Pacific Insects Monograph 30: 1-165 1 October 1973 ALTICINAE OF OCEANIA (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)1 By G. Allan Samuelson2 CONTENTS Introduction 1 Collections 4 Taxonomy 5 Zoogeography 149 Appendix 157 References 158 Index 163 Abstract: Insular faunas of Micronesian, eastern Melanesian, and Polynesian Alticinae are united for the first time in a taxonomic revision. Treated are 96 species and subspecies. Of the 102 available names relating to Oceanian Alticinae that had accumulated up to the beginning of this study, 67 are valid species and subspecies, 17 are new synonyms, 4 are old synonyms, 4 are erroneous identifications and belong to species that never reached Pacific islands, 2 are non-Oceanian and erroneously recorded from Pacific islands, 2 are non-alticines, and 6 are species incertae sedis. Of the 67 valid species and subspecies, 22 are placed in new generic combinations, resulting in part in the new synonymy of Inopelonia Broun, Nesohaltica Maulik, and Sphaerophyma Baly and in the erection of Analema, new genus and Linaltica, new genus. In addition, 29 species are described as new. Lectotypes are designated for 15 species and 1 neotype designation is made for another. Each species is described, keyed, and illustrated. Each genus is diagnosed and keyed. A number of genera not recorded within the limits of this study are also included in the generic key. Oceanian Alticinae are essentially Oriental in origin, respective of the autochthonous species. The largest influx of Oriental Alticinae probably reached the Papuan Subregion, an important center of secondary evolution, before spreading further onto Pacific islands. Australian elements are also reflected to some degree in the composition of Papuan and New Caledonian faunas. The Inner Melanesian Arc and the Outer Melanesian Arc appear to be the major pathways for founders of the autochthonous species on South Pacific islands. The faunas of New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, possibly Oriental derived, are largely composed of relict forms which do not appear closely linked to modern continental elements. The continental islands bordering East Asia from southern Japan to the Philippines comprise a front which has served as the probable source area for most of the few alticine species occurring in western Micronesia. INTRODUCTION Flea beetles or Chrysomelidae of the subfamily Alticinae are moderately well to poorly re­ presented or sometimes absent on Pacific islands within the vast area of Oceania, a region em- Journal paper number 4843, Purdue Agricultural Experiment Station. This project was supported by National Science Foundation and National Defense Educational Act training grants to the Department of Entomology, Purdue University and as partial results of research and field work by National Science Foundation grants G-2127, G-4774, G-10734, GB-518, GB-8728 to Bishop Museum—revision of thesis submitted to Purdue University in partial fulfillment for degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Department of Entomology, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana 47907. Present address: Department of Entomology, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii 96819. ^IZO3 M355 W%5' ,90° .105° il20° i!35° 1I8O0 .<I65° il50° >I35° • 120° il05° Fig. 1. Map of Pacific Basin. Solid heavy line defines geographical limits of study; solid thin line separates Micronesia and Melanesia from Polynesia; dashed oblique line roughly delimits easternmost occurrence, except Hawaii, of Alticinae within limits of study. Isolated Hawaii contains two adventive species. 1973 Samuelson: Alticinae of Oceania 3 bracing the three great anthropologically defined divisions of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. The aim of this account is to unite for the first time the greater part of these insular alticine faunas for taxonomic revision. Chrysomelids of Micronesia treated by Gressitt (1955) brought the Alticinae into perspective for that division of the Pacific, but the faunas of eastern Melanesia and Polynesia have remained generally poorly known, aside from the fairly comprehensive treatments by Bryant & Gressitt (1957) for Fiji and Maulik (1929) for Samoa. No single work has treated together the major insular assemblages for any chrysomelid subfamily throughout Melanesia and Polynesia. The geographical scope of this study covers almost all of Oceania, including New Zealand, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, but western Melanesia (New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands) is excluded because of the masses of species to be treated. The Alticinae of western Melanesia is receiving attention separately (Samuelson 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971). A significant increase in the number of species of Alticinae for Oceania should be anticipated. There is already a number of residual forms included in the keys and most of these will probably prove to be new. Undoubtedly, further autochthones will come to light from many Pacific islands, including especially the southern portions of New Zealand, the mountains of New Caledonia, Vanua Levu and certain lesser islands of Fiji, as well as the island clusters beyond the terminus of the Solomons. HISTORICAL RESUME The Xavier Montrouzier collections, reported by Montrouzier himself (1861) and again with B.