Mariazofia

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Mariazofia
Toktokkie beetle (Mariazofia spp.) in Signal Hill, Cape Town, South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Tenebrionidae
Subtribe: Molurina
Genus: Mariazofia
Kamiński, 2022[1]

Mariazofia is a genus of ground-dwelling Afrotropical beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. They are among the largest of the darkling beetles. Like other genera within subtribe Molurina, adults of this genus engage in a behavior known as "substrate tapping", a form of sexual communication in which they produce vibrations by tapping their abdomen rhythmically on the ground to attract mates. Their common name, "tok-tok beetle" or "toktokkie beetle", is based on this behavior.[2]

Etymology[edit]

The name of this genus —Mariazofia— is a portmanteau of the names of the daughters (Maria and Zofia) of the first author of the paper in which it is first described.[1]

Description[edit]

Mariazofia is black or dark rufous in color and stout in shape, and average about 2.6 centimetres (1.0 in) in body length. It is similar in appearance to Moluris, having confined patches of bristles on the abdomen in males, as well as a similar structure of the female abdominal terminalia. Mariazofia can be distinguished from Moluris because the head is prognathous in the case of Mariazofia, while it is hypognathous in Moluris. Also the pronotal disc is nonconvex in the case of Mariazofia, while it is convex in Moluris.[1]

Distribution and habitat[edit]

These beetles are widely distributed throughout Southern Africa in various habitats, ranging from coastal forests to hills, woodlands, and deserts.

Species[edit]

A detailed cladistic analysis of specimens within the tribe Sepidiini was recently completed, based on certain anatomic features of female specimens (e.g., ovipositor, genital tubes, spiculum ventrale and proctiger). This analysis has resulted in a major revision of the taxonomic classification within this tribe, including the description of several novel taxa. Among these is Mariazofia, first described in 2022 by Kamiński, et al. Most of the species within this new genus were previously classified within genus Psammodes. As of late 2022, the genus contains 141 species,[1] including:

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Kamiński, Marcin J.; Gearner, Olivia M.; Raś, Marcin; Hunsinger, Elliot T.; Smith, Amelia L.; Mas‐Peinado, Paloma; Girón, Jennifer C.; Bilska, Aleksandra G.; Strümpher, Werner P.; Wirth, Christopher C.; Kanda, Kojun; Swichtenberg, Kali; Iwan, Dariusz; Smith, Aaron D. (2022). "Female terminalia morphology and cladistic relations among Tok‐Tok beetles (Tenebrionidae: Sepidiini)". Cladistics. 38 (6): 623–648. doi:10.1111/cla.12510. hdl:10261/278940. PMID 35785491. S2CID 250283827.
  2. ^ Lighton, JRB (2019). "Knock-knock, who's there: Sex-coding, competition and the energetics of tapping communication in the tok-tok beetle, Psammodes striatus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)". bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/509257. S2CID 92277559.
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