{{Short description|Genus of beetles}} {{distinguish|text=the plant genus Pimelea}} {{Automatic Taxobox | image =Pimelia (Piesterotarsa) obsoleta Solier, 1836 (3518257693).jpg | image_caption =''Pimelia obsoleta'' | taxon = Pimelia | authority = Fabricius, 1775 | display_parents = 2 }}
'''''Pimelia''''' is a genus of darkling beetles in the subfamily Pimeliinae.<ref name=NCBI/><ref name=GBIF/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pons |first1=Joan |last2=Petitpierre |first2=Eduard |last3=Juan |first3=Carlos |title=Evolutionary dynamics of satellite DNA family PIM357 in species of the genus ''Pimelia'' (Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera) |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |date=2002 |volume=19 |issue=8 |pages=1329–1340 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a004194 |doi-access=free |pmid=12140245|hdl=10261/99890 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
==Species== {{div col|colwidth=16em}} * ''Pimelia aculeata'' Klug, 1830 * ''Pimelia akbesiana'' Fairmaire, 1884 * ''Pimelia angulata'' Fabricius, 1775 * ''Pimelia angusticollis'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia arabica'' Klug, 1830 * ''Pimelia arenacea'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia ascendens'' Wollaston, 1864 * ''Pimelia baetica'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia bajula'' Klug, 1830 * ''Pimelia barmerensis'' Kulzer, 1956 * ''Pimelia bipunctata'' Fabricius, 1781 * ''Pimelia boyeri'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia brevicollis'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia canariensis'' Brullé, 1838 * ''Pimelia capito'' Krynicky, 1832 * ''Pimelia cephalotes'' (Pallas, 1781) * ''Pimelia costata'' Waltl, 1835 * ''Pimelia cribra'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia elevata'' Sénac, 1887 * ''Pimelia estevezi'' Oromí, 1990 * ''Pimelia fairmairei'' Kraatz, 1865 * ''Pimelia fernandezlopezi'' Machado, 1979 * ''Pimelia fornicata'' Herbst, 1799 * ''Pimelia goryi'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia graeca'' Brullé, 1832 * ''Pimelia grandis'' Klug, 1830 * ''Pimelia granulata'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia granulicollis'' Wollaston, 1864 * ''Pimelia grossa'' Fabricius, 1792 * ''Pimelia incerta'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia indica'' Sénac, 1882 * ''Pimelia integra'' Rosenhauer, 1856 * ''Pimelia interjecta'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia laevigata'' Brullé, 1838 * ''Pimelia lutaria'' Brullé, 1838 * ''Pimelia maura'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia minos'' Lucas, 1853 * ''Pimelia modesta'' Herbst, 1799 * ''Pimelia monticola'' Rosenh., 1856 * ''Pimelia nazarena'' Miller, 1861 * ''Pimelia orientalis'' Senac, 1886 * ''Pimelia payraudi'' Latreille, 1829 * ''Pimelia perezi'' Sénac, 1887 * ''Pimelia punctata'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia radula'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia repleta'' Reitter, 1915 * ''Pimelia rotundata'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia rotundipennis'' Kraatz, 1865 * ''Pimelia rugosa'' Fabricius, 1792 * ''Pimelia rugulosa'' Germar, 1824 * ''Pimelia ruida'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia scabrosa'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia sericea'' Olivier, 1795 * ''Pimelia simplex'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia sparsa'' Brullé, 1838 * ''Pimelia subglobosa'' (Pallas, 1781) * ''Pimelia testudo'' Kraatz, 1885 * ''Pimelia undulata'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia variolosa'' Solier, 1836 * ''Pimelia ventricosa'' Falderm., 1837 * ''Pimelia verruculifera'' Soliér, 1836 * ''Pimelia villanovae'' Sénac, 1887 {{Div col end}} <ref>[https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id55552/ Biolib]</ref>
==Reproduction== ''Pimelia'' are univoltine, with one generation per year. Species in North Africa emerge in January to begin mating, synchronously with floral bloom. Normally ''Pimelia'' are detrivores, but during mating season they may cannibalize other adults, larvae, and eggs. This behavior may be due to need for extra nutrients or simply to eliminate competitors. Following behavior<ref>Ramussen, J.L., et al. (1991). The reproductive behavior of six species of Namib Desert tenebrionid beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). ''Journal of Insect Behavior'' 4(5) 567-82.</ref> {{Failed verification|date=February 2021}} and mating take place on the slip face of a sand dune. After mating, the female digs a shallow hole and deposits a single egg, which closely resembles a grain of white rice. As the temperature rises above 50 °C the adult population dies off. Immature stages remain below the surface until maturity. During the winter the adults emerge.<ref>Lillig, M. and T. Pavlicek. ''Die schwarzkafer des Sinai (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)''. Moscow, Russia. Pensoft. 2002.</ref>
==Desert adaptations== Many ''Pimelia'' species are conspicuous as they cross sand dunes. Locomotion in this difficult terrain is facilitated by numerous tarsal setae that allow for rapid tumbling behavior.<ref>Rech, N. D. (1997). Comparison of the tumbling movement found in two species of ''Adesmia'' Fischer-Waldheim (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). ''Coleopterists Bulletin'' 51(1) 86-92.</ref>
