Eleodes spinipes Solier, 1848

Triplehorn, Charles A., Thomas, Donald B. & Rile, Edward G., 2009, The Genus Eleodes Eschscholtz (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) In Texas, The Coleopterists Bulletin 63 (4), pp. 413-437 : 431-432

Eleodes spinipes Solier, 1848

(Fig. 34, Map 12)

Diagnosis. Easily recognized by the large size, robust form, with the elytra strongly ventricose in both sexes, elytra slightly caudate in the male, feebly produced in the female. Two subspecies occur in Texas: E. s. ventricosus LeConte has the pronotum broader than long with the apical angles acute and prominent, the basal angles rounded. In E. s. macrurus Champion, the pronotum is subquadrate, apical angles not prominent, hind angles obtuse but not rounded. In males, the elytra are not as inflated and the cauda is much longer. Length: 26– 33 mm. Eleodes ventricosus falli Blaisdell is a synonym of E. s. macrurus.

Distribution. Eleodes s. ventricosus occurs in the lower Rio Grande valley of Texas, and E. s. macrurus is found in west Texas and Big Bend. There is some overlap and perhaps intergradation in the trans-Pecos area. Both subspecies extend into adjacent states of Mexico. The nominate subspecies, E. s. spinipes , characterized by strongly convex elytral intervals, occurs only in central Mexico from Nuevo León to Hidalgo.