Podontia

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Cladus: Pancrustacea
Cladus: Allotriocarida
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Holometabola
Superordo: Coleopterida
Ordo: Coleoptera
Subordo: Polyphaga
Infraordo: Cucujiformia
Cladus: Phytophaga
Superfamilia: Chrysomeloidea

Familia: Chrysomelidae
Subfamilia: Galerucinae
Tribus: Alticini
Subtribus: Blepharidina
Genus: Podontia
Species: P. affinis – P. congregata – P. dalmani – P. flava – P. jalur – P. laosensis – P. lutea – P. nigripes – P. quatuordecimpunctata – P. rufocastanea
Name

Podontia Dalman, 1824: 23

Type species: Galleruca grandis Gröndal, 1808 [= Chrysomela lutea Olivier, 1790]
Synonyms

Paramerista Lopatin, 2011: 143 [syn. Bezděk (2012: 403)]
Type species: Paramerista luteola Lopatin, 2011 [= Chrysomela lutea Olivier, 1790]

References
Primary references

Bezděk, J. 2012. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Oriental and Palaearctic Galerucinae and Cryptocephalinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Genus 23(3): 375–418. PDF. Reference page.
Dalman, J.W. 1824. Ephemerides Entomologicae. I. Holmiae: Typis P. A. Norstedt. 33 pp. Google Books. Reference page.
Lopatin, I.K. 2011. [New genus and species of leaf-beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) from China]. Euroasian Entomological Journal 10(2): 143–144. [in Russian, with English summary]. [not seen]

Additional references

Döberl, M. 2010. Subfamily Alticinae Newman, 1835. Pp. 491–563. In: Löbl, I. & Smetana, A. (eds.) Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera. Volume 6. Chrysomeloidea. Apollo Books, Stenstrup, Denmark. 924 pp. ISBN 978-87-88757-84-2. Google Books. Reference page.
Lee, C.-F. & Yu, S.-F. 2021. Redescription of Podontia lutea (Olivier, 1790) and P. dalmani Baly, 1865 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), with Notes on the Biology of P. lutea. Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research 70(3): 157–169. DOI: 10.6156/JTAR.202109_70(3).0001 Paywall. ResearchGate Open access. Reference page.
Medvedev, L.N. 2000. A revision of the group Blepharidini (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) from the Oriental region. Russian Entomological Journal 8(3): 175–184. Reference page.
Mohamedsaid, M.S. 1989a. Flea Beetles of the Genus Podontia from Peninsular Malaysia (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae). Malayan Nature Journal 42: 277–285. ResearchGate Open access. Reference page.
Mohamedsaid, M.S. 2004. Catalogue of the Malaysian Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera). Series Faunistica 36. Sofia-Moscow: Pensoft Publishers. 239 pp. ISBN 954-642-201-0. ResearchGate Open access. Reference page.
Romantsov, P.V. & Medvedev, L.N. 2015. New and little-known flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) from Southeastern Asia. Caucasian Entomological Bulletin 11(1): 45–47. DOI: 10.23885/1814-3326-2015-11-1-45-47 Open access Reference page.
Scherer, G. 1969. Die Alticinae des Indischen Subkontinentes (Coleoptera – Chrysomelidae). Pacific Insects Monograph 22: 1–251. PDF.
Scherer, G. 1978. Podontia affinis (Gröndal) a Polytypic Species (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Alticinae). Spixiana 1(3): 275–280. BHL.

Podontia is a genus of flea beetles in the family Chrysomelidae.[2] They belong in the Blepharida-group of flea beetles.
Description

They are one of the largest representatives of flea beetles and with Podontia lutea adults being around 2 centimeters long, it is reputed that it is the largest flea beetle species in the world.[3] They are distinguished from other genera in the Blepharida-group by their bifurcate prosternum, saddle-shaped mesosternum and strongly inwardly curved bifid tarsal claws.[4][5]
Larval defense

In Podontia (along with some other related genera) larvae retain their feces directly on the dorsum (upside). This coating acts as a deterrent from predators such as ants.[6] The fecal coat may also possibly serve to moderate body temperature or to reduce water loss although it has not been proven yet.[7]
Species

Species include:

