Eleodes (Eleodes) tenuipes Casey, 1890

Smith, Aaron D., Dornburg, Rebecca & Wheeler, Quentin D., 2014, Larvae of the genus Eleodes (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae): matrix-based descriptions, cladistic analysis, and key to late instars, ZooKeys 415, pp. 217-268 : 232-234

Eleodes (Eleodes) tenuipes Casey, 1890

Material examined.

Larval Eleodes tenuipes specimens were reared from adults with the following collecting information: "USA: TX: El Paso County / El Paso, sand dunes off / Hwy 180/Montana Ave. / N31.82327, W106.13234 / 21-22.VIII.2010, ADSmith". Atotal of five eggs and larvae were reared and examined for this study. The following description is based on a detailed examination of one late instar specimen.

Description.

Measurements: TL: 39.0 mm, HW: 4.1 mm, PL: 4.0 mm, PW: 4.8 mm.

Head. Prognathous or weakly declined; weakly dorsoventrally flattened; width nearly equal to prothorax; sides rounded; strongly constricted before occipital foramen; color ferruginous, more heavily pigmented than body segments; punctation minute, dense, separated by 1-2 puncture diameters. Epicranial suture stem length approximately one-fourth head capsule length; frontal arms sinuate, not obscured by sculpturing. Frons rugose. Epicranial plates rugose dorsally; lateral portions moderately setose; ventral portion of each plate with row of six or more long setae along anterior margin near buccal cavity confluent with setae on lateral portions of plates, and a patch of short setae medially, forming a triangular pattern with its base near the anterior margin. Two stemmata present on each epicranial plate, pigmented spots often faded. Clypeus trapezoidal, swollen, darker medially in basal half, minutely punctate, punctation dense, separated by 1-2 puncture diameters. Labrum swollen, sides rounded, basal half more darkly pigmented, medial setal row with six to seven erect setae, subapical setal row with 10-14 erect setae, anterior margin straight to weakly emarginate. Epipharynx anterior setal row with eight or more stout spiniform setae, anterolateral margins with stout spinose setae; six anterior sensory papillae present, arranged in two irregular rows, each with two posterior papillae and one near the anterior margin; four subanterior sensory papillae present, arranged as a transverse row subtended by two spinose setae; eight posterior sensory papillae present, arranged in an irregular cluster. Tormae strongly asymmetric, left torma smaller. Ligula apex lacking microsetae, two long subapical setae present ventrally, eight or more subapical setae present dorsally. Hypopharyngeal sclerome pentagonal, tricuspidate. Gula distinct, trapezoidal, widest in basal half, length less than maximum width. Antenna three segmented, cylindrical, first segment longer than second.

Thorax. Thoracic tergites light tan, prothoracic sternite anterior to legs ferruginous, thoracic sternites posterior to prolegs light brown. Prothoracic tergum wider than long, 1.2 × or more length of meso- or metaterga; anterior transverse striated band present, darker than protergal disc; lateral margins with distinct granulated band, darker than protergal disc. Posterior transverse striated band present on all thoracic tergites, unicolorous brown. Meso- and metathoracic tergites wider than long, each with a heavily sclerotized transverse line present on anterior fifth. Thoracic tergites sparsely setose on dorsal surfaces, lateral margins more densely setose. Mesothoracic spiracle simple, ovate, approximately 1.5 × size of abdominal spiracles; reduced metathoracic spiracle visible, less than one-fourth size of mesothoracic spiracle. Legs. Prothoracic leg slightly longer, much thicker than meso- and metathoracic legs; prothoracic tarsungulus strongly sclerotized, sickle-shaped; prothoracic trochanter with one stout ventromedially spine; prothoracic femur with ventromedial row of 13-14 spines, dorsal surface with faintly indicated basal sclerotized band; prothoracic tibia with ventromedial row of eight to eleven spines or spinose setae, dorsal surface slightly more sclerotized than ventral surface. Mesotibia with five to seven ventromedial spines.

Abdomen. Abdominal tergites and sternites light tan, with slightly darker transverse striated bands present along posterior margins of segments I-VIII, forming near contiguous unicolorous band around segments. Abdominal sternite I sparsely clothed in long erect setae from anterior margin to near midline. Abdominal laterotergites with lateral margins distinctly pigmented. Abdominal segment IX (pygidium) triangular in dorsal view, gradually reflexed to apex, urogomphi absent, apex forming a distinct tooth, sparsely clothed in short and mid length erect setae, sclerotized uniformly throughout, lacking maculations; marginal row of 27 socketed spines present, arranged as single row around posterior two-thirds to one half of segment. Abdominal sternites I-VIII lacking longitudinal tomentose bands along lateral margins.

Diagnosis.

Eleodes tenuipes larvae can be separated from the other currently known Eleodes species by the presence of an apical tooth on the pygidium, stout spiniform setae on the anterolateral margins of the epipharnyx, and a row of 13-14 ventromedial spines on the prothoracic femur. It is further differentiated from Eleodes hispilabris by having a row of three ventromedial spines on the mesotarsus and having the ventral portion of the epicranial plates with a row of six or more long setae along anterior margin near buccal cavity, confluent with setae on lateral portions of plates.

Remarks.

Five eggs or early instar larvae were initially placed in a rearing chamber on 25 September 2010, though by the first sifting only one specimen was found. The last specimen thrived until 27 January 2011 when it was preserved for this study.