Minota, KUTSCHERA, 1859

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 : 665

MINOTA KUTSCHERA, 1859

( FIG. 6 )

Type species: Haltica obesa Waltl, 1839 .

Synonymy: Hypnophila Foudras, 1859 (synonymized by Kutschera, 1864).

Phylogenetic position: Minota belongs to the Mantura group, together with the leaf-surface-living genera Mantura and Novofoudrasia . The inner phylogenetic relationships of the Mantura group remain uncertain.

Diversity and distribution: The genus has eight known species, which are distributed throughout the Palaearctic region from Europe to East Asia, with a few species found in Nepal and Sichuan.

Revisions: The genus was partially revised by Döberl (2007).

Morphological characteristics: Body medium-sized (1.8–3.5 mm), oval in dorsal view, moderately convex in lateral view, dark or dark with metallic lustre. Head nearly hypognathous, frontal ridge short, wide and flat, antennal calli developed, but narrow. Antennae 11-segmented, apical antennomeres rounded, moniliform. Pronotum convex and sparsely punctate, with two short, longitudinal, antebasal impressions. Procoxal cavities closed posteriorly. Elytra with rows of punctures. Humeral calli and wings not developed. Legs usually paler than body surfaces. The morphology of the aedeagus usually relatively complex, with different structures visible in dorsal view. Spermatheca slender, with spermathecal duct simple or bearing coils.

Ecology: Beetles of the genus Minota are known to feed on mosses, usually in mountains across Palaearctic ( Konstantinov et al., 2013).

Remarks: The genus is similar to Paraminota Scherer, 1989 , from which it can be separated by having closed procoxal cavities (in Paraminota , procoxal cavities are open). It also resembles the genus Mantura , from which it can be separated by its lack of wings ( Mantura is macropterous).

Figures

Figure 6. Moss-inhabiting flea beetle genera distributed in Europe. A, Minota obesa; B, Mniophila muscorum; C, Mniophilosoma laeve.