Corresponding author: Yves Bousquet (
Academic editor: A.D. Smith
The North American (north of Mexico) species of the tenebrionid genus
Bousquet Y, Bouchard P (2014) Review of the species of
The genus
The purpose of this paper is to review the American species occurring north of Mexico and provide a key for their identification.
The study is based on the examination of about 3110 specimens borrowed from the following collections:
Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick. Reginald P. Webster.
American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York. Lee H. Herman.
The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom. Maxwell Barclay.
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California. David H. Kavanaugh.
Canadian Museum of Nature, Gatineau, Quebec. François Génier.
Canadian National Collection of Insects, Archnides and Nematodes, Ottawa, Ontario.
Cornell University Insect Collection, Ithaca, New York. James K. Liebherr.
Department of Entomology, University of New Hampshire. Donald S. Chandler.
Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, New Mexico. Darren A. Pollock.
Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Gainesville, Florida. Paul E. Skelley.
Georgia Museum of Natural History, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. E. Richard Hoebeke.
Gerard J. Hilchie Collection, Edmonton, Alberta.
Wallis-Roughley Museum of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Robert E. Roughley.
Janet Ciegler Collection, West Columbia, South Carolina.
Lyman Entomological Museum and Research Laboratory, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. Stéphanie Boucher.
Louisiana State Arthropod Museum, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Matthew L. Gimmel.
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Philip Perkins.
Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino, Italy. Luca Picciau.
Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, Alberta. Greg R. Pohl.
Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, Alberta. Mark Steinhilber.
Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, British Columbia. Claudia Copley.
Rolf L. Aalbu Collection, Sacramento, California.
Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, Saskatchewan. Ronald R. Hooper.
Reginald P. Webster Collection, Charters Settlement, New Brunswick.
Snow Entomological Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. Zachary Falin.
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. Edward G. Riley.
Strickland Museum, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. Danny Shpeley.
Spencer Entomological Museum, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia. Karen Needham.
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC. Warren E. Steiner.
Zoological Museum, Moscow University, Moscow, Russia. Nikolay B. Nikitsky.
The photographs were made with a Leica Digital DC500 Imaging Workstation using Zerene Stacker software and retouched with Adobe Photoshop software.
For type specimens, complete verbatim label data are given with additional information enclosed within quotation marks; individual labels are separated by a slash (/).
The distribution maps were generated using the software SimpleMappr (
(based on species treated only). Body short, convex, pubescent; elytra with slanting setae in addition to erect setae. Epistoma with clypeolabral membrane exposed. Eyes present, prominent. Gena not sulcate. Antenna with last three antennomeres abruptly expanded, forming a distinct, loose club. Labial palpi short, penultimate palpomere swollen, last palpomere narrow, more or less fusiform; last maxillary palpomere large, at least twice as large apically than basally. Pronotum with sides denticulate, each denticle with one or two stiff setae; surface with relatively coarse punctures. Procoxae moderately separated. Mesepimeron not closing mesocoxal cavity. Elytra without striae, with relatively coarse punctures; epipleuron distinct and relatively wide up to apex. Abdomen with distinct membrane along posterior edge of ventrites 3 and 4. Intercoxal process of first ventrite relatively wide, more or less rounded apically. Tibia not expanded apically. Metatarsomere 1 elongate, as long as next two tarsomeres combined; penultimate tarsomere deeply lobate dorsally; last tarsomere not arising at apex of penultimate tarsomere. Tarsal claw simple, not pectinate. Tarsal formula 5–5-4. Defensive glands absent.
