Helopini Latreille, 1802

Nabozhenko, Maxim & Ando, Kiyoshi, 2018, Subtribal, Generic And Subgeneric Composition Of Darkling Beetles Of The Tribe Helopini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) In The Eastern Palaearctic Region, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 64 (4), pp. 277-327 : 279-280

Tribe Helopini Latreille, 1802

Subtribe Helopina Latreille, 1802 ( Figs 1–6 )

General differential morphology. Adult. Head always without posterior grooves beginning at lower aspect of the eyes. Labrofrontoclypeal membrane exposed (labrofrontoclypeal membrane originate under the anterior edge of the frontoclypeus) in Palaearctic species and hidden (labrofrontoclypeal membrane originates from inner side of the frontoclypeus) in many Nearctic species. Abdominal ventrite 5 is beaded dorsally and along margin.

Male genitalia. Apical piece with strong spines or setae directed toward the base ( Figs 4 A,B,G,H,L,M ). Alae of apical piece are very long, merged, completely concealing median lobe, reaching base of basal piece ( Figs 4A,G,L ). Basal piece separated from alae by connecting membrane along whole length. Median lobe acuminate or rounded apically, often with two apices, with sclerotized baculi, which are connected in basal third ( Figs 4C,I,N ).

Female genital tubes. Spermatheca has two or more long branches. Some genera have the one-way valve between spermathecal and accessory gland ducts (NABOZHENKO et al. 2016).

Larva. Abdominal segment IX without small cylindrical or conical protuberances at base of urogomphi. Abdominal tergit VIII often with one or two protuberances.

Comments. We didn’t use characters of ovipositor and defensive glands, which are important in higher classification of Tenebrionidae ( KENDALL 1974, MATTHEWS et al. 2010 etc.). The ovipositor is very similar within different genera of Helopini . Some differences can be found in a size and form of gonostyli, but these characters are variable even in a one genus ( NABOZHENKO 2002, CIFUENTES- RUIZ et al. 2014). Only psammobiotic Xanthohelops karacumicus Nabozhenko et Medvedev, 2006 has unusual within Heloini fossorial ovipositor, with reduced gonostyli and strongly sclerotized and acute apical coxites (NABOZHENKO 2006). Defensive glands were not study, but KENDALL (1974) indicated close similarity of glands in Nalassus laevioctostriatus (Goeze, 1777) (subtribe Cylindrinotina ) and Helops caeruleus (Fabricius, 1775) (subtribe Helopina ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Nipponohelops ishikawai: A = male, habitus, B = female, habitus, C = aedeagus, dorsal view, D = fore leg of male, E = middle leg of male, F = prothorax, ventral view, G = holotype

Fig. 2. New World species of the genus Tarpela: A =T. brownii Bates, holotype, dorsal vew, B = The same, lateral view, C = T. brownii, labels of the holotype, D = T. costata Champion, mesoventrite, ventro-lateral view, E = the same, hypomera and head, F = the same, apex of elytron

Fig. 3. The genus Apterotarpela: A = A. klapperichi, habitus, B = A. clypealis, habitus, C = A. subasperipennis, habitus, D = A. clypealis, apices of elytra, E = A. subasperipennis, apices of elytra

Fig. 4. Asiatic species of the subtrube Helopina (Tenebrionidae: Helopini), details of structure. Apterotarpela clypealis (A–F), Catomus solitarius (G–K), Stenohelops chinensis (L–O): A, G, L = aedeagus, ventral view, B, H, M = aedeagus, lateral view, C, I, N, O = median lobe

Fig. 5. Species of the genus Catomus, subgenus Sinocatomus. A = C. solitarius, male, Gansu

Fig. 6. Stenohelops chinensis sp.n., habitus: A = male, holotype, B = female, paratype