Blapstinina

Mulsant & Rey, 1853

Genus Guides

Blapstinina is a subtribe of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae: Opatrini) to North and South America. Molecular phylogenetic studies support its monophyly, though the Ammodonus has been transferred into this subtribe and Mecysmus has been synonymized with Blapstinus. Recent taxonomic revisions have also synonymized Bycrea with Trichoton and Pseudephalus with Ephalus. Larval has been described for only a few , representing approximately 6% of described species in the broader 'Opatrinoid' clade.

Opatrini by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC-BY license.

Blapstinus by (c) Will Linnard, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Will Linnard. Used under a CC-BY license.

Opatrina by (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Don Loarie. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Blapstinina: /blæpˈstɪnɪnə/

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

Identification

Blapstinina can be distinguished from other Opatrini subtribes by molecular and morphological characters supporting its monophyly. Within the subtribe, are distinguished by comparative : Ephalus and Pseudephalus show close morphological affiliation, while Blapstinus (now including Mecysmus) and Trichoton (now including Bycrea) form distinct clades. Larval identification relies on morphological characters described for Blapstinus histricus, B. longulus, and Trichoton sordidum.

Images

Distribution

to North and South America. Documented from North America for Blapstinus histricus, Blapstinus longulus, and Trichoton sordidum.

Human Relevance

Larvae of the broader 'Opatrinoid' clade, which includes Blapstinina, have noted economic importance, though specific details are not elaborated in available sources.

Similar Taxa

AmmobiinaPreviously included Ammodonus, Ephalus, and Pseudephalus, but molecular now places these within or allied to Blapstinina.
OpatrinaSister group to which Ephalus has been transferred, making Opatrina distribution amphi-Atlantic.

More Details

Taxonomic Revisions

Recent molecular and morphological studies have substantially revised Blapstinina : Mecysmus synonymized with Blapstinus (new combinations: B. advena, B. angustus, B. laticollis, B. parvulus, B. tenuis); Bycrea synonymized with Trichoton (new combination: T. villosum); Pseudephalus synonymized with Ephalus (new combination: E. brevicornis); Ammodonus transferred into Blapstinina; and Ephalus elevated to Opatrina.

Larval Knowledge Gap

Larval is described for only approximately 6% of in the 'Opatrinoid' clade (~139 of ~2325 species). Within Blapstinina, larvae of only three species have been formally described: Blapstinus histricus, Blapstinus longulus, and Trichoton sordidum.