Eleodes (Litheleodes) extricatus (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 : 46

Eleodes (Litheleodes) extricatus (Say, 1823)

( Fig. 6C–D )

Eleodes extricatus arizonensis Blaisdell, 1909 ( Fig. 6D )

Eleodes extricatus cognatus Haldeman, 1852

Diagnosis. Body oblong-ovate. Pronotum subquadrate, gently arcuate laterally, anterior angles always produced forward, angles ranging from acute and projected anterolaterally to broadly rounded, posterior margin not constricted. Prosternum strongly produced behind procoxae, forming posteriorly directled triangular wedge. Elytra asperately to muricately punctured, more or less striate. Profemora feebly to strongly spined in males, sinuate in females. Female genitalia with coxite with inner lobe projected and triangular, gonostyle large, flattened, positioned distally on outer lobe of coxite.

Distribution. Mohave, Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Yavapai, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties, Arizona. Texas west to Sonora, Mexico, north to Alberta, Canada.

Remarks. This widespread and variable species is challenging to characterize. It can most easily be recognized by having roughly sculptured elytra, males with spined profemora, and distinctive female genitalia (the produced inner lobe of the coxite separating it from similar species in the subgenus Melaneleodes Blaisdell ). Found across the state at mid– to high–elevation, three subspecies are known from Arizona. Eleodes extricatus extricatus is coarsely to scabrously punctured and from the central and western mountains. Eleodes extricatus arizonensis has elytral striae more or less sulcate and is from the southeastern “sky islands”. Eleodes extricatus cognatus is more robust and less scabrous and widely distributed.

Figures

Fig. 6. Eleodes species, dorsal habitus. A) E. eschscholtzi, male, B) E. eschscholtzi, female; C) E. caudiferus, D) E. spinipes macrurus, male. Scale bars = 1 cm.