Mimocellus Wasmann, 1904

Aalbu, Rolf L., Kanda, Kojun, Merkl, Otto, Ivie, Michael A. & Johnston, M. Andrew, 2023, Reconstitution of some tribes and genera of Lagriinae (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), ZooKeys 1172, pp. 155-202 : 155

Genus Mimocellus Wasmann, 1904

Figs 79-81

Mimocellus Wasmann, 1904: 11. Type species: Mimocellus trechoides Wasmann, 1904: 12.

Note.

Mimocellus is placed incertae sedis in Tenebrionidae belonging in either Diaperinae or Stenochiinae . Mimocellus contains seven sub-Saharan African species of Tenebrionidae , including several species that are associated with termite nests. In the original description, Wasmann (1904), on the advice of E. von Oertzen, placed the genus near Luprops within the composite group ' Heterotarsini ' based on unspecified similarities in head morphology. More recent treatments of the genus and taxonomic catalogs place Mimocellus in Lupropini ( Schawaller 2005; Robiche et al. 2002; Bouchard et al. 2021).

As with Falsotithassa , examination of antennae clearly excludes Mimocellus from Lagriinae . Mimocellus has distinct patches of complex antennal sensoria (Fig. 80 ). Additionally, the defensive gland reservoirs differ from those found in Lupropini . While lupropine gland reservoirs tend to be stout with wide openings (Fig. 65 ), Mimocellus possesses elongate gland reservoirs (Fig. 81 ) similar to the type found in Diaperini ( Diaperinae ) and Cnodalonini ( Stenochiini ) ( Tschinkel and Doyen 1980). Due to limited availability of specimens, we were unable to examine female internal morphology. For this reason, we currently place this genus as incertae sedis within Tenebrionidae until its placement within the tenebrionoid-branch subfamilies can be elucidated.

Figures

Figures 79 - 81. Dorsal habitus and structures of Mimocellus Wasmann, 1904. 79 Dorsal habitus of Mimocellus trechoides Wasmann, 1904 80 antennae of M. trechoides 81 defensive gland reservoir of M. trechoides, one reservoir was damaged during dissection. Abbreviations: dgr = defensive gland reservoir. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figures 62 - 67. Defensive gland reservoirs of Lagriinae. 62 Lagria villosa (Fabricius, 1781), Lagriini: Lagriina 63 Statira sp., Lagriini: Statirina 64 Phobelius sp., Lagriini: Phobeliina 65 Luprops sp., Lupropini 66 Aediotorix sp., Pycnocerini 67 Cardiothorax sp., Adeliini. Abbreviation: dgr = defensive gland reservoir.