Achanius (Ambigatus) Fairmaire, 1892

Flores, Gustavo E. & Aballay, Fernando H., 2015, Two Evaniosomini Species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Associated with Decaying Carcasses in Argentina, with Remarks on the Tribal Assignment of Achanius Erichson, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 14) 69, pp. 167-179 : 174

Subgenus Achanius (Ambigatus) Fairmaire, 1892

( Figs. 14–20 , 22 )

Ambigatus Fairmaire 1892: 246 . Gebien 1910: 81 (catalog), 1937: 579 (catalog); Bruch 1915: 264 (catalog); Blackwelder 1945: 511 (catalog); Doyen 1994: 500.

Type species: Ambigatus stricticollis Fairmaire, 1892 .

Achanius (Ambigatus) : Kulzer 1950: 31 (revision), 1956: 901 (revision).

Diagnosis. Kulzer (1950 in key) stated the humeri are not elevated and hind wings are present. This study: metasternum 3X length of mesosternum; metacoxal width 3X metacoxal length; distance between meso– and metacoxae 2.5X metacoxal length ( Fig. 20 ).

Biology. Species of Achanius (Ambigatus) are winged, capable of flying, and of crepuscular and nocturnal habits. They were collected at white and UV lights, also using pitfall traps partly filled with water and propylene glycol ( Flores et al. 2004; Lagos 2004), and cattle dung-baited pitfall traps.

Species Included. Achanius rufonitens , A. stricticollis , A. bicolor , A. rhinosomoides , A. piceus , A. wittmeri ( Kulzer 1950, 1956), and Achanius (Ambigatus) antofagastensis Flores and Aballay, new species.

Figures

Figs. 13–16. Dorsal habitus. 13) Achanius (Achanius) anthicoides, syntype (Image courtesy of Bernd Jaeger, MNHUB); 14) Achanius (Ambigatus) antofagastensis, holotype; 15) A. antofagastensis, paratype showing reduced wings (white); 16) Achanius (Ambigatus) wittmeri, holotype (Image courtesy of Eva Sprecher, NHMB. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 17–20. Achanius (Ambigatus) bicolor. 17) Mouthparts, dorsal view; 18) Mouthparts, ventral view, white arrow indicates ventral fossa on mandible; 19) Head, frontal view; 20) Meso- and metasterna.

Figs. 21–22. Ovipositor in ventral view, spiculum and internal female reproductive tract. 21) Vaniosus profana; 22) Achanius (Ambigatus) rufonitens. Abbreviations: c = coxite; o = oviduct; p = paraproct; s = spermatheca; sag = spermathecal accessory gland; sp = spiculum; v = vagina. Scale bar = 1 mm.