Melanotini

Overwintering Melanotus, photographed by Stephen Cresswell.

Belongs within: Elateridae.

The Melanotini are a group of click beetles with prominently pectinate claws. Species in the tribe can be difficult to distinguish; the majority are placed in the genus Melanotus (Stibick 1979).

Characters (from Stibick 1979, as Melanotinae): Adult: Head capsule oval, deflexed, mouthparts inferior, frons ridged above and between antennae (may be obsolete in middle); prosternum normally arcuate anteriorly; scutellum various, never cordate, may be slightly excavate anteriorly; mesocoxae open to mesepimeron but closed to mesepisternum; meso- and metasternum distinct, joined by a definite suture; tarsi simple, without pads, but rarely 3rd segment broadened to receive 4th; claws prominently pectinate and without basal setae. Larva: Nasule present, galea of 2 segments, postmentum subrectangular; laterotergite incompletely separated from mediotergite at most; spiracle generally well developed, embedded in mediotergite; 9th abdominal segment flattened in caudal half, no prongs or caudal notch but platelike and scalloped.

<==Melanotini
    |--Metriaulacus formosanus Miwa 1927 PS07
    |--Priopus PS07
    |    |--P. angulatus (Candèze 1860) PS07
    |    |--P. castaneus (Miwa 1930) [=Neodiploconus castaneus] PS07
    |    `--P. rufulus (Candèze 1891) PS07
    `--Melanotus Eschscholtz 1829 PS07
         |  i. s.: M. kawakatsui Kishii 1990 PS07
         |         M. tamsuyensis Bates 1866 B66
         |         M. umber Bates 1866 B66
         |--M. (Melanotus) PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) amianus Kishii 1992 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) brunniopacus Kishii 1989 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) gracilipennis Kishii & Platia 1993 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) hourai Kishii 1989 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) juhaszae Platia & Schimmel 2007 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) krali Platia & Schimmel 2001 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) lameyi Fleutiaux 1918 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) liukueiensis Kishii 1989 [=M. (Spheniscosomus) liukueiensis] PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) pieli Platia & Schimmel 2001 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) rufiventris Miwa 1930 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) suzukii Platia & Schimmel 2007 PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) taiwanus Kishii 1989 PS07
         |    `--M. (M.) yagianus Kishii 1990 PS07
         `--M. (Spheniscosomus) PS07
              |--M. (S.) atayal Kishii & Platia 1991 PS07
              |--M. (S.) babai Kishii 1989 PS07
              |--M. (S.) kishii Platia 2005 PS07
              |--M. (S.) melanotoides (Miwa 1930) [=Spheniscosomus melanotoides] PS07
              `--M. (S.) shinoharai Kishii & Platia 1993 PS07

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B66] Bates, H. W. 1866. On a collection of Coleoptera from Formosa sent home by R. Swinhoe, Esq., H. B. M. Consul, Formosa. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 339-355.

[PS07] Platia, G., & R. Schimmel. 2007. Click beetles of Taiwan collected by the expeditions of the Hungarian Natural History Museum in the years 1995 to 2003 (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 99: 49-91.

Stibick, J. N. L. 1979. Classification of the Elateridae (Coleoptera). Relationships and classification of the subfamilies and tribes. Pacific Insects 20 (2-3): 145-186.