(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae)
Aphthona Chevrolat
Aphthona coerulea |
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Aphthona coerulea |
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Distribution: Eastern hemisphere, North America. Furth
(personal communication) stated that records of Neotropical
species are questionable. Our preliminary study shows that South
and Central American species placed in Aphthona, indeed
belong to another genus.
Statistics: One of the largest genera with more than
130 species in Palearctic and approximately 300 species
worldwide.
Host Plants: Acacia, Acer,
Asparagus, Carex, Euphorbia, Geranium, Helianthemum, Iris, Linum,
Lythrum, Populus, Rosa, Rubus, Symphytum, Ulmus (Medvedev &
Roginskaya 1988).
Comments: Following the discovery of Madge (1988) and
recommendation of Pope (1992) we have changed the date of this
genus name.
Diagnosis: Body small to
moderate in size, oval or oblong-oval, more or less convex.
Color black, dark brown or yellow, sometimes with metallic
lustre, without stripes or spots.
Head pro-hypognathous, convex from lateral view;
frontal ridge narrow (rarely wide), usually joining at an abrupt
angle with apical margin of head capsule; antennal calli raised,
with or without furrow between them and vertex. Interantennal
space narrower than transverse diameter of eye. Vertex more or
less convex. Eye small. Antenna 11-segmented, filiform.
Pronotum without basal transverse or longitudinal
impressions, narrowly explanate laterally. Procoxal cavity open
behind. Intercoxal prosternal process and mesosternum narrow.
Elytra dorsally more or less convex, rarely flat,
usually oval, with or without humeral calli. Elytral punctation
confused, rarely with irregular striae on disk. Epipleuron broad,
more or less vertical except horizontal at level of humeral
callus, reaching posterolateral elytral margin.
Femora typical. Metatibia with apical 1/2 flat; basal
part usually thickened with spine inserted laterally. First
metatarsal segment comparatively long, as long as following two
segments combined.
