Review of darkling beetles of the genus Ectromopsis Antoine, 1947 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) of former USSR

Abstract

Review of the genus Ectromopsis of the fauna of the former USSR is presented. Three species previously attributed to the genus Gunarus (subtribe Helopina) are transferred to the genus Ectromopsis (subtribe Cylindronotina): Ectromopsis tantillus (Ménétriés, 1848), comb. n., E. bogatschevi (Khnzoryan, 1957), comb. n., E. bulgaricus (Medvedev et Angelov, 1981), comb. n. Some morphological adaptations of the genus to environmental conditions, plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters, relationships and position in the tribe Helopini are discussed. The genus Ectromopsis belongs to the nalassoid group of genera of the subtribe Cylindronotina and possesses a number of plesiomorphic characters in the structure of penis, parameres, gastral spicula of males, sexual (?genital, oviducts? V.G.) ducts of the females, and epipleura. Morphological transformations of this group are connected with transition of ancestral forms of generic group “Nalassus” from the woody mesophyl mode of life to the life on the open semi-desert landscapes. Nevertheless, the representatives of the genus Ectromopsis lack deeply specialized structures, adaptive to the arid conditions. On the other hand, plesiomorphic features characteristic for mesophyl woody groups of the subtribe Cylindronotina are not expressed or are poorly-defined in this genus. Species of Ectromopsis are related with genera Zophohelops and Xanthomus Mulsant, 1854.

Keywords

• Tenebrionidae
• Helopini
• Ectromopsis
• rewiev
• taxonomy
• morphology
• adaptation
• former USSR