Iphthiminus Spilman 1973

Gardiner, Rebekka M. & Pollock, Darren A., 2015, Revision of the Nearctic species of the genus Iphthiminus Spilman (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Zootaxa 4048 (3), pp. 352-391 : 354-356

Iphthiminus Spilman 1973

Iphthinus Dejean 1837: 203 ; Spilman 1973a: 39, 42–43.

Iphthimus Truqui 1857: 92 –94; Leconte 1866 a: 121,172,174; LeConte 1866b: 61; Pascoe 1869: 147; Horn 1870: 331, 334, 337–338, 340; Horn 1874 –1876: 34–35; Carpenter 1875: 569; Austin 1880: 38; Casey 1890: 408; Griffith 1900: 569; Bertkau & Hilgendorf 1891: 301; Slosson 1893: 290; Slosson 1894: 4; Fall 1894, 101; Wickham 1898: 87, 239; Fall 1901: 31; Knauss 1903: 177; Snow 1904: 334; Gebien 1941: 339; Woodworth 1913: 189; Casey 1924: 327; Leng et al. 1920: 235, 456; St. George 1925: 3, 5, 8, 11, 21; Hayward 1948: 482, 504; Spilman 1973a: 39, 42–43; Spilman 1973b: 89; Tschinkel 1975: 361, Fig. 8, 365 Fig. 10, 367; Parsons et al. 1991: 62, 160; Poole and Gentili 1996: 437.

Iphthiminus: Spilman 1973a: 39 , 42–43; Tschinkel & Doyen 1980, 338; Bousquet, 1991; 261; Poole and Gentili 1996: 437; Aalbu et al 2002: 500, 848; Fattorini 2006: 241; Majka et al. 2008: 694, 708, 709. Type species: Iphthinus italicus Truqui , by original designation ( Spilman 1973a: 42).

Ipthimus: Tschinkel & Doyen 1980 Figure 17. 338. Lapsus

Derivation of Name: Unknown; “ Iphthim ” is a root word meaning “spirited” or “stalwart” ( Borror 1960).

Adult description. Body Form. Elongate oval, ratio of TL/GEW 1.7–3.5; GHW: 2.5–4.7 mm; GPW 4.0–9.0 mm; GEW 5.2–12.4 mm; HL 2.7–5.7 mm; PL 2.7–5.7 mm; EL 9.4–18.0 mm; TL 14.8–29.2 mm; ratio of GPW/ GEW 0.60–0.98.

Color. Black, shining to dull (opaque).

Head. Slightly trapezoidal, approximately 0.83–0.85 wider than long (GHW/HL 0.54–1.11), slightly concave at medial fusion of frons and clypeus; frons extended laterally in front of eyes; head uniformly punctate, punctures unisetose, shallow or deep, setae short, indistinct without magnification; genal ridge pronounced or subtle; eyes reniform, oriented vertically.

Antennae. Antennae clavate, moderately thick, antennomeres uniformly punctate, antennomeres 6–10 with sparse ring of elongated sensilla in apical third; antennomere 3 longest; antennomere 4 slightly longer than wide; antennomere 5 as long as wide; antennomere 6 slightly wider than long; antennomeres 7–10 distinctly wider than long; antennomere 11 conical, with sparse long setae at apex, extending distally. Antennae shape moniliform.

Mouthparts. Labrum uniformly punctate, apical edge fringed with two patches of dense setae, separated medially, lateral edges fringed sparsely with longer setae; mandibles large, evenly arcuate to apex; mola large, triangular, convex from posterior to anterior edge; dorsal surface evenly punctate with setose punctures; right mandibular teeth (paired) flattened at apex, left mandibular teeth (paired) with greater space between mandibular points on left mandible points. Stipes triangular, two-segmented, inner segment not as sclerotized as outer segment; lacinia and galea fringed with dense setae; lacinia with paired spines at uncus, galea widest apically: palpifer present; mentum approximately one half wider than long, uniformly covered with fine punctation, with single seta in each puncture, widest at apical third, lateral edges rounded; ligula twice as long as wide, widest medially, apical and basal edges slightly bisinuate, thick fringe of setae on apical edge; labial palpi three-segmented, palpomere 1 widest distally, with short seta at base; palpomere 2 with sparse setae; palpomere 3 widest medially, with fine short setae; palpomere 3 with convex sensory pad on apex.

