Monotalla Bechyne , 1956

Konstantinov, Alexander S., Linzmeier, Adelita M., Clark, Shawn M. & Ivie, Michael A., 2015, Review of the West Indian genus Monotalla Bechyne (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini) with description of five new species, ZooKeys 505, pp. 117-136 : 119-120

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Monotalla Bechyne, 1956 Figs 1, 2-6, 7-12, 13-17, 18-21, 22-26, 27-31, 32-35, 36-41, 42-44, 45-49, Map 1

Monotalla Bechyné, 1956: 588 (type species Monotalla guadeloupensis Bechyné, 1956: 588, original designation, type locality Guadeloupe).

Description.

Body length 1.24-1.45 mm, width 0.80-0.91 mm, oval, relatively convex in lateral view (1.70 times as long as thick). Color black, dark brown, greenish, bluish or lightly purple with metallic luster. Legs and antennae brown with femur and basal antennomeres darker than tibia and apical antennomeres. Venter light brown or amber in color.

Head moderately flat in lateral view. Frons and vertex forming slightly convex line in lateral view. Supraorbital pore absent. Antennal calli poorly developed, with all sulci around them absent. Supraorbital sulcus absent. Distance between eyes greater than transverse diameter of eye, much wider than transverse diameter of antennal socket. Frontal ridge wide, interiorly projecting beyond anterofrontal ridge. Anterofrontal ridge not separated from and as tall as frontal ridge. Eyes large, slightly protruding laterally, 0.57 times as wide as long. Vertex covered with evenly and widely spaced large and deep punctures. Labrum with four setiferous pores, apically slightly incised. Antenna with ten antennomeres. First antennomere wide, slightly wider and longer than second antennomere. Third antennomere nearly as long as, but much thinner than second. Antennomeres four and five much smaller than third. Remaining antennomeres much wider and longer than antennomere five.

Pronotum 2.19 times wider than long (measured in middle), without impressions, covered with large, deeply impressed punctures. Sides weakly rounded and narrowly explanate, with maximum width at base. Marginal anterolateral callosity situated obliquely to midline of beetle body. Posterolateral callosity not protruding laterally. Basal margin extending posteriorly, without distinct border in middle. Procoxal cavity widely open behind. Intercoxal prosternal process relatively narrow in middle, expanding posteriorly, extending beyond procoxae. Mesoscutellum flat, wider than long, apex sharply triangular, sides straight. Mesonotum short and wide with nearly horizontal prealar and postmedial projections. Mesocoxae mostly separated by both meso- and metasternum. Mesosternum not covered by metasternum, horizontal. Metasternum short, shorter than mesosternum.

Elytron widest near mid-length. Humeral callus absent. Elytral punctures arranged in rows. Punctures vary in size, smaller to much smaller than space between rows. Elytral apex narrowly rounded. Epipleura broad, slightly oblique, abruptly narrowing before apex. Mesothoracic wing present with poorly developed veins, except for radial cell and medial bar and spur.

Pro- and mesofemora more or less flat, widest near middle, canaliculated on ventral side facing tibiae. Metafemur robust, fairly flat dorsoventrally. Pro- and mesotibiae subcylindrical, slightly wider in distal 1/3, slanting towards tarsi, without spurs apically. Metatibia slightly curved in dorsal and lateral views, dorsal surface flat and deeply canaliculated near apex. Lateral (outer) margin dentate. Apical spur varying in length, but generally long. First metatarsomere attached before tibial apex, nearly as long as remain ing metatarsomeres combined. Claw slightly appendiculate near base. Third tarsomere deeply incised.

Abdomen with five distinctly visible sternites. Apical sternite shorter than three preceding sternites combined, without appendages basally. Basal sternite without ridges in middle. Apical abdominal tergite without groove in middle, with a few long setae. Gut with long sclerotized folds.

Median lobe of aedeagus simple, slender, slightly curved in lateral view, more so at base and apex, without or with limited sculpture ventrally. Base with projection in middle.

Vaginal palpi with anterior sclerotizations merged together. Posterior sclerotizations of vaginal palpi oblique or straight at apex. Tignum gradually widening posteriorly before posterior membrane. Spermatheca without distinct border between receptacle and pump. Pump with long appendage at apex. Receptacle bent in basal half. Spermathecal duct long, straight basally, making one loop.