Emelinus

Casey, 1895

Species Guides

Emelinus is a of ant-like leaf beetles in the Aderidae, established by Casey in 1895. The genus contains at least three described distributed in North America. Members of this genus exhibit the characteristic -mimicking common to Aderidae, with compact bodies and relatively long legs.

Emelinus melsheimeri by (c) Mark Richman, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Mark Richman. Used under a CC-BY license.

Emelinus melsheimeri P1540723a by
xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Emelinus: //ˌɛmɪˈlaɪnəs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Emelinus can be distinguished from other Aderidae by a combination of antennal structure, pronotal shape, and elytral sculpturing; specific diagnostic features require examination of and original descriptions by Werner (1956) for E. butleri and E. huachucanus, and LeConte (1855) for E. melsheimeri.

Images

Distribution

North America; occur in the southwestern United States (Arizona) and eastern regions.

Similar Taxa

AderusAnother in Aderidae with -like ; distinguished by differences in antennal club structure and body proportions.
ZonantesNorth American aderid ; separation requires detailed examination of male genitalia and pronotal configuration.

More Details

Etymology

The name honors Emelinus, though the specific derivation Casey intended has not been clearly documented in available sources.

Species diversity

Only three are formally described, but the may be under-collected given the cryptic habits of Aderidae and relatively low number of iNaturalist observations (67).