Table Of ContentThe Darkling Beetles of the
Sinai Peninsula
An expanded and updated edition of the out-of-print 2003 supplementum of Zoology
in the Middle East, this concise guide to Darkling Beetles of the Sinai Peninsula has
been sought after by researchers in taxonomy, faunistics and biogeography. The new
book includes two additional subfamilies of tenebrionid beetles (4–5 species), iden-
tification keys and more than 90 colour photographs and species distribution maps.
Zoogeographically speaking, the Sinai Peninsula is a crossroad and, at the same time,
a center of speciation. Despite its generally arid character, the region harbours a wide
range of habitats, from sea level to over 2,500 m above. About 10 percent of the
Sinai darkling beetles are endemic to the area. The inclusion of species photographs
and identification keys makes this book an invaluable reference field guide, for both
specialists and non-specialists, who will thus be able to discover the taxonomic and
phylogenetic diversity of darkling beetles in the Sinai Peninsula.
The Darkling Beetles of the
Sinai Peninsula
Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae
Martin Lillig
Tomáš Pavlí ek
č
First edition published 2023
by CRC Press
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and by CRC Press
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© 2023 Martin Lillig and Tomáš Pavlíček
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ISBN: 978-1-032-18720-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-18721-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-25590-1 (ebk)
DOI: 10.1201/9781003255901
Typeset in Times
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
Dedication
I owe a great debt of gratitude to the people who inspired me to
pursue coleopterology, namely my late parents who encouraged
my interests in entomology, Prof. (Em.) Dr. Peter Nagel who
led me to the beetles and especially to the Tenebrionidae, the
many colleagues with whom I have friendly and constructive
exchanges for a long time and my loved ones who have patiently
suffered and will continue to suffer from the many hours I
have spent and will continue to spend on coleopterology.
ML
To my parents who kindled my interest in science and kept
faith in my academic and scientific progress, to my wife
Patricia Cardet whom apart from supporting my scientific
career also accompanies me in many collection trips and to Dr
Ottò Merkl (Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest)
for his inspiration in the study of darkling beetles.
TP
Contents
Foreword ...................................................................................................................xi
Preface....................................................................................................................xiii
Authors .....................................................................................................................xv
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations .....................................................................xvii
Introduction .............................................................................................................xix
Chapter I Description of the Sinai Peninsula .................................................1
I.1 Physical Borders and Landscapes ........................................1
I.2 Climate and Paleoenvironment ............................................3
I.3 Flora and Fauna ....................................................................4
I.3.1 Mosses and Vascular Plants ....................................4
I.3.2 Vertebrates...............................................................5
I.3.3 Invertebrates ............................................................5
I.4 Local Geographic Names .....................................................6
Chapter II Collection Methods and Analysis of the Darkling Beetles
Distribution .....................................................................................9
Chapter III Species Richness and Endemism of Tenebrionidae Beetles
in the Sinai Peninsula ...................................................................11
III.1 Global Distribution Patterns of the Tenebrionidae in
the Sinai Peninsula .............................................................11
Chapter IV Ecology of Desert Darkling Beetles .............................................17
Chapter V Identification Keys for the Tenebrionidae Taxa Recorded on
the Sinai Peninsula .......................................................................19
Key 1 Identification Key to the Subfamily Level .........................19
Key 2 Identification Key for the Subfamily Pimeliinae ................20
Key 3 Identification Key for the Subfamilies Blaptinae and
Tenebrioninae .....................................................................29
Key 4 Identification Key for the Subfamily Diaperinae ...............32
Key 5 Identification Key for the Subfamily Alleculinae ..............33
Chapter VI Darkling Beetles Present in the Sinai Peninsula ..........................35
VI.1 Subfamily Pimeliinae Latreille, 1802 ................................35
