genus Leptophysa , which is its sister-group.

Diversity and distribution: The two known species are both found in Puerto Rico.

R e v i s i o n s: T h e g e n u s wa s d e s c r i b e d r e c e n t l y ( Konstantinov & Konstantinova, 2011), another species has been described by Konstantinov et al. (2020).

Morphological characteristics: Body small (1 mm), not abruptly convex, brown with no metallic lustre.

Head with a deeply punctate vertex; frontal ridge distinct and narrow. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, which gradually widen towards the antennal apex, thus antennae tend to form a long antennal club. Pronotum subquadrate in dorsal view, strongly and deeply punctured; pronotal punctures identical with punctures on elytra. Punctation of pronotum irregular, not forming any rows or antebasal impressions. Procoxal cavities open posteriorly. Mesoventrite not covered by metaventrite in the intercoxal space, metaventral process relatively short, bearing a lateral row of deep punctures. Elytra fused together, subconical in dorsal view, covered by rows of deep punctures. Wings and humeral calli absent. Aedeagus simplified, wide and short; spermatheca simple, spermathecal duct without coils. Vaginal palpi fused basally.

Ecology: Only a few specimens have been collected to date, from moss on various substrates in montane cloud forest at about 1000–1400 m a.s.l..

Remarks: The genus is unique among all flea beetles in its general body shape, size, colour and punctation. Among New World flea beetles it is somewhat similar to Centralaphthona Bechyné & Bechyné, 1960 , sharing the general body shape, regularly punctate elytra, presence of antennal calli on head and open procoxal cavities. However, Borinken can be separated easily e.g. by having strongly punctate pronotum, fused elytra and the shape of antennal calli. It differs from the Oriental and Palaearctic genus Benedictus by lacking the antebasal transverse impression and also in the general body shape.

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.