Anaxius Fåhraeus, 1870

Kamiński, Marcin J. & Schoeman, Colin S., 2018, Taxonomic revision of a darkling beetles genus Anaxius (Tenebrionidae: Pedinini: Helopinina), Zootaxa 4455 (3), pp. 471-485 : 472

Genus Anaxius Fåhraeus, 1870

Anaxius Fåhraeus, 1870: 307 .- Koch 1958: 208.

Type species. Anaxius obesus Fåhraeus, 1870 ; by monotypy.

Diagnosis. According to Koch’s (1958) hypothesis, this genus is close to Aptila Fåhraeus, 1870 and Asidodema Koch, 1958 based on pronotal shape (subparallel sided; flat disc) and male terminalia (relatively short tegmen; clavae as large as penis). All three genera were previously classified within a single subtribe Aptilina. From Aptila and Asidodema, Anaxius can be distinguished by having widened protarsi and the apical segment of the maxillary palpus enlarged in males. Moreover, it differs from Aptila by the lack of scale-like vestiture on the upper surface of the body, while the relatively reduced prosternum differentiates it from Asidodema (see Koch 1958).

Species included (7). bloubergensis sp. nov., campbellae Koch, 1958 , limpopoensis sp. nov., meletsensis sp. nov., obesus Fåhraeus, 1870 , prozeskyi Koch, 1958 , pseudoloensus sp. nov.

Distribution. Representatives of this genus have been collected in the following ecoregions of Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe ( Fig. 5 ): Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands, and forests; Highveld grasslands; Kalahari xeric savanna; Southern Africa bushveld; and Southern Miombo woodlands.

Anaxius was recorded from localities distributed between 874 and 1544 meters in elevation ( Fig. 6 ).

Note. During the present investigation 49 Anaxius specimens were studied. Among this number a total of three females was identified. Because of this the following key includes only the male morphology.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distribution of the species representing Anaxius.

FIGURE 6. Distribution of the genus Anaxius in the Limpopo Province.