This genus currently includes 57 species (
Checklist of
Species | Distribution |
---|---|
Brazil | |
Brazil | |
Brazil | |
Brazil | |
Venezuela | |
Panama | |
Brazil | |
Mexico, Central America | |
Mexico, Central America | |
Brazil | |
Panama | |
Venezuela | |
Panama | |
Brazil | |
Brazil | |
Brazil | |
Argentina | |
Canada, U.S.A. | |
Panama | |
Brazil | |
Canada, U.S.A. | |
Bolivia | |
Canada, U.S.A. | |
Brazil | |
Nicaragua, Panama | |
Brazil | |
Trinidad | |
Venezuela | |
Brazil | |
Brazil | |
Guatemala | |
Mexico | |
Brazil | |
Peru | |
Columbia | |
Brazil | |
Brazil | |
Guadeloupe | |
Brazil | |
Mexico | |
Mexico, Central America | |
Central America | |
Canada, U.S.A. | |
Mexico, Central America | |
Panama | |
Central America | |
Argentina | |
Brazil | |
Brazil | |
Bolivia | |
Costa Rica | |
U.S.A., Mexico | |
Mexico, Central America | |
Mexico, Central America | |
Panama | |
Argentina | |
Mexico, Central America |
We did not investigate the taxonomic position of the genus
The biology of members of
There are two types of setae on the elytra of
1 | Metaventrite short, length along midline subequal to or shorter than length of abdominal ventrite 2 along midline | 2 |
– | Metaventrite longer, length along midline longer than length of abdominal ventrite 2 along midline | 3 |
2 | Elytra with very few, short erect setae | |
– | Elytra with numerous, long erect setae | |
3 | Antennomere 8 transverse. Metaventrite quite distinctly darker than first two abdominal ventrites in the vast majority of specimens, not or only slightly darker in a few specimens. Protibia of male without calcar | |
– | Antennomere 8 subquadrate or slightly elongate. Metaventrite not darker than first two abdominal ventrites in the vast majority of specimens, slightly darker in a few specimens. Protibia of male with calcar | 4 |
4 | Pronotum with maximum width anterior of midlength ( |
|
– | Pronotum with maximum width at midlength ( |
Motschulsky’s collection at ZMMU contains a single specimen, a female, under the name
Motschulsky’s collection contains a single specimen, a male, under the name
This species and
Body dorsally reddish yellow to dark reddish brown, legs paler, yellow to reddish yellow; antennal club not darkened in most specimens; metaventrite not darker than first two abdominal ventrites. Antennomere 8 subquadrate or very slightly transverse. Pronotum with maximum width near midlength or slightly anterior to midlength; punctures moderately dense, not subcontiguous even over lateral half. Elytra very convex; slanting setae subdepressed, erect setae very few, short. Metaventrite short, length along midline clearly shorter than length of abdominal ventrite 2 along midline. Male protibia with calcar near middle along ventral surface; male mesotibia with short, in some specimens very short, more or less perpendicular preapical protuberance. Parameres with sides more or less parallel towards apex, apex not particularly acute (
Length: 2.5–3.2 mm.
This species ranges from southern Maine to southwestern Manitoba, south to central Texas, southwestern Alabama, and central South Carolina (
We have seen 660 specimens from the following localities. Canada.
Females are much more abundant in collections than males. Of 183 specimens randomly selected, 8 were males (4.4%) and 175 were females (95.6%). The males came from Georgia (n=1), Alabama (n=6), and Missouri (n=1). No males were found among the 160+ randomly selected specimens from Canada and the northern states.
Specimens were collected in January (n=1), February (n=1), March (n=89), April (n=64), May (n=8), June (n=61), July (n=20), August (n=95), September (n=31), October (n=38), November (n=6) and December (n=2).
Labels on specimens read “in leaf litter” (6 specimens); “in leaf litter of black birch and shrubs around and on areas of exposed rock” (71); “forest litter sifting” (2); “forest litter” (3); “moist forest berlese” (1).
LeConte’s collection at MCZ contains a single male specimen under the name
Fall described
This species differs from
Same character states as
This species ranges from Quebec City to the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia, north to southern Northwest Territories, south to northern New Mexico, northeastern Kansas, and Maryland (
We have seen 305 specimens from the following localities. Canada.
Females are a little more common in collections than males. Of 45 randomly selected specimens, 28 (62%) were females and 17 (38%) were males.
Specimens were collected in February (n=1), March (n=30), April (n=58), May (n=8), June (n=40), July (n=7), August (n=19), September (n=14), October (n=5) and November (n=4).
Most of Say’s entomological collection has been destroyed and we are unaware that a syntype of his
Many specimens of
Body dorsally uniformly pale to dark reddish brown in most specimens, with the pronotum and head slightly darker than elytra and legs in some specimens; antennal club darker than antennomeres 1–8; metaventrite not darker than first two abdominal ventrites in the vast majority of specimens, slightly darker in a few specimens. Antennomere 8 subquadrate. Pronotum with maximum width anterior of midlength (
Length: 3.0–4.0 mm.
This species ranges from New Brunswick to southeastern Manitoba, south to eastern Texas, southern Mississippi, and southeastern Florida (
We have seen 1215 specimens from the following localities. Canada.
