Classification and annotated checklist of the Australian genera of Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera)

Abstract

An annotated checklist of Australian tenebrionid genera is given, with notes on new tribal and subfamily placements based on recent studies. The tribes Heterocheirini and Scaphidemini are used in a new sense, and the new tribes Chaerodini and Ectychini are proposed. The tribes Dysantini and Rhipidandrini have been reduced to subtribes. The following generic synonymy is proposed: Ulomoides Blackburn (= Palembus Casey). Alphitobius hilli Carter is transferred to Platydema Laporte & Brulle, and Meneristes dentipes Carter, M. lobatus Carter and M. quadratus Carter are transferred to Zophophilus Fairmaire. New generic records for Australia include: Leiochrinus Westwood, Myrmechixenus Latreille, Phaleria Latreille, Salax Guerin-Mtneville, and Tyrtaeus Champion. The genera Cymbeba Pascoe, Luprops Hope, and Thesilea Haag-Rutenberg, previously recorded from Australia, do not occur there. The genus Melytra Pascoe is transferred from Tenebrionidae to Zopheridae, and Eucistela Carter is transferred from Tenebrionidae (Alleculidae) to Pythidae.

UlomotypusBroun a member of the new subfamily Palorinae, with remarks onAphtoraBates andDemtriusBroun (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

“…Seeing this was unexpected, considering that all other palorines examined have a large sausage-shaped structure which was interpreted as a bursa, since in some palorines a separate apparent spermatheca emerges from this structure (see fig. 8 sp in Doyen et al 1990). It appears now that the sausage-shaped structure is a spermatheca, perhaps a simplification of the original coiled organ, and that therefore a true bursa is not present in the group.…”

“…Absence of the tentorial bridge is considered to be a lagriine feature (Doyen et al 1990). Among the Australian lagriines examined the bridge is absent in Lagriini and Choerodini.…”

Chemical Composition and Taxonomic Significance of Defensive Secretions of Some Australian Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera)

“…Tenebrionini, Cyphaleini, Heleini and Titaenini constitute a closely related group by morphological characters (Doyen and Tschinkel 1982;Doyen et al 1990). With the exception of Cyphaleini, the secretions of these tribes lack pentadecene, which otherwise occurs widely and would seem to be plesiomorphic to the family.…”

Amphi-Indian Ocean Disjunction in the Trans-Pacific GenusArchaeoglenesBrown (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Phrenapatinae): New Taxonomic and Distributional Data

“…This taxonomic concept was changed by Watt (1974), who, based on larval and imaginal morphology, transferred it to Archaeoglenini, a new monogeneric tribe within Tenebrionidae. This view was adopted by subsequent authors (e.g., Doyen et al 1990;Bouchard et al 2005Bouchard et al , 2011.…”