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The genus Sternodes Fischer von Waldheim, 1837 currently consists of one species with two subspecies from Karakum, Sundukli deserts and several surrounding areas. Sternodes pallasi Semenov-Tian-Shanskij et Bogatchev, 1940 is resurrected from a junior synonym of Sternodes caspicus (Pallas, 1781). The following new synonymy is established: Sternodes caspicus caspicus (Pallas, 1781) = Sternodes caspicus eous Semenov-Tian-Shanskij et Bogatchev, 1940, syn. n. The lectotype is designated for S. caspicus eous. As a result, two valid species (without subspecies) are known in the genus. They differ in the structure of head, prosternal process and elytra. Both species are sympatric in Repetek (Karakum Desert, eastern Turkmenistan), but S. caspicus has spring-summer activity, while S. pallasi was collected in late autumn.

The darkling beetle tribe Adesmiini (Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae) is a prominent part of African and western Palearctic desert faunas, with most species being day-active fast-running detritivores. Taxonomic diversity within the tribe is highest in the southern Afrotropical realm (where all genera are present); only 1 genus, the species-rich Adesmia , occurs north of the Sahara. Despite notable species, such as the fog-basking beetle Onymacris unguicularis (a focal taxon in desert ecological research), Adesmiini has undergone few modern taxonomic or phylogenetic studies. Hence, generic concepts and pronounced diurnal activity, rare in the primarily nocturnal family Tenebrionidae, remain poorly explored. To investigate evolutionary relationships and diurnal origins within the tribe, we generated a genomic dataset of 529 protein-coding genes across 43 species spanning 10 of 11 Adesmiini genera. Our resulting phylogeny for the tribe rejects the monophyly of 5 currently recognized Adesmiini genera (i.e. Adesmia , Metriopus , Onymacris , Physadesmia , and Stenocara). Ancestral state reconstruction of diurnal activity using eye shape as a proxy supports the hypothesis that Adesmiini were primitively diurnal, followed by at least 4 shifts to nocturnal or crepuscular activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of darkling beetle Thraustocolus (Prothraustocola) clypealis sp. nov. with the new subspecies T. (P.) clypealis minor ssp. nov. are described from Oman and distinguished from other species of the genus. Images of important characters are provided for easier identification and discrimination of the new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New data on the distribution, taxonomy, and nomenclature of five tenebrionid species of the genus Microdera from the Caucasus and/or the south of the European part of Russia are presented. A new species, M. urartu sp. n., is described from Armenia and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan; this species is similar to the Central Asian M. globulicollis Ménétriés, 1849, but its diagnostic characters are provided. Eight new synonyms are established (including two for the latter Central Asian species): Microdera convexa convexa (Tauscher, 1812) = M. transversicollis v. parvicollis Reitter, 1897 (nec M. parvicollis Bates, 1879), syn. n. = M. reitteri Kaszab, 1966, syn. n.; Microdera campestris Steven, 1828 = M. gracilis Eschscholtz, 1831, syn. n. = Rostrax menetriesii Fischer von Waldheim, 1844, syn. n. = M. macrops Reitter, 1915, syn. n. = M. campestris karanogaica Abdurakhmanov et Nabozhenko, 2011, syn. n.; Microdera globulicollis Ménétriés, 1849 = M. margelanica Kraatz, 1982, syn. n. = M. ferganensis Kaszab, 1957, syn. n. Lectotypes of Microdera gracilis and M. globulicollis are designated. A key to the Microdera species from the study region is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of the genus Solskyia, S. infossata sp. nov. and S. lhozhaga sp. nov., are described and illustrated from Xizang, China. Solskyia lhasana is redescribed and figured based on a male, and new material of S. caporiaccoi and S. parvicollis from China is documented. The ecology and biology of adults and larvae is briefly introduced. Furthermore, photographs of habitat, and a key to Chinese species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geographic distribution of a species is shaped by its biology and by environmental and palaeogeographic factors that interact at different spatial-temporal scales, which leads to distributions and diversification patterns observed between and within lineages. The darkling beetle genus Pimelia has been diversifying for more than 31.2 Mya showing different colonization patterns after the opening of the Gibraltar Strait 5 Mya. Three of the 14 subgenera of Pimelia have populations on both sides of the Strait. Through extensive sampling and the analysis of three molecular markers, we determine levels of intra- and interspecific genetic variation, identify evolutionary lineages in subgenera, estimate their temporal origin and distribution ranges and discuss the historical basis for the geographic and diversification patterns of Pimelia around the Strait. This single geographical feature acted both as a barrier and as a dispersal route for different Pimelia species. The Strait has represented a strong barrier for the subgenus Magrebmelia since the Middle Miocene. However, the subgenera Amblyptera and Amblypteraca share repetitive signatures of post-Messinian colonization across the Strait, possibly driven by stochastic or 'catastrophic' events such as tsunamis. Our demographic analyses support Wallace's hypothesis on insect dispersal stochasticity. Some taxonomic changes, including the designation of a lectotype for Pimelia maura , are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se describe una nueva especie de Nycteliini de Chile, Gyriosomus confusus nov. sp., perteneciente a la subfamilia Pimeliinae (Tenebrionidae). Se proveen caracteres diagnósticos para la nueva especie, una comparación con los taxones cercanos, fotografías de los adultos y un mapa de distribución para las especies relacionadas.