This species varies in regard to the punctation and setae. The punctation on the pronotum is coarse and in most specimens free on the disc and very close, in part subcontiguous over the sides; in some specimens the punctation is denser, being subcontiguous on the disc and contiguous all over the lateral sides. The slanting setae on the elytra are usually semierect but in some specimens they are less inclined and the erect setae are difficult to distinguish. The erect setae are usually short and moderately numerous but in some specimens, they can be relatively long or much more numerous; in such case the species can be confused with
Females are more common in collections than males. Of 220 randomly selected specimens, 169 (77%) were females and 51 (23%) were males.
Specimens were collected in March (n=6), April (n=89), May (n=296), June (n=384), July (n=152), August (n=67), September (n=40), October (n=9), November (n=5), and December (n=2).
Labels on specimens read “in overwintered nest remains of
Holotype (♂) labeled “Tabusintac, N.S. 20-VI-1939 W.J. Brown / Holotype Paratenetus exutus Bousquet & Bouchard CNC No. 24035.” The specimen is deposited in the CNC.
Paratypes from the following localities:
The specific name comes from the Latin participle
This species is best separated from
Body dorsally pale reddish brown in most specimens, with the pronotum and head usually slightly darker than elytra and legs; antennal club darker than antennomeres 1–8, particularly in males; metaventrite quite distinctly darker than first two abdominal ventrites in the vast majority of specimens, not or only slightly darker in a few specimens. Antennomere 8 transverse. Pronotum with maximum width at or very slightly anterior of midlength (
Length: 2.5–3.0 mm.
Dorsal habitus drawing of
Left half of pronotum.
Parameres (dorsal view).
This species ranges from Cape Breton Island to northwestern Alberta, south to east-central Texas, southern Alabama, and southern Florida (
Maps showing collection localities in North America.
Maps showing collection localities in North America.
We have seen 416 specimens, including the type material, from the following localities. Canada.
While almost all specimens from Canada and northern United States had the metaventrite distinctly darker than the first two abdominal ventrites, this is not the case with the specimens from the southern states. There is also variation in the width of the antennomere 8. Most specimens have that antennomere distinctly transverse, some specimens from the southern states (particularly Louisiana) have the antennomere 8 only slightly transverse.
Females are more common in collections than males. Of 105 randomly selected specimens, 76 (72%) were females and 29 (28%) were males.
Specimens were collected in March (n=9), April (n=38), May (n=84), June (n=58), July (n=79), August (n=40), September (n=22), October (n=5), November (n=3), and December (n=2).
Labels on specimens read “at black light near mixed forest, farmed fields and tidal creek” (4 specimens); “at black light at edge of mixed forest and open turf on hill” (1); “in moldy leaf clusters on cut branches of
Most specimens of this species in collections are identified under the name “
Holotype (♂) labeled “Port Isabel, Tex. 20.X.1982 Lot 2 BF&JL Carr / Holotype Paratenetus texanus Bousquet & Bouchard CNC No. 24133.” The specimen is deposited in the CNC.
Paratypes from the following localities:
The specific name derives from the name of the state of Texas where the species has been commonly collected.
Members of this species can be distinguished from those of
Body dorsally yellow to pale reddish brown, with the pronotum and head usually slightly darker than elytra and legs; antennal club slightly darker than antennomeres 1–8 in many specimens, often reddish brown to partially piceous, yellowish and as pale as legs in some specimens; metaventrite not darker than first two abdominal ventrites. Antennomere 8 subquadrate. Pronotum with maximum width at midlength (
Length: 2.7–3.3 mm.
This species is known from southeastern Florida, central Louisiana, and central and eastern Texas (
Map showing collection localities in America (north of Mexico) of
We have seen 515 specimens, including the type material, from the following localities. United States of America.
The two specimens from Miami in Florida externally agree perfectly with those from Texas. One is a male and its genitalia are identical to those of specimens from Texas.
Males are more common in collections than females. Of 106 randomly selected specimens, 42 (40%) were females and 64 (60%) were males.
Specimens were collected in January (n=1), February (n=1), March (n=65), April (n=39), May (n=89), June (n=30), July (n=53), August (n=21), September (n=36), October (n=108), November (n=2), and December (n=6).
Labels on specimens read “at black light in
This new species occurs in Mexico and nine species have been reported from that country. We have examined the type material of the six species described by Champion and housed in BMNH, i.e.,
We would like to thank Matthew L. Gimmel for sharing independently-generated information on Nearctic