Habrobatina Nabozhenko & S. Chigray, 2022

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 : 5-6

Subtribe Habrobatina Nabozhenko & S. Chigray subtrib. nov.

Type genus

Habrobates Semenov, 1903 .

Diagnosis

Body entirely covered with dense scales. Pronotum and elytra without large tubercles or strong sculpture, or only with small sparse tubercles. Eyes rounded or weakly oval, dorsoventrally placed above genal level. Legs thin, slender, long, not fossorial, with long sparse setae. Ovipositor very short and weakly sclerotized, transverse or of subequal length and width; paraproct very short, often with reduced or very short baculi; proctiger strongly widened, with very wide weakly sclerotized baculi; lobes 4 of coxite membranous, rounded, with long, very dense hair brush. Spiculum ventrale very short, strongly widened and without common stem. Aedeagus with strongly sub-angularly curved apical piece.

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek ‘ἁβρός’ (‘habros’ = delicate or splendid) and ‘βατίς ’(‘bates’ is plural inflection of ‘batis’ = a plant, samphire; genitive = ‘batis’; stem = ‘bat’).

Genera included

Apatopsis Semenov, 1891 , Habrobates Semenov, 1903 , Habrochiton Semenov-Tjan-Shansky, 1907, Dietomorpha Kühnelt, 1957 .

Distribution and bionomics

The representatives of the new subtribe are distributed in the deserts of Central and South Asia ( Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China): Karakum, Dasht-e Lut, Dasht-e Kewir, Registan, Taklamakan. Species of the mentioned genera inhabit non-fixed barchan sand dunes.

Comparison

The subtribe Habrobatina Nabozhenko & S. Chigray subtrib. nov. can be distinguished from the nominotypical one by the following key:

Key to the subtribes of Pimeliini Latreille, 1802

1. Combination of characters: eyes located dorsoventrally, above genal level; body completely covered with scales; ovipositor very short and weakly sclerotized, with membranous rounded and densely pubescent apical lobes of coxite; spiculum ventrale very wide and short, without or with very short common stem. Apical piece of aedeagus strongly sub-angularly curved ............................................. subtribe Habrobatina Nabozhenko & S. Chigray subtrib. nov.

– Combination of characters: eyes located dorsoventrally above genal level and body without scales ( Platyope genus group) or eyes located laterally on genal level (body can be without or rarely with scales); ovipositor long, with fossorial, bare, strongly sclerotized apical lobes of coxite. Apical piece of aedeagus weakly or moderately (not sub-angularly) curved ....subtribe Pimeliina Latreille, 1802