Cryptocephalinae, Gyllenhal, 1813

Cryptocephalinae View in CoL

Cryptocephalinae Gyllenhal, 1813 View in CoL currently include the Clytrini View in CoL , Fulcidacini (formerly treated as subfamilies Clytrinae and Fulcidacinae), Cryptocephalini View in CoL , Pachybrachini and Mylassini ( Gómez-Zurita and Cardoso 2021), this last tribe absent in Brazil. The group comprises approximately 5,300 worldwide species in 127 genera ( Chamorro 2014b), with 728 species recorded from Brazil. For the Neotropical region, a key to the genera of Argentinian Cryptocephalinae View in CoL and Lamprosomatinae View in CoL is given by Agrain et al. (2017), which is valid for most of the Brazilian genera. Also, the world host plant data for the subfamily was summarized by Agrain et al. (2024).

Cryptocephalinae View in CoL and Lamprosomatinae View in CoL (below) are collectively known as “Camptosomata” or “case-bearers,” due to the peculiar habit of having their eggs, larvae, and pupae living in a fecal protective case ( Agrain and Marvaldi 2009, Chaboo et al. 2016, and references therein). Adults of case-bearing chrysomelids feed on foliage of a variety of eudicots ( Erber 1988, Agrain et al. 2024), but their larvae often depart from strict phytophagy, living on the ground, in leaf litter, feeding on dry vegetable material and detritus ( Brown and Funk 2005, and references therein). One of the most interesting aspects of cryptocephaline biology is that some species have been documented to be closely associated with ants ( Hymenoptera View in CoL : Formicidae View in CoL ). Agrain et al. (2015) synthesized global literature on this topic, revealing that myrmecophilous cryptocephalines primarily live among formicine and myrmecines ants hosts. Myrmecophily is more common in the tribe Clytrini View in CoL than in Cryptocephalini View in CoL and Pachybrachini, but it has not been documented for Fulcidacini and Mylassini, or the closely related Lamprosomatinae View in CoL .

Fulcidacini (i.e., the Chlamisinae/- ini of most studies) are a small group with approximately 500 species described worldwide in 11 genera ( Chamorro-Lacayo and Konstantinov 2009, Chamorro 2014b). Most of their diversity is in the New World (ca. 450 species) and Brazil with 255 species (42.5% of world fauna) is the country with the richest species diversity. The group was intensively studied by F.A. Monrós, who also published a revision of fauna of the southern part of South America ( Monrós 1952) View in CoL . Another prolific worker was the Brazilian Werner Carl August Bokermann (1929–1995), who published 20 papers devoted mainly to the Brazilian fauna (e.g., Bokermann 1961, 1962, 1964). Fulcidacini have the largest diversity in seasonally dry regions and are rather rare in wet tropics. Adult beetles as well as larvae are phytophagous. Larvae of many species feed on bark of young twigs of various woody plants similarly to Lamprosomatinae View in CoL and build complicated portable cases, which often resembles morphological structures of their respective host plant. All Fulcidacini genera were reviewed, diagnosed, keyed, and illustrated by Chamorro-Lacayo and Konstantinov (2009). The biology and seasonality of Fulcidax monstrosa (Fabricius, 1798) were studied by Flinte and Macedo (2004).

Clytrini View in CoL are a moderately large group containing 1,862 species worldwide. They are mostly associated with arid habitats, and have the largest diversity in Central Asia, Africa and the southern part of South America ( Chamorro 2014b) View in CoL . The New World fauna comprises currently 475 species with most of the diversity in seasonally dry regions of Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. Currently, 153 species (8.2% of world diversity) are known to occur in Brazil and 108 of them are so far considered to be endemic to the country. The Neotropical fauna was intensively studied by F.A. Monrós, which resulted in the publication of a large monograph on Argentinean fauna ( Monrós 1954) that also applies largely to Brazil. Another important researcher was Jacintho Guérin ( Guérin 1943, 1944, 1945, 1949, 1952), who mostly studied the Brazilian fauna and described 21 species. Clytrini View in CoL larvae are mostly saprophagous feeding on decomposing leaves in litter or on bark of twigs of various woody plants, some are myrmecophilous, while the adults usually eat the youngest tender leaves of their host plants ( Erber 1988).

Cryptocephalini View in CoL are a large group containing at least 3,500 described species worldwide. Neotropical Cryptocephalini View in CoL are poorly known and have remained nearly untouched since Suffrian’s (1863, 1866) monographs. The only other major worker was Martin Jacoby. Suffrian and Jacoby described 625 species of the 800 known Neotropical species. Brazil, with 148 species, has the largest diversity in the region, however, there is most likely a considerable number of undescribed species. Most of the Brazilian species have unknown distribution within the country and the only references are the original descriptions. Contrary to Fulcidacini and Clytrini View in CoL , Cryptocephalini View in CoL are very diverse in the wet tropics. Cryptocephalini View in CoL larvae are mainly saprophagous, feeding on decomposing leaves in litter, and some species feed on fresh leaves; adults usually feed on the youngest tender leaves of their host plant, and many species are also found on flowers where they eat pollen and petals ( Chamorro 2014b).

Pachybrachini are most diverse in the Neotropical region ( Chamorro 2013, 2014b). The monophyly of the tribe is currently supported by molecular data ( Gómez-Zurita and Cardoso 2021) and on a combination of the presence (or absence) of morphological features present in other tribes ( Chamorro 2013). A total of 172 species in four genera are present in Brazil. Almost 70% of the species in the subfamily were described by E. Suffrian (237 species), J.T. Lacordaire (151 species), F.A. Monrós (76 species), and W.C.A. Bokermann (40 species).