Tenebrio spinosus Linnaeus, 1764

Ferrer, Julio & Holston, Kevin, 2009, Identities of Tenebrio Linnaeus types at Uppsala, and the resulting changes in old darkling beetle names (Insecta: Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Zootaxa 2308 (1), pp. 29-42 : 36

3. Tenebrio spinosus Linnaeus, 1764 .

HOLOTYPE, male, det. Akis spinosa ( Linnaeus, 1764) ( Fig. 7 ). Linnaeus Coll., UUZM.

Original description. “24 T (enebrio) apterus, thoracis lateribus antice posticeque acuminatis, elytris striis tribus elevatis. Mus. Lud. Ulr. 101 Habitat in Europa australe.”

Type status. The holotype of Tenebrio spinosus L., 1964, recorded as “ Eurychora spinosa ” by Thunberg (1804), is a repaired specimen in rather poor condition. It is a male with a truncate, not ovoid-acuminate elytra with three longitudinal costae, separated by two rows of tubercles that decrease in size anteriorly and towards the posterior edge of the elytron ( Fig. 7 ). The first row of tubercles between the suture and the first costal elevation is restricted to the posterior region of the elytron, so it is only visible in posterior view. The second row of tubercles extends anteriorly such that it is also visible dorsally. This distinctive sculpturing identifies the holotype as an Egyptian darkling beetle, Akis elevata Solier, 1836 , var. sculptior Koch, 1935 (Ferrer 2008, Ferrer et al. 2009). The valid combination for this species is Akis spinosus (L., 1764), and the type was probably collected from Egypt or the Arabian Peninsula based on the localities recorded for “ A. elevata var. sculptior .” Pehr Forsskåhl obtained material for Linnaeus from this region in 1763 and is probably the collector of the specimen.

Remarks. Previous references in the literature to Akis spinosa (L.) follow the taxonomic concept of Herbst (1799) and are now considered misidentifications of Akis trilineata Herbst, 1799 . This species lacks the conspicuous elytral granulation as in Akis spinosa (L.) but has distinct, equidistant elytral elevations described for the Western Mediterranean species Akis italica Solier and Akis barbara Solier ( Ferrer 2006, Ferrer et al. 2009). Akis trilineata ( Herbst, 1799) is a Western Mediterranean species recorded from the Italian Penninsula, Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia that has been misidentified as Akis spinosa (L.) ( Herbst 1799, Solier 1837, Kraatz, 1865, Gebien, 1910, 1937, Viñolas & Cartagena 2005).

Figures

FIGURES 7–8. UUZM Linnean darkling beetle types. Fig. 7. HT, Tenebrio spinosus L., det. Akis spinosa (L.). Fig. 8. HT, Tenebrio muricatus L., det. Adesmia muricata (L.) comb. nov.