''Acronymolpus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. There are two species placed in the genus, both of which are sexually dimorphic; the females are large and reddish, and the males are small and black. A member of the tribe Eumolpini, ''Acronymolpus'' is distinguished from other members of the tribe in New Caledonia by its enlarged metacoxae (coxae of the hind legs), which occupy most of the first abdominal

ventrite The sternum (pl. "sterna") is the ventral portion of a segment of an arthropod thorax or abdomen. In insects, the sterna are usually single, large sclerites, and external. However, they can sometimes be divided in two or more, in which case the ...

and nearly reach its posterior margin.

Taxonomy

''Acronymolpus'' was first proposed by Dr. G. Allan Samuelson of the

Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the lar ...

, who published a description of the genus in the online journal ''

ZooKeys ''ZooKeys'' is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal covering zoological taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography. It was established in 2008 and the editor-in-chief is Terry Erwin (Smithsonian Institution). It is published by Pensoft Publ ...

'' in 2015. The genus name is a combination of the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

prefix (meaning "pointed, first, high"), "''nyma''" (given as meaning "name") and the prefix "''-molpus''" (from ''Eumolpus'', the type genus of the subfamily Eumolpinae), and has a masculine

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...

. The genus originally contained four new species, all described by the same author. These four species were later found to be the female and male forms of two previously described species placed in '' Stethotes''. These two ''Stethotes'' species were then transferred to ''Acronymolpus'' in 2017, taking priority over the original four species placed in the genus.

Description

The body is bulky and

fusiform Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends. It is similar to the lemon-shape, but often implies a focal broadening of a structure that continues from one or both ends, such as an aneurysm on a b ...

, nearly having a diamond shape in the females. The females are larger (3.0–3.3 mm), broader, more convex and reddish, while the males are smaller (2.4–2.6 mm), more slender, less convex and black. The elytra are strongly narrowed from the basal region to the preapex. The antennae are slender and elongate, reaching their apex at 1/3 or more of the length of the elytra. The pronotum is convex with the front-side area strongly descended, appearing narrowed when viewed from above. The scutellum is small and triangular, with a smooth surface. The punctures on the elytra are arranged in regular stripes, but the central rows are confused and obliterated at the basal half before being organised into straight rows at the apex. A groove is present on the pygidium. The

prosternum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on ea ...

is subquadrate and flattened. The hypomeron is more or less smooth and lacks punctures. The

metasternum The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the third pair of legs. Its principal sclerites ( exoskeletal plates) are the metanotum (dorsal), the metasternum (ventral), and the metapleuron (lateral) ...

is broadly and gently convex, and more or less smooth. The first abdominal ventrite is almost trisected by the enlarged metacoxae. The remaining ventrites are narrowed posteriorly, collectively forming a subtriangular outline. In the legs, the femora are subclavate, and the tibiae are slender, being nearly equal in length to the femora. The apex of the metatibia is entire, lacking an emargination. The metacoxae are enlarged. The tarsal claws are appendiculate.

Species

The genus ''Acronymolpus'' includes two species: * '' Acronymolpus bertiae'' (Jolivet, Verma & Mille, 2007) (Synonyms: ''A. meteorus'' Samuelson, 2015; ''A. turbo'' Samuelson, 2015) – Central Chain, Massif de la Boghen * '' Acronymolpus jourdani'' (Jolivet, Verma & Mille, 2013) (Synonyms: ''A. gressitti'' Samuelson, 2015; ''A. joliveti'' Samuelson, 2015) – Massif du Panié

References

Eumolpinae Chrysomelidae genera Insects of New Caledonia Beetles of Oceania Endemic fauna of New Caledonia {{Eumolpinae-stub