Eleodes (Melaneleodes) carbonarius (Say, 1823)

Johnston, M. Andrew, Fleming, David, Franz, Nico M. & Smith, Aaron D., 2015, Amphidorini Leconte (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Arizona: Keys and Species Accounts, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 14) 69, pp. 27-54 : 45

Eleodes (Melaneleodes) carbonarius (Say, 1823)

( Fig. 10B–D )

Blaps carbonaria Say, 1823

Eleodes porcatus Casey, 1890

Eleodes amplus Blaisdell, 1909

Eleodes lineatus Blaisdell, 1939

Eleodes carbonarius chihuahuaensis Champion, 1884 ( Fig. 10C )

Eleodes carbonarius obsoletus (Say, 1823) ( Fig. 10D )

Diagnosis. Body elongate to ovate, glabrous. Pronotum subquadrate, anterior angles rounded, faintly or not projected forward, posterior margin similar in width to anterior margin. Elytra smooth (in E. carbonarius chihuahuaensis ) to sulcate (in E. carbonarius obsoletus ). Prosternum with distinct, though short, process projected posteriorly of procoxae. Profemur always unarmed, inner tibial spur in females, if elongate, tapering evenly from base to apex, not spatulate. Tarsi without tomentose setae beneath. Female genitalia with outer lobe of coxite strongly produced, rounded, much larger than inner margin.

Distribution. Mohave, Coconino,Navajo, Apache, Yavapai, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties, Arizona. Broadly distributed in Canada and the United States west of the Rocky Mountains and western Mexico.

Remarks. This broadly distributed and highly variable species currently entails nine valid subspecies and some 30 synonyms. For a full treatment and discussion, see Triplehorn and Thomas (2011). Arizona has three subspecies, E. carbonarius carbonarius , E. carbonarius obsoletus , and E. carbonarius chihuahuaensis , which, once discernable, greatly ease the identification of the remainder of the Arizona fauna. The first two subspecies can be quite similar and are separated by E. carbonarius obsoletus having muricate punctures and E. carbonarius carbonarius having simple punctures. Both are punctate-striate and generally with moderately impressed striae. Specimens of E. carbonarius chihuahuaensis are quite different, being generally larger with entirely smooth elytra; found only at mid-elevation habitats in central and southeastern Arizona, this subspecies is very similar in overall habitus to, and sympatric with, E. subnitens and E. madrensis .

Figures

Fig. 10. Eleodes species, dorsal habitus. A) E. anthracinus, female, B) E. carbonarius carbonarius, male, C) E. carbonarius obsoletus, female, D) E. carbonarius chihuahuaensis, female. Scale bars = 1 cm.