Podontia affinis (Gröndal, 1808)[8]
Podontia congregata Baly, 1865[9]
Podontia dalmani Baly, 1865
Podontia flava Baly, 1865[10]
Podontia jalur Mohamedsaid, 1989[11]
Podontia laosensis Scherer, 1969[12]
Podontia lutea (Olivier, 1790)[10]
Podontia quatuordecimpunctata (Linnaeus, 1767)[9]
Podontia rufocastanea Baly, 1865[9]

Former species:[13]

Podontia basalis Baly, 1862: moved to Neoblepharella (formerly Blepharella)[14][15]
Podontia evanida Baly, 1865 moved to Calotheca
Podontia marmorata Baly, 1865 moved to Calotheca
Podontia nigrotessellata Baly, 1865 moved to Calotheca
Podontia pitalohita (Maulik, 1926): synonym of Podontia rufocastanea Baly, 1865[12]
Podontia reticulata Baly, 1865 moved to Calotheca
Podontia sacra Baly, 1865 moved to Calotheca
Podontia soriculata (Swartz, 1808): moved to Paropsides[16]
Podontia vittata Baly, 1862:[17] moved to Calotheca

See also

List of flea beetle genera

References

Bezděk, J. (2012). "Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Oriental and Palaearctic Galerucinae and Cryptocephalinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)" (PDF). Genus. 23 (3): 375–418.
"Podontia". mindat.org. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
Furth, DG. (1999). "Searching for sumacs and flea beetles: from African poison arrows to Mexican poison ivy". Entomological News (110): 183.
Medvedev, LN. (1999). "A revision of the group Blepharidiini (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) from the Oriental region". Russian Entomological Journal. 8: 175–184.
Beccera, JX. (2004a). "Ecology and evolution of New World Blepharida. In: Jolivet P, Santiago-Blay J, Schmitt M. (Eds) New Developments in Biology of the Chrysomelidae". SPB Academic Publishing Bv, the Hague: 137–143.
Vencl, FV.; Morton, TC. (1998). "The shield defense of the sumac flea beetle, Blepharida rhois (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae)". Chemoecology. 8 (1): 25–32. Bibcode:1998Checo...8...25V. doi:10.1007/PL00001800. S2CID 25886345. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
Paterson, NF. (1943). "Early stages of two species of Halticinae (Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera)". Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa. 6: 29–36.
Scherer, Gerhard (15 Dec 1978). "Podontia affinis (Gröndal) a Polytypic Species" (PDF). Zoologische Staatssammlung München: 275, 276.
Prathapan, Kaniyarikkal Divakaran; Chaboo, Caroline Simmrita (2011). "Biology of Blepharida-group flea beetles with first notes on natural history of Podontia congregata Baly, 1865 an endemic flea beetle from southern India (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)*". ZooKeys (157): 95–130. Bibcode:2011ZooK..157...95P. doi:10.3897/zookeys.157.1472. PMC 3253645. PMID 22303106.
Romantsov, P.V.; Medvedev, L.N. "New and little-known flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae) from Southeastern Asia" (PDF). zin.ru. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
Mohamedsaid, M.S. (1989). "Flea Beetles of the Genus Podontia from Peninsular Malaysia (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae)". Malayan Nature Journal (42): 277–285.
Scherer, G. (1969). "Die Alticinae des Indischen Subkontinentes (Coleoptera – Chrysomelidae)" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monographs. 22: 1–251.
Biondi, M.; Frasca, R.; Grobbelaar, E.; D'Alessandro, P. (2017). "Supraspecific taxonomy of the flea beetle genus Blepharida Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Afrotropical Region and description of Afroblepharida subgen. nov". Insect Systematics & Evolution. 48 (2): 97–155. doi:10.1163/1876312X-48022152.
Nadein, K.S. (2013). "Catalogue of Alticini genera of the World (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)". Beetles and Coleopterists website. Saint-Petersburg: Zoological Institute. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
Özdikmen, H. (2008). "Substitute names for some preoccupied leaf beetles genus group names described by L. N. Medvedev (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)". Munis Entomology & Zoology. 3 (2): 643–647.
Bechyné, J.; Springlovà de Bechyné, B. (1961). "Notas sobre Chrysomeloidea neotropicais" (PDF). Boletim do Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi. New Series. 33: 1–49.
"Podontia vittata (Baly, 1862)". Global Database Information Facility. Retrieved 27 June 2021.