Pimeliini, Latreille, 1802

Chigray, Svetlana N., Nabozhenko, Maxim V., Chigray, Ivan A. & Abakumov, Evgeny V., 2022, A revision of the Palaearctic Pimeliini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): a comparative analysis and systematic position of Eastern European and Asian taxa with dorso-lateral eyes, European Journal of Taxonomy 809, pp. 1-71 : 58-59

Key to genera of Pimeliini with dorso-lateral eyes from Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan

1. Pronotum without large semispherical or conical tubercles or granules, with fine cuticular microgranules or smooth, sometimes with short spines on surface. Body completely covered with scales. Ovipositor very short and weakly sclerotized, with membranous, rounded and densely pubescent apical lobes; spiculum ventrale wide and short, without or with very short common stem (subtribe Habrobatina ) ...................................................................................................................... 2

– Pronotum with large semispherical or conical tubercles or granules. Body without scales. Ovipositor long, with well-expressed long paraproct and many sclerotized parts, and fossorial, strongly sclerotized, glabrous apical lobes; spiculum ventrale long, with long common stem and narrow rods (subtribe Pimeliina , the Platyope genus group) ................................................................................ 5

2. Elytra dorsally with bronze scales and pubescent with erect, yellow setae, especially dense and long in wide longitudinal depression on sides of each elytron. Protibiae with strong, conical granules on outer margin, each granule with strong spine at apex ................................ Apatopsis Semenov, 1891

– Elytra dorsally with reddish-brown or creamy scales, or with combination of creamy and brown scales; sometimes with eight longitudinal lines (elytra all together) of short palesetae, but without dense long setaesetae and wide longitudinal depression on sides. Outer margin of protibiae with very short tubercles bearing long thin spines ............................................................................................ 3

3. Prothorax with black, clearly visible, small spines and callus-like smooth shiny areas on dorsolateral sides near base. Scales on elytra form spotted or striped creamy-brown colour pattern .................... ............................................................................................................. Dietomorpha Reymond, 1938

– Prothorax without small, black spines and callus-like smooth shiny areas on dorsolateral sides. Elytra with monochromatic scales, without colour pattern .............................................................. 4

4. Head, pronotum and elytra with reddish scales and white spine-like setae (clearly visible among scale cover); setae form eight longitudinal lines on elytra. Width of intercoxal process of the first abdominal ventrite shorter than width of one metacoxa ......................... Habrobates Semenov, 1903

– Head, pronotum and elytra with creamy scales, without spine-like setae. Width of intercoxal process of the first abdominal ventrite broader than width of one metacoxa .................................................. ....................................................................................... Habrochiton Semenov-Tjan-Shansky, 1907

5. Elytra spherical, more than twice as wide as pronotum. Lateral margins of pronotum widely completely emarginated in dorsal view. Prosternum before procoxae long, its length between procoxae and anterior margin 1.6 × as short as transverse diameter of one procoxa. Elytra with alternating longitudinal stripes of pale dense recumbent setae and dark, weakly pubescent lines, without coarse granules or large smooth tubercles ................................ Przewalskia Semenov, 1893

– Elytra oval, not more than 1.7 × as wide as pronotum. Lateral margins of pronotum weakly or strongly rounded in dorsal view. Prosternum before procoxae short, its length between procoxae and anterior margin 1.8–14 × as short as transverse diameter of one procoxa. Elytra smooth and bare or with large, smooth granules, tubercles or elevations and pale pubescence between them ............... 6

6. Elytra smooth and glabrous, only with very small, sparse granules and one elevated line of slightly larger granules along granulated lateral margin. Pronotum with strongly arcuately emarginated base, posterolateral angles protruding far into impressed base of elytra. Prosternal process very broad, weakly narrowed between procoxae, slightly raised between procoxae and horizontally flattened (lateral view), strongly protruding beyond posterior margin of procoxae to mesoventrite. Protibiae with dense, long, thin spines and setae along outer margin .................... Mantichorula Reitter, 1889

– Elytra with coarse granules or/and smooth tubercles completely or at least on sides and pubescence between them or at least apical striped pubescence (sometimes elytra without pubescence as in Platyope ordossica Semenov-Tjan-Shansky, 1907). Pronotum with straight or very weakly emarginated base, posterolateral angles not protruding. Prosternal process broad, but usually visibly narrowed between procoxae, not raised between procoxae, not protruding or very weakly protruding beyond posterior margin of procoxae, rounded down. Protibiae with teeth on outer margin .......... 7

7. Procoxal cavities externally closed. Protibiae with large teeth or teeth partly merged into thin entire lamella (as in Earophanta beludzhistana Bogatchev, 1957 ); length of largest teeth is at least one third of width of protibia at apex. Lateral rib of elytron with strong acute “serrate” teeth ........................................................................................................ Earophanta Semenov, 1903

– Procoxal cavities externally open, postcoxal bridges discontinuous at middle. Protibiae with small teeth; length of largest teeth one-sixth to one-eighth of width of protibiae at apex. Lateral rib of elytron with large or small, wound or conical and acute, but not serrate tubercles ................................................................................. Platyope Fischer von Waldheim, 1820