Peaceful giant ground beetles: The genus Tefflus Latreille (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Republic of South Africa

Two species of the genus Tefflus Latreille (Coleoptera: Carabidae), commonly known as “peaceful giant ground beetles,” are recorded from the Republic of South Africa: T. carinatus carinatus Klug and T. meyerlei delagorguei Guérin-Méneville. Distribution records from the Republic of South Africa are summarized and mapped for both species. Tefflus c. carinatus has been collected in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Provinces, while T. m. delagorguei has been recorded from Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga Provinces. Adults of both species are illustrated. Seasonal and temporal activity patterns and defensive and foraging behaviors are characterized for T. m. delagorguei based on recent field studies in the Kruger National Park, Republic of South Africa

Geographic variation in U. S. populations of the tiger beetle Cicindela obsoleta Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

Geographic variation and subspecific taxonomy of United States populations of the tiger beetle Cicindela obsoleta Say are reviewed. Study of primary types and 1,424 museum specimens indicates that four subspecific entities are present in the U.S., for which the valid names are C. o. obsoleta Say, C. o. santaclarae Bates, C. o. vulturina LeConte, and C. o. neojuvenilis Vogt. All four subspecies are illustrated, including many color variants. ArcView Geographic Information System (GIS) computer software is used to study the distribution of these subspecies in the United States. Cicindela o. obsoleta and C. o. santaclarae are only partially allopatric, with extensive areas in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas where their distributions overlap. Specimens intermediate in their elytral markings between C. o. obsoleta and C. o. santaclarae are reported from localities in New Mexico and Texas where these two subspecies co-occur. In contrast, C. o. vulturina and C. o. neojuvenilis are largely allopatric and show little intergradation with the C. o. obsoleta - C. o. santaclarae complex. It has been suggested recently that disjunct (but as yet unnamed) populations of C. o. vulturina in Missouri and Arkansas may represent a separate subspecies of C. obsoleta. However, the color and elytral pattern characteristics which have been interpreted as diagnostic features of these disjunct populations are also found in many Texas populations of C. o. vulturina, suggesting that the Arkansas and Missouri populations do not merit recognition as a separate subspecies on the basis of these characters alone

New Records and Biological Notes On Species of Cleridae (Coleoptera) From the Adirondack Park, New York

Eleven species of Cleridae (Coleoptera) have been previously recorded from the Adirondack Park in the state of New York. Three additional species (Placopterus thoracicus, Enoclerus muttkowskii, and Enoclerus nigrifrons) are recorded from the Adirondacks for the first time. Biological notes and collecting records are provided for all species. Characters are given for separating adults and larvae of Enoclerus muttkowskii from those of the superficially similar species Enoclerus ichneumoneus. The relationships of these two species are discussed

A taxonomic review of the ancora species group of Graphipterus Latreille (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The taxonomy of the ancora species group of Graphipterus Latreille (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is reviewed and seven species are recognized, all from southern Africa: Graphipterus ancora Dejean, Graphipterus cordiger Dejean, Graphipterus distinctus Péringuey (new status), Graphipterus fasciatus Chaudoir, Graphipterus fritschi Chaudoir, Graphipterus wahlbergi Boheman (new status), and Graphipterus westwoodi Brême (new status). Diagnostic features are provided for each species and adult specimens of each species are illustrated

Taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography of the genus Asydates Casey (Insecta: Coleoptera: Melyridae)

The genus Asydates Casey (Coleoptera: Melyridae) is revised, containing three species from Arizona and California: A. explanatus Casey; A. inyoensis (Blaisdell), new combination; and A. rufiuentris Casey. The monotypic genus Pseudasydates Blaisdell is placed in synonymy with Asydates Casey, syn. nov., and Asydates puncticeps Blaisdell is placed in synonymy with Asydates explanatus Casey, syn. nov. A key separating adults of Asydates species is provided, and the results of a computerized cladistic analysis of Asydates species are presented. GIS mapping of Asydates species distributions indicates that these species are nearly allopatric, with A. explanatus found in the lower Colorado River basin and adjacent deserts, A. inyoensis restricted to the Inyo and White Mountains, and A. rufiuentris found in the coastal plain and coastal mountains near Santa Barbara. Geographic hypotheses of character evolution within Asydates are developed by combining the results of cladistic analysis and GIS mapping