VI.1.1 Tribe Adelostomini Solier, 1834 ...........................35
VI.1.1.1 Genus Adelostoma Duponchel, 1827 ........35
vii
viii Contents
VI.1.1.2 Genus Machlopsis Pomel, 1871 ............36
VI.1.2 Tribe Adesmiini Lacordaire, 1859 ........................36
VI.1.2.1 Genus Adesmia Fischer von
Waldheim, 1822 ....................................36
VI.1.3 Tribe Akidini Billberg, 1820 .................................44
VI.1.3.1 Genus Akis Herbst, 1799 .......................44
VI.1.4 Tribe Erodiini Billberg, 1820 ................................45
VI.1.4.1 Genus Amnodeis Miller, 1858 ..............45
VI.1.4.2 Genus Erodius Fabricius, 1775 .............45
VI.1.5 Tribe Pimeliini Latreille, 1802 ..............................49
VI.1.5.1 Genus Astorthocnemis Lillig &
Pavlícˇek, 2002.......................................49
VI.1.5.2 Genus Pimelia Fabricius, 1775 .............49
VI.1.5.3 Genus Prionotheca Dejean, 1834 .........52
VI.1.5.4 Genus Pterolasia Solier, 1836 ..............52
VI.1.5.5 Genus Thriptera Solier, 1836 ................52
VI.1.5.6 Genus Trachyderma Latreille, 1828 .....53
VI.1.6 Tribe Sepidiini Eschscholtz, 1829 .........................55
VI.1.6.1 Genus Sepidium Fabricius, 1775 ...........55
VI.1.6.2 Genus Vieta Laporte de
Castelnau, 1840 .....................................56
VI.1.7 Tribe Stenosini Schaum, 1859 (1934) ....................56
VI.1.7.1 Genus Dichillus Jacquelin
du Val, 1860 ..........................................56
VI.1.7.2 Genus Microtelus Solier, 1838 ..............56
VI.1.7.3 Genus Mitotagenia Reitter, 1916 ..........56
VI.1.7.4 Genus Stenosis Herbst, 1799 .................57
VI.1.8 Tribe Tentyriini Eschscholtz, 1831 ........................57
VI.1.8.1 Genus Cyphostethe Marseul, 1867 .......57
VI.1.8.2 Genus Dailognatha Steven, 1828 .........57
VI.1.8.3 Genus Hegeterocara Reitter, 1900 .......57
VI.1.8.4 Genus Hionthis Miller, 1861 .................58
VI.1.8.5 Genus Imatismus Dejean 1834 .............58
VI.1.8.6 Genus Mesostena Eschscholtz, 1831 .......58
VI.1.8.7 Genus Micipsa Lucas, 1855 ..................61
VI.1.8.8 Genus Oterophloeus Desbrochers
des Loges, 1881 .....................................62
VI.1.8.9 Genus Oxycara Solier, 1835 .................62
VI.1.8.10 Genus Prochoma Solier, 1835 ..............63
VI.1.8.11 Genus Scelosodis Solier, 1835 ..............65
VI.1.8.12 Genus Schweinfurthia Andres, 1922 ......65
VI.1.8.13 Genus Tentyria Latreille, 1802 .............65
VI.1.8.14 Genus Tentyrina Reitter, 1900 ..............66
VI.1.8.15 Genus Thraustocolus Kraatz, 1865 ........67
VI.1.8.16 Genus Trichosphaena Reitter, 1916 ........67
Contents ix
VI.1.9 Tribe Zophosini Solier, 1834 .................................67
VI.1.9.1 Genus Zophosis Latreille, 1802 ............67
VI.2 Subfamily Blaptinae Leach, 1815 .......................................69
VI.2.1 Tribe Blaptini Leach, 1815 ....................................69
VI.2.1.1 Genus Blaps Fabricius, 1775 .................69
VI.2.2 Tribe Dendarini Mulsant & Rey, 1854 ..................71
VI.2.2.1 Genus Dendarus Dejean, 1821 .............71
VI.2.3 Tribe Opatrini Brullé, 1832 ...................................71
VI.2.3.1 Genus Ammobius Guérin-
Méneville, 1844 ....................................71
VI.2.3.2 Genus Clitobius Mulsant & Rey,
1859 .......................................................71
VI.2.3.3 Genus Proscheimus Desbrochers
des Loges, 1881 .....................................72
VI.2.3.4 Genus Diphyrrhynchus Fairmaire,
1849 .......................................................72
VI.2.3.5 Genus Gonocephalum Solier, 1834 ........72
VI.2.3.6 Genus Mesomorphus Miedel, 1880 .........74
VI.2.3.7 Genus Opatroides Brullé, 1832 ............74
VI.2.3.8 Genus Scleropatroides Löbl &
Merkl, 2003 ..........................................75
VI.2.3.9 Genus Eurycaulus Fairmaire, 1868 .........75
VI.2.3.10 Genus Sclerum Dejean, 1834 ................75
VI.2.4 Tribe Pedinini Eschscholtz, 1829 ..........................77
VI.2.4.1 Genus Drosochrus Erichson, 1843 .........77
VI.2.4.2 Genus Leichenum Dejean, 1834 ...........77
VI.3 Subfamily Tenebrioninae Latreille, 1802 ...........................77
VI.3.1 Tribe Alphitobiini Reitter, 1917 ............................77
VI.3.1.1 Genus Alphitobius Stephens, 1829 ..........77
VI.3.2 Tribe Helopini Latreille, 1802 ...............................78
VI.3.2.1 Genus Hedyphanes Fischer von
Waldheim, 1820 ....................................78
VI.3.3 Tribe Melanimonini Seidlitz, 1894 .......................78
VI.3.3.1 Genus Cheirodes Gené, 1839 ................78
VI.3.4 Tribe Scaurini Billberg, 1820 ................................79
VI.3.4.1 Genus Scaurus Fabricius, 1775 .............79
VI.3.5 Tribe Triboliini Gistel, 1848..................................80
VI.3.5.1 Genus Tribolium MacLeay, 1825 ..........80
VI.4 Subfamily Diaperinae Latreille, 1802 ................................80
VI.4.1 Tribe Crypticini, Brullé, 1832 ...............................80
VI.4.1.1 Genus Pseudoseriscius
Español, 1950 ......................................80
VI.4.2 Tribe Phaleriini Blanchard, 1845 ..........................81
VI.4.2.1 Genus Phaleria Latreille, 1802.............81
VI.4.2.2 Genus Phtora Germar, 1836 .................81
