The Sepidiini is a tribe of ground-dwelling
darkling beetle
Darkling beetle is the common name for members of the beetle family Tenebrionidae. The number of species in the Tenebrionidae is estimated at more than 20,000 and the family is cosmopolitan in distribution.
Taxonomy
''Tenebrio'' is the Latin gen ...
s (Tenebrionidae),
that occurs across Africa, the
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...
, the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
and
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
. It is composed of many hundreds of species.
The larvae of some species are known to damage crops.
Morphology
Their morphology is complex due to their richly divergent forms.
[ They are distinguished from the diurnal taxa, by their well-developed and true hypomera of the elytra, the free mobility of the thorax and hind body, and the free and non-fused pleurital and pleural margins of the sterna and elytra respectively.][
]
Biology
Their morphology is believed to facilitate moisture absorption and accumulation, via the open body sutures and the loosely joined body parts. Subtribe Trachynotina excepting, they show an almost uniform tendency to be nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
, crepuscular
In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal, vespertine, or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, where an animal is active during the hours of daylig ...
or shade-loving.[ Like the tribe Tentyriini, their daily rhythm is based on a strictly nocturnal ancestral disposition. Their open and non-connate body sutures suggest the enjoyment of nocturnal conditions and night moisture.][
At night, a surface secretion of a sometimes pruinescent or waxy substance has been noted on the bodies of genera '' Brinckia'', '' Namibomodes'', '' Synhimba'' and '' Ocnodes'' (or '' Phanerotomea''). This is assumed to prevent evaporation.][
]
Taxonomy
The tribe Sepidiini is made up of 6 subtribes, 70 genera, and more than 1000 species. These genera belong to the tribe Sepidiini:
* Hypomelina[
** '' Argenticrinis'' Louw, 1979
** '' Bombocnodulus'' Koch, 1955
** '' Brinckia'' Koch, 1962
** '' Hypomelus'' Solier, 1843
** '' Iugidorsum'' Louw, 1979
** '' Sulcipectus'' Louw, 1979
** '' Trachynotidus'' Péringuey, 1899
** '' Triangulipenna'' Louw, 1979
** '' Uniungulum'' Koch, 1962
* Molurina]Dichtha
The white-legged toktokkies (genus ''Dichtha'') are ground-dwelling, Afrotropics, Afrotropical beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. They are stout, black beetles of about 2 – 2.5 cm in length. The antennae and legs are covered in pale to br ...
''
** '' Distretus''
** '' Euphrynus''
** '' Glyptophrynus''
** '' Huilamus''
** '' Mariazofia''
** '' Melanolophus''
** '' Moluris''
** '' Ocnodes''
** '' Piesomera''
** '' Phrynocolus''
** '' Phrynophanes''
** '' Physophrynus''
** '' Psammodes''
** '' Psammophanes''
** '' Psammorhyssus''
** '' Psammotyria''
** '' Stridulomus''
** '' Tarsocnodes''
** '' Toktokkus''
** '' Tibiocnodes''
** '' Tuberocnodes''
* Oxurina[
** '' Decoriplus'' Louw, 1979
** '' Miripronotum'' Louw, 1979
** '' Namibomodes'' Koch, 1952
** '' Oxura'' Kirby, 1819
** '' Palpomodes'' Koch, 1952
** '' Pterostichula'' Koch, 1952
** '' Stenethmus'' Gebien, 1937
** '' Synhimba'' Koch, 1952
* Phanerotomeina][
** '' Huilamus'' Koch, 1953
** '' Ocnodes'' Fåhraeus, 1870
** '' Psammoryssus'' Kolbe, 1886
** '' Stridulomus'' Koch, 1955
** '' Tarsocnodes'' Gebien, 1920
* Sepidiina][
** '' Dimoniacis'' Koch, 1958
** '' Echinotus'' Solier, 1843
** '' Peringueyia'' Koch, 1958
** '' Sepidiopsis'' Gestro, 1892
** '' Sepidiostenus'' Fairmaire, 1884
** '' Sepidium'' Fabricius, 1775
** '' Vieta'' Laporte, 1840
** '' Vietomorpha'' Fairmaire, 1887
* Trachynotina][
** '' Cyrtoderes'' Dejean, 1834
** '' Epairopsis'' Koch, 1955
** '' Ethmus'' Haag-Rutenberg-Rutenberg, 1873
** '' Histrionotus'' Koch, 1955
** '' Microphligra'' Koch, 1955
** '' Ossiporis'' Pascoe, 1866
** '' Oxycerus'' Koch, 1955
** '' Somaticus'' Hope, 1840
** '' Trachynotus'' Latreille, 1828
** '' Trichethmus'' Gebien, 1937
]
Gallery
File:Hypomelus_flagrans,_12,_Annale_van_die_Suid-Afrikaanse_Museum_(18229129080).jpg,
File:Dichtha_incantatoris,_e,_Phalandingwe.jpg,
File:Helmeted_Toktokkie_(Phanerotomea_virago)_(6041960893).jpg,
File:Tenebrionidae_-_Sepidium_magnum.jpg,
References
External links
Molurini
micro*scope
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15138531
Pimeliinae
Polyphaga tribes