Eleodes subtuberculatus Walker

Thomas, Donald B., Smith, Aaron D., Triplehorn, Charles A. & Aalbu, Rolf A., 2014, Walker’s Eleodes (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Zootaxa 3835 (4), pp. 583-592 : 589

Eleodes subtuberculatus Walker ( Fig. 5).

Eleodes subtuberculata Walker, 1866 , vol. 2, p. 328.

Original Description: “Black, dull. Head and thorax thickly punctured. Head with a transverse impressed line between the base of the antennae; clypeus somewhat shining. Thorax somewhat broader than the head, harder, broader behind than in front; sides almost straight; fore angles acute. Elytra elliptical, with numerous lines of minute tubercles, almost twice broader than the thorax, and about thrice its length. Length of the body, 5-1/2 lines.”

Type Material. HOLOTYPE by monotypy.

Labels: (a) “ Type H.T” [printed, circular with red margin]. (b) “ Brit Colum ” [hand-script, circular, light blue]. (c) “ subtuberculata ” [hand-script]. (d) “ E. granulata (named by LeConte)” [hand-script]. (e) [circular, hand-script] “64 18.”

Eleodes subtuberculatus Walker was placed in synonymy under Eleodes granulatus LeConte 1857 in Gebien’s (1910) catalog at page 246. However, based on our examination of the specimen we conclude that the placement as a synonym of E. granulatus , a member of the subgenus Litheleodes Blaisdell , is no longer applicable. Subspecies and species related to E. granulatus were described subsequent to the Gebien catalog. Walker’s specimen is assignable, and senior to, another member of Litheleodes , Eleodes parvulus Blaisdell (1909) . Eleodes parvulus was originally proposed by Blaisdell (1909) as a “forma” of Eleodes letcheri var. vandykei . Blaisdell (1921) later elevated E. vandykei to full species, and still later ( Blaisdell 1942) made parvulus its subspecies. The most recent treatment of this group is by Boddy (1965) who considered E. parvulus (type locality: The Dalles, Oregon) to be a valid species while placing E. vandykei (type locality: Modoc County, California), as a subspecies of E. granulatus . The two species, both of which occur in British Columbia, are distinguishable by the shape and proportions of the prothorax. Eleodes granulatus has the prothorax broader than long with the sides distinctly arcuate. Eleodes subtuberculatus (with E. parvulus as its junior synonym) has the prothorax longer than wide and the sides subparallel. The known distribution of E. subtuberculatus is provided in the accompanying map ( Fig. 6 ).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Distribution of Eleodes subtuberculatus.