Sagrinae, Leach, 1815

Linzmeier, Adelita M., Moura, Luciano de A., Ribeiro-Costa, Cibele S., Manfio, Daiara, Agrain, Federico, Chamorro, Maria L., Morse, Geoffrey E., Regalin, Renato & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2024, An overview of the Brazilian Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera): the most species-rich beetle family in Brazil, Zoologia (e 23092) 41, pp. 1-21 : 6

Sagrinae

Sagrinae Leach, 1815 have only one species in Brazil – Megamerus alvarengai Monrós, 1956 , restricted to Rio Grande do Norte. Little is known about its biology ( Monrós 1956a). Morphologically it is most similar to the Malagasy genus Prionesthis Lacordaire, 1845 (formerly known as Rhagiosoma Chapuis, 1878 ) rather than to Australian Megamerus MacLeay, 1827 ( Sekerka 2007, Sekerka and Voisin 2014). This subfamily contains presently 72 species classified in 13 genera and four tribes worldwide. The subfamily has a mainly palaeotropical distribution, with the center of diversity in Australia. The Neotropical fauna is very poor and only two species of Megamerini are recorded so far; the diversity of this tribe is mainly in Australia and Madagascar. The other Neotropical species, Atalasis sagroides Lacordaire, 1845 , is so far known only from Northern and Central Argentina but it is very likely present also in SE Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná) since these two regions share similar habitats. This species is associated with various Malvaceae and is one of a few among Sagrinae with known biology and described larva ( Monrós 1943, 1955). Genera of Sagrinae were revised by the Argentinean Francisco de AsÍs Monrós (1922–1958), who also established the tribal system ( Monrós 1960).