TENEBRIONIDAE, Latreille, 1802

Ferro, Michael L., Nguyen, Nhu H., Tishechkin, Alexey, Park, Jong-Seok, Bayless, Victoria & Carlton, Christopher E., 2013, Coleoptera Collected from Rotting Fishhook Barrel Cacti (Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton and Rose), with a Review of Nearctic Coleoptera Associated with Succulent Necrosis, The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (4), pp. 419-443 : 434

TENEBRIONIDAE

Diaperinae

Cynaeus angustus (LeConte) ( Fig. 24 )

Comments. Cynaeus angustus is a North American precinctive species that has recently expanded its range and become a minor pest of stored cereal products. Dunkel et al. (1982) provided a well-documented description of its recent expansion and synanthropic proclivities. The genus contains two species ( Horn 1870).

Range. O r i g i n a t e d i n t h e S o n o r a n a n d Chihuahuan deserts of southwestern USA and Mexico; recently (1970s) distributed throughout the USA and southern Canada ( Dunkel et al. 1982).

Habitat. Moist part of a rotten cavity in saguaro ( Hubbard 1899); associated with decomposing flowering agave, one report from barrel cactus; may have been associated with corn as early as 800 C.E.; in recent times predominantly found in corn, also in wheat, soybeans, and other crops; see Dunkel et al. (1982) for a list of natural and synanthropic habitats.

Biology. Description of the larva and pupa as well as life history information in relation to development in corn and other grains were obtained by Krall and Decker (1946): development from egg to adult took 30–60 days; adults and larvae will feed directly on corn and other grains; first oviposition took place 5–7 days after eclosion; adults are active and strong fliers at night; no evidence of diapause; some adults may have lived as long as six months. Sinha (1971) reports C. angustus consumption of and reproduction within numerous fungal species. White and Sinha (1987) studied the energy budget of C. angustus reared on split corn kernels. Morrison and Dunkel (1983) described an infestation of cotton gin waste by C. angustus in Texas that drove people from their homes and sent two children to the hospital.

Additional References. Blackwelder 1957; Blaisdell 1943; Champion 1893 (as Cynaeus opacus Champion ); Crotch 1873; Fall 1901; Horn 1894; Hunter et al. 1912 (incidentally associated with cactus); LeConte 1851 (as Platydema angustum LeConte ); Leng 1920; Woodworth 1913.

Figures

Figs. 20–25. Habitus images of Coleoptera in decayed barrel cacti. 20) Deroderus sp.; 21) Belonuchus ephippiatus; 22) Tachinomorphus grandis; 23) Tachinomorphus grossulus; 24) Cynaeus angustus; 25) Bitoma gracilis, photograph by Nathan Lord.