Stenomorpha wickhami

(Horn) Horn

Stenomorpha wickhami is a darkling beetle in the Tenebrionidae, transferred into the Stenomorpha from its original combination by Horn. It belongs to the furcata species group, a newly recognized informal grouping within Stenomorpha established to accommodate this species and three related including the type species S. furcata, S. roosevelti, and S. granicollis. The species is native to the southwestern United States, specifically southern Arizona. As a member of the Asidini tribe, it shares the general characteristics of flightless or weakly flighted desert-dwelling tenebrionids, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stenomorpha wickhami: /ˌstɛnoʊˈmɔrfə ˈwɪkˌhæmi/

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Identification

Stenomorpha wickhami can be distinguished from other Stenomorpha by characters of the furcata species group, which includes S. furcata, S. roosevelti, and S. granicollis. A key to the four species of the furcata group has been published. The species was originally described under a different generic combination by Horn and later transferred to Stenomorpha based on morphological affinities with other group members.

Distribution

Southern Arizona, United States. The reaches the northern limit of the otherwise predominantly Neotropical Stenomorpha, which contains approximately 45 species distributed from Panama and the West Indies south to Peru and Argentina.

Similar Taxa

  • Stenomorpha furcataType of the furcata species group; shares diagnostic characters that define this informal grouping
  • Stenomorpha rooseveltiNewly described congeneric in the same species group from Cuatrociénegas, Mexico
  • Stenomorpha granicollisFourth member of the furcata group transferred into Stenomorpha as a new combination

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Sources and further reading