Diario del proyecto Tenebrionidae (Darkling Beetles) of Southern Africa

12 de febrero de 2024

Stridulomus sulcicollis - Stridulating Toktokkie


Stridulomus sulcicollis (Péringuey 1886) - Stridulating Toktokkie

https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/89735-stridulomus-sulcicollis-peringuey-1886-stridulating-toktokkie


Stridulomus sulcicollis (Stridulating Toktokkie) is one of the enormous tenebrionid beetles, it is usally 60 mm in length, but may be up to 80 mm.
This species is easily recognized by a very large longitudinal median depression at the base of the pronotum ('sulcicollis') and told from other large Molurina species by ...

Stridulation as a defense mechanism against enemies is widespread in beetles and occasionally occurs in Tenebrionidae. ... the situation is different in Tenebrionidae, where elytra and legs rub together, which is inaudible to us and is evident only from the morphology. Sound production using different stridulatory mechanisms has evolved independently in a number of Tenebrionidae. ...

more at - https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/89735-stridulomus-sulcicollis-peringuey-1886-stridulating-toktokkie

Posted on 12 February, 2024 15:38 by @traianbertau

Publicado el febrero 12, 2024 05:59 TARDE por tonyrebelo tonyrebelo | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

17 de noviembre de 2023

31 de marzo de 2023

Identification of Truetok Tokkies Toktokkus

Identification of Toktokkus (Truetok Tokkies)

Key, figures and distribution map are available in these two papers

Features used in the key: be sure to photograph them - fortunately this key seems to be based primarily on dorsal features, so ID in this genus to species should be very easy:

  • Elytral disc ( flat or convex)
  • Elytra apex (slope, depressions, margins)
  • Elytra shape (round, elongate)
  • Elytral hairs (black, golden, absent)
  • Humeri (front edges of elytra) (prominent or not)
  • Tubercles (shape [pointed, rounded, indistinct], arrangement: # rows and position, density, angle of point, size (all same or "microtubercles"present), separate or merging ("confluent")
  • Prosternal collar (margin shape)
  • Pronotum punctures (prominent, micro, none)
  • Body size (small < 25mm > large) - will need a scale or notes!
Publicado el marzo 31, 2023 10:06 MAÑANA por tonyrebelo tonyrebelo | 3 comentarios | Deja un comentario

24 de marzo de 2023

Psammodes

Psammodes has been revised:

Female terminalia morphology and cladistic relations among Tok-Tok beetles (Tenebrionidae: Sepidiini)
Marcin J. Kamiński, Olivia M. Gearner, Marcin Raś, Elliot T. Hunsinger, Amelia L. Smith, et al. 2022
https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12510 Cladistics 38: 623-648

Abstract:
Tok-tokkies are one of the most iconic lineages within Tenebrionidae. In addition to containing some of the largest darkling beetles, this tribe is recognized for its remarkable form of sexual communication known as substrate tapping. Nevertheless, the phylogenetic relationships within the group remain poorly understood. This study investigates the usefulness of female terminalia morphology for delimiting Sepidiini and reconstructing relationships among it.
Data on the structure of the ovipositors, genital tubes and spicula ventrali have been generated for >200 species representing 28 Pimeliinae tribes. This dataset was used in a comparative analysis at the subfamilial level, which resulted in recognition of several unique features of tok-tokkie terminalia.
Additionally, new features linking phenotypically challenging tribes also were recovered (Cryptochilini + Idisiini + Pimeliini).
Secondly, 23 characters linked to the structure of female terminalia were defined for tok-tok beetles. Cladistic analysis demonstrates the non-monophyletic nature of most of the recognized subtribes. The morphological dataset was analysed separately and in combination with available molecular data (CAD, Wg, cox1, cox2, 28S). All obtained topologies were largely congruent, supporting the following changes:

  • Palpomodina Kamiński & Gearner subtr.n. is erected to accommodate the genera Namibomodes and Palpomodes;
  • Argenticrinis and Bombocnodulus are transferred from Hypomelina to Molurina;
  • 153 species and subspecies previously classified within Psammodes are distributed over three separate genera: Mariazofia, Piesomera & Psammodes.
    Psammodes sklodowskae Kamiński & Gearner sp.n. is described. Preliminary investigation of the ovipositor of Mariazofia basuto (Koch) comb.n. was carried out with the application of microcomputed tomography, illuminating the muscular system as a reliable reference point for recognizing homologous elements in highly modified ovipositors.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That has led to this proposed swap:
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes/113803
& this discussion:
https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/584700

So, in short, most of our IDs on iNat are out of date as Psammodes, but have not been fixed because doing so will change over 500 Mariazofia IDs (as intended by anyone using the local field guides) to Subtribe Molurina - which will require a monumental effort to get back to Mariazofia (basically hundreds of people will have to redo their IDs).
Please help us resolve this issue by tackling some of he problems below.

Publicado el marzo 24, 2023 10:59 MAÑANA por tonyrebelo tonyrebelo | 4 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Archivos