Prothorax. Pronotum large, approximately 1.25–1.45 wider than long (GPW/PL 0.9–1.8), variable in shape, lateral margins strongly or weakly bisinuate, prominent hind thoracic angles usually present in most individuals, lateral edges either smooth or heavily serrated (Fig. 11); discal punctures numerous to few, shallowly or deeply depressed. Prosternum trapezoidal, convex, widest anteriorly, anterior edge with long setae projected around head, uniformly punctured with no visible setae; prosternal process large, lateral edges straight, basal third enlarged, coxal cavities closed, circular. Proepisternum uniformly punctate, no visible setae in punctures, basal edge with fringe of long setae projecting towards pterothorax.

Pterothorax. Mesosternum hexagonal, with well-developed median process, concave laterally, anterolateral margins straight, posterior lateral margins sinuate; mesosternal process concave medially between closed coxal cavities. Mesepisternum two-segmented, triangular, anterior margin concave, posterior margin convex, impunctate, anterior setae longer. Mesepimeron rectangular, anterior edge longest, anterior lateral angle acute, flared anteriorly, surface finely punctate, lateral edges with fine setae, no visible setae elsewhere. Metasternum with lateral edges straight, elongate; narrowest between mesocoxal and metacoxal openings, concave medially, anterior margins convex, posterior margins concave, lateral anterior angles acute. Metaepisternum two-segmented, anterior segment long, punctate with no visible setae, posterior segment subquadrate, punctured, no visible setae. Mesosternum and metasternum connected, forming rounded middle coxal cavities, metasternum and abdomen connecting to form lachrymal-shaped hind coxal cavities.

Wings. Wing membrane relatively short, area beyond radial cell less than 0.25 times as long as entire wing, radial cell large, wedge cell oval, elongated; right vein of cubis anterior connected to median posterior in four places on right lateral edge of wedge cell, anterior anal vein, cubis anterior vein, and three median posterior veins terminate medially. Base of radius distally reduced.

Elytra. Elytra fused, oblong oval, convex, lateral edges nearly straight from pronotum, widening in apical third; GL/GEW 1.05–2.12; nine striae, very coarse and deep to nearly nonexistent; strial punctures in some specimens closely associated, forming elongated punctures (dashes). Distinct interstrial punctation present in two species, light to absent in one species.

Legs. Front, middle, and hind legs similar, punctured; tarsal claws arcuate; tibial spurs 2-2-2; femur and tibia enlarged distally; trochanter triangular, covered in setiferous punctures; coxa rounded and projecting, covered in setiferous punctures with long setae.

Abdomen. Ventrites uniformly punctate. Defensive glands present, heavily sclerotized, short to elongate, ribbed. No visible membranes between sternites 3 and 4. Tergite 8 and sternite 9 finely punctate with setiferous punctures, posterior lateral edges fringed with long setae.

Male genitalia. Phallobase heavily sclerotized, dorsoventrally curved, posterior edge bisinuate, basally rounded; parameres fused basally, narrowed toward apex, flared distinctly in one species; median lobe elongate, narrowed at apex, no setae present on apex; endophallus absent.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor elongate, sparsely covered with long setae; gonostyli small, with small patch of seta on apex; baculi paired; internal tract short, bursa copulatrix ovate, with oviduct extending laterally in lower third of tract; accessory gland attached at lateral lower fourth of tract, closely associated to spermathecal duct; spermatheca attached to accessory gland, ribbed, narrow, elongate, bulbed at end.

Sexual dimorphism. No discernible external sexual dimorphism.