Merobruchus
Creators: name: Manfio, Daiara
name: Ribeiro-Costa, Cibele Stramare
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Merobruchus

description: Key to species of Merobruchus
1. Elytron, striae 3–4 without basal gibbosity (Fig. 1); mesoventrite, postmesocoxal sulcus rounded, following the curvature of the coxa (Fig. 47)..................................................................................... 2
1’. Elytron, striae 3–4 with basal gibbosity slightly to moderately elevated; mesoventrite, postmesocoxal sulcus almost always pointed, not following the curvature of the coxa (Fig. 48)...................................................... 5
2(1). Head, postocular lobe long (Fig. 4)........................................................................ 3
2’. Head, postocular lobe short (Fig. 35) to moderate (Figs 36–37)................................................. 4
3(2). Elytron, striae at base without denticles (Fig. 9)......................................................................................... M. bicoloripes (Pic, 1927) (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 4, 9, 34, 38, 41–42, 46, 81, 105, 131)
3’. Elytron, striae 3–6 at base with denticles (Fig. 20)..................................................................................................... M. major (Fall, 1912) (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 20, 47, 67, 91, 116, 141)
4(2’). Elytron, striae 6 and 7 joined basally by carinate loop, integument entirely brown to dark brown (Fig. 12)................................................ M. columbinus (Sharp, 1885) (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 1–2, 12, 59, 84, 108, 134)
4’. Elytron, striae 6 and 7 free basally, integument bicoloured, anterior half brown and posterior half dark brown (Fig. 22)........................................ M. pickeli (Pic, 1927) (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 22, 40, 45–46, 69, 93, 119, 143)
5(1’). Elytron, interstria 3 at median region with a conspicuous dense golden or yellowish elongated strip of pubescence (Figs 30, 31); pronotum, lateral areas always with dense pubescence, differing from the disc (Figs 30, 31)....................... 6
5’. Elytra, interstria 3 at median region in general without a conspicuous golden or yellowish strip (Figs 11, 14, 27); when strip present, pronotum entirely and densely pubescent or pubescence sparse, lateral areas in general not differing from the disk (Figs 13, 15)......................................................................................... 8
6(5). Dorsum, integument mostly brown to reddish brown (Fig. 30); male genitalia, median lobe, internal sac with only one median sclerite (Fig. 127).............. M. terani Kingsolver, 1980 (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae; Fig. 30, 77, 101, 127, 151)
6’. Dorsum, integument mostly darker, reddish brown to dark brown (Figs 24, 31); male genitalia, median lobe, internal sac with one median sclerite and a pair of sclerites below (Figs 121, 128)................................................ 7
7(6’). Abdomen, first and second ventrites each with lateral glabrous polished spot (Fig. 37).................................................... M. politus Kingsolver, 1988 (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae, Mimoseae; Figs 24, 37, 95, 121, 145)
7’. Abdomen, ventrites lacking lateral glabrous polished spots (Figs 35–36).......................................................... M. triacanthus Kingsolver, 1988 (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae, Mimoseae; Figs 31, 78, 102, 128, 152)
8(5’). Elytron, external median region with conspicuous dark brown macula (Fig. 27)............................................................... M. santarosae Kingsolver, 1980 (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae; Figs 26, 73, 97, 123, 147).
8’. Elytron without conspicuous macula (Figs 10, 16, 17, 32)...................................................... 9
9(8’). Pronotum with median, narrow, strongly contrasting, yellowish gray strip of pubescence (Fig. 17); elytron, interstriae 2 and 3
with dense pubescence (Fig. 17); interstriae 4–8 with oblique stripe from median to submedian region at posterior half of elytron (Fig. 17)................................................. M. lineaticollis (Sharp, 1885) (Fig. 17, 64, 113) 9’. Pronotum and elytron with other pubescence pattern (Figs 13, 33) or lacking a conspicuous pattern (Fig. 29)............ 10
10(9’). Head, frontal carina in general conspicuous (Figs 2, 38, 40), when inconspicuous, dorsum with sparse white pubescence, usually contrasting with the dark integument, not forming a conspicuous pattern (Fig. 25); male genitalia, apex of the median lobe (largest width)as wide as or almost as wide as the basal hood (Figs 112, 122, 130)................................. 11
10’. Head, frontal carina in general inconspicuous (Fig. 39), when conspicuous very thin; dorsum with yellowish gray or yellowish pubescence forming or not a conspicuous mottled pattern (Figs 11, 13); male genitalia, apex of the median lobe (largest width) always narrower than the basal hood (Figs 109, 117)......................................................... 16
11(10). Dorsum, except pygidium, with sparse white pubescence, usually contrasting with the dark integument, not forming a conspicuous pattern (Figs 25, 32); scutellum in general yellowish (Fig. 25)............................................. 12
11’. Dorsum mostly white, yellowish gray or yellowish, pronotum with white, yellowish gray or yellowish dense pubescence at least laterally, elytron with or without conspicuous pubescence pattern, never completely sparse (Figs 16, 33)........... 13
12(11). Male genitalia short, with a large Y-shaped sclerite and a pair of small sclerites (Fig. 129)............................................................ M. vacillator (Sharp, 1885) (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 32, 50, 53, 79, 103, 129, 153)
12’. Male genitalia elongate, only with a large Y-shaped sclerite (Fig. 122)............................................................................... M. porphyreus Kingsolver, 1988 (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 25, 72, 96, 122, 146)