-P. Perroud (1864) contain the earliest descriptions of Alticinae from Pacific islands within the limits of this study. These beetles are from New Caledonia and Lifou (Loyalty Islands), but some of the species thought to be Alticinae because of their original generic assignments are found now to belong to the subfamily Eumolpinae. Hamlet Clark (1864) described the first alticine from Fiji and concurrently erected the genus Febra for its reception. Leon Fairmaire (1882) added species to the preceding genus. J. S. Baly (1876) included a New Caledonian species in his descriptions of Alticinae. D. Sharp (1876) described the first New Zealand alticine and placed it in a new genus, Alema. Thomas Broun (1880-1923) described further species of Alticinae from New Zealand and placed almost all of them in the genus Phyllotreta. Sharp (1886) erected two new genera, Trachytetra and Pleuraltica for some of Broun's species of Phyllotreta and then Broun himself (1893) established Inopelonia for the reception of others. G. E. Bryant (1925-1945) described numerous chrysomelids, including many alticines, from Pacific islands and some years later reviewed the Fijian fauna with J. L. Gressitt. A. M. Lea (1926, 1929) described the first and subsequent alticines from Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands and erected the genus Goweria for one of the Lord Howe species. S. Maulik (1929) reported on Samoan chrysomelids in the series Insects of Samoa and described the first alticines from those islands, including the new genus Nesohaltica. Michio Chujo (1943) described the first Micronesian alticines. J. Linsley Gressitt treated the Chrysomelidae for the series Insects of Micronesia (1955) and reported later on Samoan chrysomelids (1957). Bryant & Gressitt (1957) jointly reviewed the Chrysomelidae of Fiji and described a number of new alticines. S. Shaw (1957) reviewed the New Zealand species of Alema. Two species of Alticinae collected during the 1851-1853 voyage of the Eugenie are among the Coleoptera whose records could possibly be confused with those of the South Pacific; they are Longitarsus insularis (Boheman, 1859) and Crepidodera bicolor Boheman, 1859. The true locality, discussed by Smith & Lawrence (1967: 8), is believed to be Paiti or "Taiti" of coastal Ecuador. Acknowledgements: This revision has been supported largely by National Science Foundation and National Defense Educational Act grants through the Department of Entomology at Purdue University. 4 Pacif. Ins. Monogr. 30 Grants from the National Science Foundation to Bernice P. Bishop Museum (G-2127, G-4774, G-10734, GB- 518, GB-8728) funded part of the field work which produced some of the material used for study and supported related projects on chrysomelids which had direct effect on this work. I am greatly indebted to Dr Ross H. Arnett, Jr., Dr Leland Chandler, Dr John V. Osmun, Department of Entomology, Purdue University, and to Dr J. Linsley Gressitt, Bishop Museum, for their generous assistance and guidance. Dr Nixon A. Wilson, University of Northern Iowa, provided some of the initial encouragement. Important collections of undeter­ mined specimens or comparative material were made available by Mile Nicole Berti, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris; Dr Michio Chujo, Entomological Laboratory at Kagawa University; Dr Roger Damoiseau, Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique in Bruxelles; Dr Gordon F. Gross, South Australian Museum in Adelaide; Dr Lee H. Herman, Jr., American Museum of Natural History in New York; Dr Shinsaku Kimoto, Zoological Laboratory at Kurume University; Dr G. Kuschel, Entomology Division of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Nelson; Dr John F. Lawrence, Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University; Mr Hugh B. Leach, California Aademy of Sciences in San Francisco; Mrs Brenda May, Plant Protection Division of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Auckland; Mr R. G. Ordish, Dominion Museum in Wellington; Dr Per Inge Persson, Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet in Stockholm; Dr Gerhard Scherer, Museum G. Frey in Tutzing; Dr C. N. Smithers, The Australian Museum in Sydney; Dr Peter Stanbury, The Macleay Museum in Sydney; Mr R. T. Thompson, British Museum (Natural History) in London; Dr E. G. White, Tussock Grasslands and Mountain Lands Institute, Lincoln