''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family

Chrysomelidae The insects of the beetle family Chrysomelidae are commonly known as leaf beetles, and include over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making up one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle ...

. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is missing from the

Nearctic realm The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...

. The genus was first established by Louis Alexandre Auguste Chevrolat in 1836 to include species of Galerucinae with an elongated basi-metatarsus (the first

tarsomere The arthropod leg is a form of jointed appendage of arthropods, usually used for walking. Many of the terms used for arthropod leg segments (called podomeres) are of Latin origin, and may be confused with terms for bones: ''coxa'' (meaning hip, plur ...

of the hind leg). The generic name ''Monolepta'' is derived from the Greek (''monos'', meaning 'one') and (''leptos'', meaning 'thin, slender'). In 1875, Félicien Chapuis established the supra-generic group "Monoleptites", which included other Galerucinae with an elongated basi-metatarsus. Other genera traditionally placed in this group include, for example, '' Luperodes'', '' Candezea'' and '' Barombiella''. The group "Monoleptites" was later found to be polyphyletic, as an elongated basi-metatarsus has evolved multiple times in the Galerucinae.

Selected species

* '' Monolepta albipunctata'' Lei, Xu, Yang & Nie, 2021 * ''

Monolepta alticola ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Lei, Xu, Yang & Nie, 2021 * '' Monolepta annamita'' Laboissiere, 1889 * ''

Monolepta australis ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is ...

'' Jacoby, 1882 * '' Monolepta bioculata'' (Fabricius, 1781) * '' Monolepta bivittata'' Lei, Xu, Yang & Nie, 2021 * ''

Monolepta cavipennis ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Baly, 1878 * ''

Monolepta cruciata ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Guérin de Méneville, 1847 * ''

Monolepta hagiangana ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Bezděk & Beenen, 2020 * ''

Monolepta kuroheri ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Kimoto, 1966 * ''

Monolepta leechi ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Jacoby, 1890 * ''

Monolepta leuce ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Weise, 1903 * ''

Monolepta marginella ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Weise, 1903 * ''

Monolepta melanogaster ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' (Wiedemann, 1823) * ''

Monolepta mengsongensis ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' Lei, Xu, Yang & Nie, 2021 * ''

Monolepta pallidula ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' (Baly, 1874) * ''

Monolepta quadriguttata ''Monolepta'' is a genus of skeletonizing leaf beetles in the family Chrysomelidae. It is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the Galerucinae ''sensu stricto'', with more than 700 described species occurring almost worldwide. It is m ...

'' (Motschulsky, 1860) * '' Monolepta rubripennis'' Lei, Xu, Yang & Nie, 2021 * '' Monolepta rufofulva'' Chujo, 1938 * '' Monolepta sauteri'' Chujo, 1935 * '' Monolepta signata'' (Olivier, 1808)

Selected species

References

Further reading