13(11’). Pygidium sexually dimorphic, female with a large heart-shaped almost denuded spot (Fig. 88), male completely pubescent, not mottled (Fig. 63); male genitalia, median lobe with skewed Y-shaped sclerite (Fig. 112)..................................................................... M. knulli (White, 1941) (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 16, 63, 88, 112, 136)
13’. Pygidium not sexually dimorphic, female (Fig. 104) and male (Fig. 80) pygidium completely pubescent; male genitalia, median lobe with flat Y-shaped sclerite or without Y-shaped sclerite (Fig. 130).................................... 14
14(13’). Dorsum with mottled stripes pattern (Figs 10, 15).......................................................... 15
14’. Dorsum, except posterior region of elytra clothed by dense, uniform yellowish pubescence (Fig. 33)..................................................... M. xanthopygus Kingsolver, 1988 (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 33, 80, 104, 130, 154)
15(14). Female, last abdominal ventrite, median apical border with long projections forming digitate process (Fig. 5); male with short projections (Fig. 6)........................................................................................... M. boucheri Kingsolver, 1980 (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae, Mimoseae; Figs 5–6, 8, 10, 52, 55, 57, 82, 106, 132)
15’. Female, last abdominal ventrite, median apical border with very short projections (Fig. 51); male without projections (Fig. 53)...................... M. julianus (Horn, 1894) (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae, Mimoseae; Figs 15, 62, 87, 111, 137)
16(10’). Elytron, striae 3–5 with denticles; female, last abdominal ventrite, median apical border with long projections forming digitate process (Fig. 5)................. M. santiagoi Ribeiro-Costa, 2007 (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 27, 74, 98, 124, 148)
16’. Elytron, striae 3–4 with denticles; female, last abdominal ventrite, median apical border with short to very short projections (Fig. 51)............................................................................................ 17
17(16’). Elytron with very conspicuous mottled stripes pattern formed by dense pubescence (Figs 13, 21)..................... 18
17’. Elytron without conspicuous mottled stripes pattern, in general, sparser pubescence (Figs 18–19)..................... 19
18(17). Female, pygidium truncate at apex (Fig. 85); male genitalia, median lobe, internal sac with a small Y-shaped sclerite medially (Fig. 109)............................ M. hastatus Kingsolver, 1980 (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 13, 60, 85, 109, 135)
18’. Female, pygidium rounded at apex (Fig. 92); male genitalia, median lobe, internal sac with a large Y-shaped sclerite medially (Figs 117–118)......................................................................................... M. paquetae Kingsolver, 1980 (Mimosoideae: Ingeae, Mimoseae; Caesalpinioideae: Caesalpinieae: Pterogyne nitens Tul. new record; Figs 3, 7, 21, 48–49, 54, 68, 92, 117–118, 142)
19(17’). Head, antenna pale brown; elytron visibly bicoloured, posterior region darker................................................................. M. lysilomae Kingsolver, 1988 (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae; Figs 18, 65, 89, 114, 139)
19’. Head, antenna in general with antennomeres 8–10 darker; elytron not bicolored or not visibly bicoloured like above...... 20
20(19). Male genitalia, median lobe, ventral valve much longer than wide (Fig. 107)...................................................................... M. chetumalae Kingsolver, 1988 (Mimosoideae: Ingeae; Figs 11, 51, 58, 83, 107, 133)
20’. Male genitalia, median lobe, ventral valve wider than long (Figs 109, 117, 127)................................... 21
21(20’). Dorsum, integument reddish brown or dark brown, pubescence always sparse............................................. M. machadoi sp. nov. Manfio & Ribeiro-Costa (Mimosoideae: Mimoseae; Figs 19, 35, 39, 43–44, 66, 90, 115, 140)
21’. Dorsum, integument mostly brown (Figs 14, 18, 29)......................................................... 22
22(21’). Pygidium with narrow median basal stripe or triangle of white dense pubescence strongly conspicuous (Figs 61, 76, 86, 100)................................................................................................... 23
22’. Pygidium without median basal stripe or triangle of white dense pubescence (Figs 75, 94); when present, inconspicuous (Fig. 70)................................................................................................ 24
23(22). Pronotum, integument with patchy dark brown areas (Fig. 14); elytron, lateral margins, integument suffused with dark brown (Fig. 14); pygidium with narrow median strip of white pubescence in general reaching almost the apex (Figs 61, 86); male genitalia, median lobe, ventral valve arcuate with distinct apical nipple (Fig. 110)..................................................................... M. insolitus (Sharp, 1885) (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae; Figs 14, 61, 86, 110, 136)
23’. Dorsum, integument with unique conspicuous colour (Fig. 29); pygidium with basal triangle and median spot of white dense pubescence (Figs 76, 100); male genitalia, median lobe, ventral valve subrectangulate (Fig. 126)................................................. M. sonorensis Kingsolver, 1980 (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae; Figs 29, 76, 100, 126, 150)
24(22’). Elytral pattern slightly mottled (Fig, 23); male genitalia, internal sac, base of the median sclerite broad (Fig. 120)............................... M. placidus (Horn, 1873) (Mimosoideae: Acacieae, Ingeae, Mimoseae; Figs 23, 70, 94, 120, 144)
24’. Elytral pattern strongly mottled (Fig. 26); male genitalia, internal sac, base of the median sclerite slender (Fig. 125)............................................ M. solitarius (Sharp, 1885) (Mimosoideae: Acacieae; Figs 28, 75, 99, 125, 149)
description: Published as part of Manfio, Daiara & Ribeiro-Costa, Cibele Stramare, 2016, A key to American genus Merobruchus Bridwell (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) with descriptions of species and two new host plant records for the subfamily, pp. 284-319 in Zootaxa 4078 (1) on pages 286-287, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4078.1.25, http://zenodo.org/record/263743