Pimeliinae

Latreille, 1802

Tribe Guides

Pimeliinae is a of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) comprising multiple tribes distributed across arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. The subfamily includes notable groups such as the Sepidiini of the Afrotropical Realm, whose members Ocnodes and Psammodes are known as "toktokkies" for their distinctive tapping communication . Several exhibit morphological adaptations for life, including conical peg on tibiae. The subfamily encompasses both flightless and flying , with some of the largest tenebrionid species such as Stridulomus sulcicollis (~80 mm).

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

Anepsiini by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.

Anepsiini by (c) Bennett Grappone, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bennett Grappone. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Pimeliinae: //pɪˈmɛli.iːˌnaɪ//

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

Images

Habitat

Ground-dwelling in arid and semi-arid environments including desert, Puna, and Atacaman biogeographic provinces. Collection records indicate presence on soil surfaces of farms, under rocks, in mountain areas, storage facilities, and jungle margins. Some lineages show morphological adaptations for life.

Distribution

Widely distributed throughout the Afrotropical Realm with several reaching the southern Western Palaearctic; present in the southern Iberian Peninsula and western Maghreb (northern and western Morocco); South American in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina; northern Chile (25°–31° South); Cuatrociénegas Protected Area in Coahuila, Mexico; Sindh province, Pakistan; Arabian Peninsula.

Behavior

Tapping for sexual communication observed in some Sepidiini, primarily in the Ocnodes and Psammodes, producing the "toktokkies". Many larger are flightless and not capable of sustained ; this condition has been documented in Uloma simplex and is under observation in other .

Human Relevance

Some cause economic damage to agricultural crops and pose food safety risks in processing, manufacturing, distribution, and retail segments through of stored products. Pimelia capito and Trachyderma phalistinia recorded as pests in agricultural areas of Sindh, Pakistan.

Similar Taxa

TenebrioninaeBoth are within Tenebrionidae; distinguished by morphological characters including cardo and stipes of and prelabium not covered by , margin of postgenae with maxillary ridge or emargination, and elytral base without vertical in Pimeliinae

More Details

Morphological diagnostic characters

Cardo and stipes of and prelabium not covered by ; margin of postgenae with maxillary ridge or emargination; 11-segmented ; mesocoxae with visible (reduced in Sepidiina and some Molurina); large scutellum extending across entire width of mesothoracic peduncle; elytral base without vertical .

Notable size records

Stridulomus sulcicollis represents the largest known tenebrionid at approximately 80 mm in length.

Taxonomic diversity

The tribe Sepidiini alone comprises six subtribes, 55 , 33 subgenera, and 1009 and . The genus Philorea contains 15 species in Peru; the genus Pilobalia contains 26 species and two subspecies in Peru.