Eleodes carbonarius ( Say, 1823 )

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 : 418

Eleodes carbonarius ( Say, 1823)

(Fig. 2, Map 1)

Diagnosis. This species is ovate and convex but extremely variable in size, sculpture, and luster which makes it difficult to characterize. There are at least nine distinct populations which are recognized as subspecies, three of which occur in Texas. Eleodes c. carbonarius is shiny or glossy with punctate-striate elytra consisting of simple punctures with intervals slightly convex; E. c. obsoletus (Say) is similar but with opaque integument and muricate punctures; E. c. soror LeConte (type-locality Eagle Pass), is usually smaller with the pronotum subquadrate and narrowed from base to apex. Length: 12–28 mm.

Distribution. Eleodes c. carbonarius is in west Texas, E. c. obsoletus in the panhandle, and E. c. soror in the lower Rio Grande valley. These subspecies and others also occur in the adjacent states of Mexico. The larva was described by St. George (1924) and the morphology of the repugnatorial glands described by Tschinkel (1975).