El género Aspidolobus Redtenbacher (Pimeliinae), endémico de Chile central, incluye tres especies: A. gayi Peña, A. penai Kulzer y A. piliger Redtenbacher. En el presente trabajo se describen dos nuevas especies de Epitragini de Chile: Aspidolobus sebastianpinerai nov. sp. y A. marini nov. sp. Se provee una clave de identificación para las especies, fotografías de los adultos y un mapa de distribución.

A new species of Stenosini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae), Schizaraeus fouquei sp. nov. is described from southern Andes of Peru: Apurímac and Cusco regions. Prior to this study, Schizaraeus Kulzer, 1955 was monotypic with one species, S. acuticosta Kulzer, 1955 from Catamarca Province in Argentina. We present habitus photographs of both species, scanning electron micrographs of external morphology of the new species, a distribution map, and a comparison of the characters of both species of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is a major threat to biodiversity, the increase in mean temperature plus the higher rate and intensity of heat waves can severely affect organisms by exposing them to temperatures beyond their tolerance limits. Desert ectotherms are particularly vulnerable due to their dependence on environmental temperatures in an extreme habitat. Thermal tolerance changes depending on environmental conditions, studying these fluctuations provides a better understanding of species susceptibility to global warming. Tenebrionids are successful desert-inhabiting ectotherm taxa because of a series of adaptations for heat tolerance and water loss. We studied the seasonal variation (acclimatization) of thermal tolerance in Megelenophorus americanus , a widely distributed species in the Monte Desert (Argentina). To do this, we measured environmental and operative temperatures: body temperature (T b), soil temperature (T s), air temperature (T a), environmental temperature (T e) and maximum temperature (T max), and tolerance proxies volunteer thermal maximum (VT max) , Fluid release (FR) and critical thermal maximum (CT max) in a population of M. americanus from San Juan province, Argentina from October to March (full activity season). We found that T s and T a are accurate predictors of T b , suggesting thermoconformism. All tolerance proxies showed differences among months, suggesting a natural acclimatization process in situ. Insects were found operating beyond VT max (thermal stress) but they were far from reaching CT max under natural conditions. Organisms present different degrees of tolerance plasticity that should be considered when predicting potential impacts of climate change. [Display omitted] • Megelenophorus americanus behaves as a thermoconformist. • Megelenophorus americanus exhibits acclimatization in the central Monte desert. • Volunteer and critical thermal maximum (VT max and CT max) change among months. • Active evaporative cooling (AEC) changes among months. • Negative Heating tolerance scores suggests that the species is sensitive to global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Three species of Oxycara subgen. Oxycara from Oman are described as new to science: Oxycara (Oxycara) dhofarense sp. n., O. (O.) liebegotti sp. n., and O. (O.). rihanei sp. n. A key to the species occuring from Egypt to Tibet and India is provided

