Melanotini

Belongs within: Elaterinae.

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 [Melanotina]
    |--Metriaulacus formosanus Miwa 1927PS07
    `--Melanotus Eschscholtz 1829 [incl. Cratonychus Dejean 1833, Ctenonychus Melsheimer 1845]J02
         |  i. s.: M. apicalis Fleutiaux 1889F89
         |         M. brevis Cand. 1881F89
         |         M. castanipesC01
         |         M. ceteJ02
         |         M. dichrousJ02
         |         M. fuscusF89
         |         M. haemorrhousF89
         |         M. kawakatsui Kishii 1990PS07
         |         ‘Cratonychus’ mauritanicus Lucas 1846E12
         |         M. mouldsi Calder 1983C96
         |         M. tamsuyensis Bates 1866B66
         |         M. umber Bates 1866B66
         |         M. villosusKB11
         |--M. (Melanotus)PS07
         |    |--*M. (M.) fulvipes [=Elater fulvipes]C96
         |    |--M. (M.) amianus Kishii 1992PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) brunniopacus Kishii 1989PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) gracilipennis Kishii & Platia 1993PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) hourai Kishii 1989PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) juhaszae Platia & Schimmel 2007PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) krali Platia & Schimmel 2001PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) lameyi Fleutiaux 1918PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) liukueiensis Kishii 1989 [=M. (Spheniscosomus) liukueiensis]PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) pieli Platia & Schimmel 2001PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) rufiventris Miwa 1930PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) suzukii Platia & Schimmel 2007PS07
         |    |--M. (M.) taiwanus Kishii 1989PS07
         |    `--M. (M.) yagianus Kishii 1990PS07
         `--M. (Spheniscosomus)PS07
              |--M. (S.) atayal Kishii & Platia 1991PS07
              |--M. (S.) babai Kishii 1989PS07
              |--M. (S.) kishii Platia 2005PS07
              |--M. (S.) melanotoides (Miwa 1930) [=Spheniscosomus melanotoides]PS07
              `--M. (S.) shinoharai Kishii & Platia 1993PS07

*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.

[C01] Csiki, E. 1901. Bogarak [Coleopteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 75–120. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[E12] Evenhuis, N. L. 2012. Publication and dating of the Exploration Scientifique de l’Algérie: Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articulés (1846–1849) by Pierre Hippolyte Lucas. Zootaxa 3448: 1–61.

[F89] Fleutiaux, E. 1889. Contributions a la faune Indo-Chinoise. Cicindelidae et Elateridae. 1^er mémoire. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 6^e série 9: 137–146.

[J02] Johnson, P. J. 2002. Elateridae Leach 1815. In: Arnett, R. H., Jr, M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley & J. H. Frank (eds) American Beetles vol. 2. Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea pp. 160–173. CRC Press.

[KB11] Kundrata, R., & L. Bocak. 2011. The phylogeny and limits of Elateridae (Insecta, Coleoptera): is there a common tendency of click beetles to soft-bodiedness and neoteny? Zoologica Scripta 40: 364–378.

[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.