Tomoxia lineella, LeConte

Lisberg, Anneke & Young, Daniel K., 2003, Descriptions of Larva and Pupa of Tomoxia lineella LeConte with Notes on Larval Habitat (Coleoptera: Mordellidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (3), pp. 339-344 : 342

Pupa of T. lineella LeConte

( Figs. 5–6 )

Description. Body cylindrical, 8.8 mm in length. Color creamy white, tips of mandibles and setiferous tubercles yellow-brown, compound eyes with reddish-purple facets.

Head ( Fig. 5 ) ventrally reflexed, vertex coming to a distinct point. Frontal region of head with deep, mesal sulcus bifurcating bilaterally and becoming confluent with inflated antennal insertion ridges; labro-clypeal area thus pursed inwardly. Elongate, setiferous tubercles distributed on cranium asymmetrically: in a large patch at vertex, bordering orbits along mesal edge, a patch on lower frontal region, and several smaller tubercles along frontoclypeal suture. Antennae free, arising frontally between lower margins of compound eyes and mandibular bases; antennal segments 4–9 subserrate, segments 10–11 conjoined. Pigmented mandibular apices visible laterad labrum. Maxillary palpi flattened, indistinctly three-segmented; third palpomere widened apically.

Thorax subequal in width to head. Disk of pronotum ( Fig. 6 ) transversely divided by broad, shallow sulcus; anterior portion with transverse, ovoid setal ring on slightly raised mesal surface; posterior portion with flattened, U-shaped region mesally, bordered by raised lip and subequally spaced setiferous tubercles similar to those of head. Lateral portions of pronotum also bearing several scattered setiferous tubercles. Elytra articulated at base, reaching anterior margin of A5, rounded apically and sparsely covered on dorsal surface with setiferous tubercles; mesothoracic scutellum visible, its posterior margin slightly bilobed. Metathoracic wings free, similar to elytra but without tubercles; metathoracic notum with small dark concentric markings mesally. Prothoracic and mesothoracic legs obscured proximally by mouthparts, lying folded along sides of thorax. Metathoracic sternum conspicuous, larger than combined lengths of prothoracic and mesothoracic sterna; metathoracic legs folded horizontally at femoro-tibial articulations, extending beyond width of thorax.

Abdomen gradually tapering from base to apex, A1 one-fourth as long as wide; terga increasing in length from A1 to A3, then decreasing again in length to A5, terga A5 and A6 subequal in length. Terga of A1–A6 each bearing a group of setiferous tubercles on either side of mid-dorsal line, tubercles gradually increasing in number from one on each side (A1) to two transverse lines of about five tubercles each, bilaterally along posterior margin of A6; lateral margins of terga sparsely setose. Spiracles visible laterad raised terga, near anterior margins of ill-defined, fleshy, raised, laterotergal areas. Tergum A7 elongate-conical, visible posterad A6, generally resembling adult pygidium; anterolateral margins somewhat rounded, swollen, with setiferous tubercles posterad swellings. Genital segments extend laterally and posteriorly from A7, bearing paired setiferous tubercles posterolaterad swollen basal angle of A7; lateral margins incised posterad tubercles thence excised to previous width; posteriorly tapering gradually to apex which bears two excurved, pointed urogomphi; an additional pair of setiferous tubercles arises laterad posterior portion of A7. Abdominal sterna each with group of large, setiferous tubercles laterad spiracles. Ventrally, anterior genital segment nearly heart-shaped, slightly pigmented on lateral margins; three ill-defined, fleshy bilobed swellings posterad apex of anterior genital segment; posterolateral margins near apex of genital segments bearing three setiferous tubercles, anterad urogomphi.

Figures

Figs. 1–6. Tomoxia lineella LeConte. Figs. 1–4. Larva. 1) Habitus, lateral view; 2) head with maxillae and labium removed, dorsal view; 3) maxillae and labium, ventral view; 4) abdominal apex, ventral view. Figs. 5–6. Pupa. 5) Habitus, ventral view; 6) habitus, dorsal view.