Pachychila freyi Koch, 1944 –confundida con Pachychila incrassata Rosenhauer, 1856–, y P. denticollis Grimm, 1987, son dos especies válidas de Almería, España, arbitrariamente puestas en sinonimia de Pachychila glabella (Herbst, 1799) y de P. germari Solier, 1835, respectivamente, por Viñolas & Cartagena (2005). Ambas son claramente diferentes de estas especies, y de todas las Pachychilas conocidas y descritas, por un gran número de caracteres morfológicos, ignorados por estos autores, que no han examinado los tipos. Además, “Pachychila germari Solier” (Viñolas & Cartagena, 2005), presenta considerables diferencias en su genitalia con Pachychila germari del norte de África, y en realidad se trata de Pachychila bifida Rosenhauer, 1856, otra especie válida de la fauna ibérica.

Gyriosomus es un importante género chileno de Tenebrionidae, habitante del desierto costero del país. En este ambiente, las especies de Gyriosomus son un componente erémico y endémico de la entomofauna epígea. A pesar de la importancia ecológica que estas especies tienen en el desierto chileno, poco se conoce respecto de la morfología de los estados preimaginales. En este trabajo se describe la morfología del huevo y de la larva de primer estadio de G. kingi Reed, 1873, y se entregan algunos antecedentes acerca de la bionomía de la hembra. Los huevos y las larvas fueron obtenidos a partir de parejas mantenidas en condiciones de laboratorio. Los adultos fueron capturados durante la primavera del año 2002, en sitios costeros del Parque Nacional Llanos de Challe, localizado en la frontera sur del Desierto de Atacama (28°01’S; 71°03’W). El primer tercio del corión del huevo presenta celdas subhexagonales sin aeropilas. La larva es oligópoda y elongada. Su cápsula cefálica está fuertemente quitinizada y sus patas protorácicas son más largas y más gruesas que las restantes. Según observaciones de laboratorio, cada ovipostura incluye de siete a diez huevos cada vez, con un máximo de seis oviposturas por hembra. Los huevos son enterrados en el suelo, recubiertos con un mucílago que genera una película de arena-arcilla adherida al corión.Reproduction and ultrastructure of egg and first instar larvae of Gyriosomus kingi (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from the desert of Atacama. Gyriosomus is an important Chilean genus of Tenebrionidae, inhabiting the coastal desert of this country. in this environment, the Gyriosomus-species are both eremic and endemic components of the epigean entomofauna. Despite the ecological importance of these species in the Chilean desert, there is a lack of knowledge on the preimaginal stages of them. in this paper we describe the egg and first instar larval morphology of G. kingi Reed, 1873, along with some bionomic aspects of the female. The eggs and larva were obtained from couples kept under laboratory conditions, after being captured during the spring of year 2002, in coastal sites of National Park Llanos de Challe, located in the southern border of the Atacama Desert (28°01’S, 71°03’W). The first third of the chorion presents subhexagonal cells lacking aeropyles. The larvae is oligopod and elongated. its cephalic capsule is strongly chitinized with the prothoracic legs longer and thicker than the rest. According laboratory observations, each egg-laying includes seven to ten eggs each time, with a maximum of six egg-laying per female. The eggs are buried into the soil, covered by a mucilaginous layer which creates a clay-sandy film attached to the chorion. Rev. Biol. Trop. 55 (2): 637-644. Epub 2007 June, 29.

The genus Platesthes Waterhouse, 1845 (Pimeliinae: Praocini), distributed in the Patagonian steppes in southern Argentina and Chile, is revised. A phylogeny of its 13 species is proposed, based on 48 morphological characters. The cladistic analysis provides one most parsimonious cladogram showing that three unambiguous synapomorphic characters of external morphology and male genitalia support the monophyly of Platesthes. This article includes a redescription of the genus, redescriptions of its species, an identification key, habitus photographs of the most representative species, illustrations of external morphology, genital features and metendosternites, a cladogram and distribution maps. A discussion of the biogeography and status of conservation of Platesthes in the Patagonian steppes and in Central Chile is presented. A new Platesthes species is described: P. neuquensis sp. n. and P. hirtipes Kulzer, 1962 stat. n. is elevated to species status. Other valid species of the genus are: P. depressa (Guérin-Ménéville, 1841), P. similis Kulzer, 1956, P. unicosta Kulzer, 1956, P. nigra Kulzer, 1956, P. pilosa Kulzer, 1956, P. vidali Peña, 1986, P. burmeisteri Haag-Rutenberg, 1877, P. granulipennis Kulzer, 1956, P. kuscheli Kulzer, 1958, P. humeralis Kulzer, 1958 and P. silphoides Waterhouse, 1845 (type species), for which a lectotype is designated.

