A comprehensive revision of the New World genus Metaparia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Metaparia Crotch, 1873 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) is a small Neotropical genus extending from the southwestern United States to Costa Rica.  The taxonomy of this group has largely been ignored, with the exception of two broad revisions of Eumolpinae in Central America and North American north of Mexico by Flowers (1996) and Schultz (1970), respectively.  The objective of the current study is to provide a comprehensive taxonomic revision and phylogeny of Metaparia.  Both the taxonomic revision and phylogeny will be morphology based, utilizing characters traditionally important for describing Metaparia, such as male mandibles, and non-traditional characters, such as male genitalia.  This research will modernize Metaparia taxonomy, providing a strong foundation essential for future work on basic biology, biodiversity, and phylogenetics.