Eleodes asperus LeConte, 1866

Triplehorn, Charles A. & Thomas, Donald B., 2015, A Revision of Eleodes Subgenus Litheleodes Blaisdell (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 14) 69, pp. 11-21 : 14-15

Eleodes asperus LeConte, 1866

( Fig. 5 , Map 2 )

Eleodes aspera LeConte 1866: 115 .

Eleodes (Litheleodes) granulata forma aspera: Blaisdell 1909: 130 .

Eleodes granulata aspera: Blaisdell 1942: 140 .

Diagnosis. Elytron asperate, disc with dense bristles. Pronotum subquadrate, convex; widest at ♂; 9) E. corvinus ♀; 10) E. granulatus ♀.

middle, sides arcuate, converging toward base and cervix; dorsal surface densely, coarsely, confluently punctate. Bristles on head and pronotum short, decumbent. Prosternum simple, process weak. Profemora mutic. Ental spur of protibia much longer and stouter than ectal spur, subequal in length to protarsomere. Apex of basal protarsomere with pencil of black setae.

Measurements. Length 12–13 mm for males and females.

Type. Not seen.

Material Examined. 25 specimens. USA: Arizona: Kaibab Natl. For., Trail Creek. Colorado: Gateway , Liberty Gap Trail , Colorado National Monument , No Thoroughfare Canyon. Utah: Escalante , Grand Staircase (Kane Co.), Monticello, Navajo Mt. Trading Post ( San Juan Co. ), Monument Butte ( Duchesne Co. ), Upper Calf Creek ( Garfield Co. ), Pine Grove Canyon ( Beaver Co. ), Castle Dale ( Emory Co. ) .

Distribution. This species is mostly known from single specimens except for the series collected by the senior author in Kane County, Utah ( Map 2 ). Blaisdell saw only one specimen.

Remarks. Although Horn (1870) considered E. asperus to be a form of E. granulatus , we concur with Blaisdell’ s (1909) assessment that the bristled New Mexico population is distinct, and we base our identification of this species accordingly. Additionally, in E. asperus the pronotal punctures are confluent, whereas in E. granulatus they are separated. Solier (1848) described a species, Eleodes subasperus , which Horn (1870) and Blaisdell (1909) considered as a “doubtful” synonym. We consider its status as a nomen incertis.

Figures

Figs. 5–10. Litheleodes species, dorsal habitus. 5) E. asperus ♀; 6) E. arcuatus ♂; 7) E. arcuatus ♀; 8) E. corvinus

Maps 1–5. Distributional records for Eleodes species. 1) E. arcuatus; 2) E. asperus and E. granulatus; 3) E. corvinus, E. hirtipennis, and E. subtuberculatus; 4) E. extricatus; 5) E. letcheri and E. papillosus.