The article discusses research which investigated the taxonomic and faunistic characteristics of species belonging to the Cnemeplatia and Philhammus genera from the Arabian Peninsula region. Topics addressed include the initial discovery and identification of the genera, the localities and distribution of Philhammus aharonii in the Middle East, and the diagnostic character of the Philhammus villiersi examined.

A review of the subgenera of the South American genus Praocis Eschscholtz (Pimeliinae: Praociini) is presented. Praocis comprises 77 species and 8 subspecies arranged in nine subgenera distributed in arid lands from Central Peru and Bolivia to the Southern part of Patagonia in Chile and Argentina. For each subgenus of Praocis: Praocis Eschscholtz, Mesopraocis Flores & Pizarro-Araya, subgen. n., Anthrasomus Guérin- Méneville, Filotarsus Gay & Solier, Postpraocis Flores & Pizarro-Araya, subgen. n., Hemipraocis Flores & Pizarro-Araya, subgen. n., Orthogonoderes Gay & Solier, Praonoda Flores & Pizarro-Araya, subgen. n., and Praocida Flores & Pizarro-Araya, subgen. n., we present a diagnosis using new and constant characters of adult morphology such as clypeal configuration, length and proportion of antennomeres 9, 10 and 11, arrangement of apical tomentose sensory patches on antennomeres 10 and 11, anterior margin of prosternum, lateral margin of elytron, ventral surface of profemora, and shape of protibiae. An identification key for the nine subgenera of Praocis is presented. Type species are designated for the five new subgenera; for Mesopraocis: Praocis calderana Kulzer, for Postpraocis: Praocis pentachorda Burmeister, for Hemipraocis: Praocis sellata Berg, for Praonoda: Praocis bicarinata Burmeister, for Praocida: Praocis zischkai Kulzer, and for the previously described subgenus Orthogonoderes: Praocis subreticulata Gay & Solier. The current number of species and the estimated number of species to be described are presented. The distribution ranges of the subgenera, including new records from collections and recent expeditions, are given. Habitat preferences and a discussion of the biogeography of the genus are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Natural Protected Area Peninsula Valdés, located in Northeastern Patagonia, is one of the largest conservation units of arid lands in Argentina. Although this area has been in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999, it has been continually exposed to sheep grazing and cattle farming for more than a century which have had a negative impact on the local environment. Our aim is to describe the first dataset of tenebrionid beetle species living in Peninsula Valdés and their relationship to sheep grazing. The dataset contains 118 records on 11 species and 198 adult individuals collected. Beetles were collected using pitfall traps in the two major environmental units of Peninsula Valdés, taking into account grazing intensities over a three year time frame from 2005-2007. The Data quality was enhanced following the best practices suggested in the literature during the digitalization and geo-referencing processes. Moreover, identification of specimens and current accurate spelling of scientific names were reviewed. Finally, post-validation processes using DarwinTest software were applied. Specimens have been deposited at Entomological Collection of the Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET). The dataset is part of the database of this collection and has been published on the internet through GBIF Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT) (http://data.gbif.org/datasets/resource/14669/). Furthermore, it is the first dataset for tenebrionid beetles of arid Patagonia available in GBIF database, and it is the first one based on a previously designed and standardized sampling to assess the interaction between these beetles and grazing in the area. The main purposes of this dataset are to ensure accessibility to data associated with Tenebrionidae specimens from Peninsula Valdés (Chubut, Argentina), also to contribute to GBIF with primary data about Patagonian tenebrionids and finally, to promote the Entomological Collection of Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT- CONICET) and its associated biodiversity data. For these reasons, we believe that this information will certainly be useful for future faunistic, ecological, conservational and biogeographical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of the genus Solskyia , S.infossata sp. nov. and S.lhozhaga sp. nov. , are described and illustrated from Xizang, China. Solskyialhasana is redescribed and figured based on a male, and new material of S.caporiaccoi and S.parvicollis from China is documented. The ecology and biology of adults and larvae is briefly introduced. Furthermore, photographs of habitat, and a key to Chinese species are presented., (Xing-Long Bai, Jing-Ze Liu, Guo-Dong Ren.)

