Review of Tribe Scaurini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Tenebrioninae) From Egypt

Abstract

: Tribe Scaurini comprises four genera in the world, these are: Scaurus, Cephalostenus, Carchares , and Herpiscius ; only one genus is represented in Egypt ( Scaurus ). The genus Scaurus contains 44 species and subspecies, of which 6 species are found in the Egyptian fauna. Adults of Scauini are robust, mid-sized beetles with elytra that have some sort of corrugation on the upper side. They are typically black, dark brown or grey, and often have a satiny sheen. The body is shaped like a medication capsule or like a bullet, and the legs can be short and stout or long and spindly. The larvae are hard-bodied, cylindrical, and have 6 short legs behind the head. They are scavengers that live on the ground amid leaf litter, rotting logs, or under and around rocks. Diagnosis of the tribe, genus, and species, together with a key to the species are presented. Illustrations and drawings of the taxonomic characters of species are also given.