Ecological Notes on Species of Cleridae (Insecta: Coleoptera) Associated With the Prairie Flora of Central North America

The association of eighteen species of Cleridae (Coleoptera) with tallgrass and shortgrass prairie ecosystems in central North America is reported for the first time. New flower visitation, habitat association, distribution, and/or rearing records are reported for Enoclerus analis (LeConte), E. coccineus coccineus (Schenkling), E. cordifer (LeConte), E. rosmarus (Say), E. zonatus (Klug), Placopterus thoracicus pallipes (Wolcott), Trichodes bibalteatus LeConte, T. bicinctus Green, T. nutalli (Kirby), Phyllobaenus dubius (Wolcott), P. knausii (Wickham), P. pubescens (LeConte), P. subfasciatus (LeConte), Isohydnocera albocincta (Horn), I. brunnea (Horn), I. curtipennis (Newman), I. tricondylae (LeConte) and Wolcottia pedalis (LeConte). Diagnostic characters are presented to separate adults of P. dubius, a species endemic to the northern shortgrass prairie region, from the common and widespread P. pubescens

A new key to the species of the genus Cradytes Casey (Insecta: Coleoptera: Melyridae)

A new key is presented to separate adults of the four currently-recognized species of the genus Cradytes Casey (Insecta: Coleoptera: Melyridae): C. longicollis Casey, C. serricollis (LeConte), C. serrulatus . (LeConte), and C. ursinus Blaisdell. The inaccurate statements in an earlier key to species of Cradytes are discussed

Observations on the biology of the South African checkered beetle Aphelochroa sanguinalis (Westwood) (Coleoptera: Cleridae)

The checkered beetle Aphelochroa sanguinalis (Westwood) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) is found in savanna and woodland ecosystems of southern and eastern Africa. During surveys for insect floral visitors in the Skukuza Ranger District of Kruger National Park, South Africa, we encountered adults of Aphelochroa sanguinalis on flowers of two tree species, Acacia grandicornuta Gerstner and Acacia tortilis (Forsskal) Hayne (Fabaceae). These two tree species flower in the early rainy season (November-December) and have small white flowers in small round ball-shaped clusters. Adults of phelochroa sanguinalis were not found on flowers of 14 other tree species with different floral structures which were flowering at the same time as Acacia grandicornuta and Acacia tortilis. Predatory, reproductive, and defensive behaviors (including the presence of a chemical defense) are described for Aphelochroa sanguinalis based on field and laboratory observations

Notes on the taxonomy and distribution of \u3ci\u3eXylocopa coronata\u3c/i\u3e Smith, 1860, a large carpenter bee from Maluku, Indonesia (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The recently rediscovered female holotype of Xylocopa coronata Smith, 1860, (Hymenoptera: Apidae) collected by Alfred Russel Wallace at the type locality of “Kaisaa” (= modern-day Kaioa, Maluku, Indonesia) is illustrated for the first time. Dorsal and lateral images of males and females of X. coronata and a map showing the known distribution of the species are provided. Females of this species exhibit geographic color variation in dorsal pubescence patterns and wing iridescence. At the present time, two subspecies are recognized: X. coronata combinata Ritsema from the island of Obi, Maluku, Indonesia, and X. coronata coro­nata Smith from additional islands (Bacan, Halmahera, Kaioa, Obi, Ternate, and Tidore) in the Maluku archipelago, Indonesia

New records and diagnostic notes on large carpenter bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: genus \u3ci\u3eXylocopa\u3c/i\u3e Latreille), from the Amazon River basin of South America

Previously unpublished museum specimen records are presented for 23 species of the genus Xylocopa Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae) collected in portions of the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela within the Amazon River basin of South America. Dichotomous keys and dorsal habitus photographs are provided for the identification of females of the 13 species of Xylocopa subgenus Neoxylocopa Michener, and females of the 10 species of Xylocopa subgenus Schonnherria Lepeletier, that have been recorded to date from the Amazon River basin