The complete mitochondrial genome of the desert darkling beetleAsbolus verrucosus(LeConte, 1851) was sequenced using paired-end technology to an average depth of 42,111× and assembled using De Bruijn graph-based methods. The genome is 15,828 bp in length and conforms to the basal arthropod mitochondrial gene composition with the same gene orders and orientations as other darkling beetle mitochondria. This arrangement includes a control region, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 13 protein-coding genes. The main coding strand is probably replicated as the lagging strand (GC skew of −0.36 and AT skew of +0.19). Phylogenomics analyses are consistent with taxonomic classifications and indicate thatTenebrio molitoris the closest relative that has a completely sequenced mitochondrial genome available for analysis. This is the first fully assembled mitogenome sequence for a darkling beetle in the subfamily Pimeliinae and will be useful for population studies on members of this ecologically important group of beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spatial and temporal variation in abundance, richness and composition of Tenebrionidae beetle assemblages were described for north-western Patagonia. Beetles were collected using 450 pitfall traps arranged in 50 plots across an area of about 22,500km2 representative of the Subantarctic-Patagonian transition of Argentina. The study area included three different habitats: forest, scrub, and steppe. Beetles were trapped at five, eight day sampling periods in spring-summer between November 2004 and March 2006. A total of 30 species and 938 individuals were collected. Total abundance was higher in November and January than in March, and species richness did not change among samplings. Species richness was greater in the steppe than scrub. Assemblages differed between the northern and southern transects. There was little correlation between the measured environmental variables and species composition. Historical factors might explain the observed patterns, but other environmental variables such as soil characteristics may be more informative in explaining the present distribution of tenebrionid species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gyriosomus is an important Chilean genus of Tenebrionidae, inhabiting the coastal desert of this country. In this environment, the Gyriosomus-species are both eremic and endemic components of the epigean entomofauna. Despite the ecological importance of these species in the Chilean desert, there is a lack of knowledge on the preimaginal stages of them. In this paper we describe the egg and first instar larval morphology of G. kingi Reed, 1873, along with some bionomic aspects of the female. The eggs and larva were obtained from couples kept under laboratory conditions, after being captured during the spring of year 2002, in coastal sites of National Park Llanos de Challe, located in the southern border of the Atacama Desert (28°01'S, 71°03'W). The first third of the chorion presents subhexagonal cells lacking aeropyles. The larvae is oligopod and elongated. Its cephalic capsule is strongly chitinized with the prothoracic legs longer and thicker than the rest. According laboratory observations, each egg-laying includes seven to ten eggs each time, with a maximum of six egg-laying per female. The eggs are buried into the soil, covered by a mucilaginous layer which creates a claysandy film attached to the chorion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the insect rapid cold-hardening response, survival at subzero temperatures is greatly improved by a brief pre-exposure at a milder temperature. It is predicted that insects with minimal cold tolerance capabilities living in variable environments should use rapid cold-hardening to survive sudden cold snaps. This is tested in Afrinus sp., a beetle that lives in an exposed habitat on rock outcrops in the Karoo Desert, South Africa, where microclimate temperatures drop infrequently to below freezing. Afrinus sp. shows a significant rapid cold-hardening response: survival of a 2-h exposure to −6.5 °C is much improved after pre-exposure to −2 °C, to 0 °C with a 2-h return to the rearing temperature, and to 40 °C, but not after pre-exposure to 0 °C. Little is known about the mechanism of the rapid cold-hardening response, although the data suggest that rapid cold-hardening may be mediated via several different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]