Tillinae Leach, 1815

Type genus.

Tillus Olivier, 1790.

Synonyms.

Tilloides Spinola, 1841 (pars) Rev. Zool. IV, p. 71; Cleroides Spinola, 1844 (pars) Clérites I, p. 48; Cleridae Desmarest, 1860 (pars) in Chenu; Encycl. d’Hist . Nat. Col. II, p 231; Tillini Lohde, 1900, Stett. Ent. Zeitg., LXI, P. 6; Tillinae Schenkling, 1906. Deutsche Ent. Zeitschr., p. 242.

Differential diagnosis.

Tillinae is characterized by the fusion of the procryptosternum with the pronotal extension, a character that distinguishes this group of checkered beetles from other Cleridae (Fig. 6 C–D). Secondary characters that readily differentiate Tillinae from other clerid subfamilies are: body oblong, narrow to robust (Figs 1-5); eyes most often with coarse ommatidia (Fig. 12A); antennae consisting of 9 to 11 antennomeres (Figs 8-11); pronotum campanulate to bisinuate (Figs 5E, 7 C–D, 12 E–F); procoxal cavities closed internally and posteriorly (Fig. 6D), one longitudinal carina on the anterior portion of each metacoxal cavity (Fig. 13A); dorsolateral ridge absent (Figs 12 A–B); and tarsal formula 5-5-5 (Fig. 13B).

Redescription.

Body form: Slender to moderately robust (Figs 1E, 2E, 3 B–D) oblong, elongate to short. Pronotum: oblong, long, constricted posteriorly and sometimes anteriorly; anterior and posterior margins truncate; lateral margins parallel, sinuate or bisinuate (Figs 3E, 5A, 7 C–D). Size: 3-40 mm. Integument color: From black to piceous and light piceous, with some metallic tones. Elytral fasciae with predominant hues of testaceous, brown, ferrugineous and/or yellow hues (Figs 2 D–E, 3A, 4 B–C, 5F).

Head: Large to very large; epistomal sutures parallel to feebly sinuate, well developed and extended posteriorly; clypeus well developed; eyes small to very large, always emarginate anteriorly, moderately to strongly emarginate; ommatidia slightly to coarsely faceted (Figs 6F, 5 A–B); gula broad, extended posteriorly; postgular process well developed (Fig. 6A); antennae composed of 9 to 11 antennomeres (Figs 8 E–F, 9 E–F); antennal shape from filiform to pectinate, with various degrees of serration observed, rarely capitate (Figs 8 E–G, 9B, 10 G–H); mandibles well developed, stout; maxilla with well-developed laterolacinia; terminal labial palpi digitiform to cylindrical; terminal maxillary palpi cylindrical to securiform; labium developed.

Thorax: Pronotum ranging from long bisinuate to campanulate to subquadrate (Figs 5 A–E, 7 C–D); dorsolateral carinae absent (Fig. 12 A–B); abdominal sutures complete; prosternum longitudinally expanded anteriorly; prointercoxal process expanded anteriorly, closed internally and posteriorly. Mesoventrite cylindrical; punctations on elytral disc bearing setae; punctations may reach apex or not; epipleural fold developed and positioned laterally.

Legs: With tarsal pulvilli well developed, fourth tarsomere never reduced (Fig. 13B); tarsal claws well developed, with one or two tarsal denticles (Figs 6E, 7 A–B); tarsal formula 5-5-5; tibia and femora about the same length; tibial spur formula 2-2-2, 0-2-2, 2-1-1, or 0-0-0; tarsal pulvilliar formula 4-4-4, 4-4-3, 4-3-3, or 4-2-1; posterior wing venation well developed.

Abdomen: Six visible ventrites. First ventrite almost always longitudinally carinate proximal to metacoxal cavities (Fig. 13A). Sixth visible ventrite incised distally or not; spicular fork well developed, plates developed, intraspicular plate expanded anteriorly;

Aedeagus: Feebly to strongly sclerotized, phallobasic apodeme complete, phallobase acuminate distally; internal ovipositor elongate, usually as long as length of abdomen (Figs 18A, 20C).

Key to New World genera updated and modified from Opitz (2002) and Burke et al. (2015)