Adaptations to arid climates and desert environments allow ''Pimelia'' to survive and reproduce in the dunes, but the relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors in this respect is not clear.<ref>Ayal, Y. and O. Merkl. (1993). Spatial and temporal distribution of tenebrionid species (Coleoptera) in the Negev Highlands, Israel. ''Journal of Arid Environments'' 27 347-61.</ref> Environmental factors influencing these adaptations are extremes of temperature and humidity, excessive radiant energy, low and irregular rainfall, long periods of drought, strong winds, unstable sand substrates, and sparse, specialized vegetation.<ref>Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. (1979). Adaptive functions of the colours of desert animals. ''Journal of Arid Environments'' 2 95-104.</ref>
Several morphological adaptations allow ''Pimelia'' to survive in the desert, including the lipid layers of the epicuticle, fused sclerites, the subelytral cavity, and the texture of the body surface. Much of the success of tenebrionid beetles in desert habitats is due to the development of impermeable cuticles.<ref>Adhearn, G.A. (1970). The control of water loss in desert tenebrionid beetles. ''Journal of Experimental Biology'' 53 573-95.</ref> The fused sclerites of desert tenebrionids minimize water loss,<ref>Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. (1968). Respiratory function and thermal acclimation in tropical invertebrates. ''Nature'' 218 685.</ref> but they result in flightlessness.<ref>Buxton, P. A. (1923). Heat, moisture, and animal's life in deserts. ''Proceedings of the Royal Society of London'' 96 123-31.</ref> The main barrier to the outward flow of water through insect integument is the lipid layer of the epicuticle.<ref>Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. (1956). Studies in diurnal rhythms; bioclimatic observation in Tunisia and their significance in relation to the physiology of the fauna, especially woodlice, centipedes, scorpions and beetles. ''Annals and Magazine of Natural History'' 12(9) 305-29.</ref> In many terrestrial arthropods, the temperature affects the permeability of the cuticle. There is a sudden increase in the rate of transpiration at what is known as the transition temperature. This may coincide with a physical change, perhaps the disorientation of the lipid molecules in the epicuticle.<ref>Hadley, N. F. (1972). Desert species and adaptation. ''American Scientist'' 60 338-47.</ref> In tenebrionid beetles, the spiracles open into a humid subelytral cavity rather than directly to the atmosphere, thus reducing water loss. Water retention by intact elytral covers is greater at 0% relative humidity than at 97%. The size of the cavity is not important. Transpiration increases if the elytra are removed, emphasizing the importance of the epicuticle and subelytral cavity.<ref>Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. (1964). On the function of the sub-elytral cavity in desert Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera). ''Entomologist's Monthly Magazine'' 100 148-51.</ref> ''Pimelia'' have tubercles on the surface of their elytra which scatter and reflect incident energy.
Burrowing is probably the most important behavior modification for heat regulation in ''Pimelia'', because it permits access to a broad range of ambient temperatures.<ref>Hamilton, W. J. ''Coloration and its Thermal Consequences for Diurnal Desert Insects.'' Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross. 1975.</ref> ''Pimelia'' are diurnal, emerging in early morning and late evening but remaining under the sand during the hot hours of the day.<ref>Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. and C. C. Constantinou. (1980). Circadian rhythmicity in ''Adesmia cancellata'' L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Kuwait. ''Journal of Arid Environments'' 3 319-24.</ref>
==Gallery== <gallery widths="180" heights="180"> File:Pimelia angulata.JPG|''Pimelia angulata'' File:Pimelia bipunctata.jpg|''Pimelia bipunctata'' File:Pimelia bipunctata - 2012-10-25.webm|''Pimelia bipunctata'' on dune near beach File:Escarabajo - Pimelia punctata (8717930430).jpg|''Pimelia punctata'' File:Pimelia (Piesterotarsa) obsoleta Solier, 1836 (3518257693).jpg|''Pimelia (Piesterotarsa) obsoleta'' File:Pimelia ascendens Wollaston, 1864 (14341625972).png|''Pimelia ascendens'' File:Pimelia baluja Klug, 1830 (28489421274).png|''Pimelia baluja'' File:Pimelia confusa Senac, 1884 (3058854966) (2).jpg|''Pimelia confusa'' File:Pimelia laevigata Brullé, 1838 (14439393510).png|''Pimelia laevigata'' File:Pimelia senegalensis Olivier, 1795 (29388949801).jpg|''Pimelia senegalensis'' File:Pimelia sparsa Brullé, 1838 (14149179257).png|''Pimelia sparsa'' File:Pimelia subglobosa (Pallas, 1781) (14626021235).png|''Pimelia subglobosa'' </gallery>
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=GBIF>{{GBIF |id=1208967 |taxon=''Pimelia'' Fabricius, 1775 |access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref>
<ref name=NCBI>{{NCBI taxid| 45446 | ''Pimelia'' | accessdate = 11 December 2023 }}</ref> }}
==Further reading== * Watt, J. C. (1974). A revised subfamily classification of Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera). ''New Zealand Journal of Zoology'' 1(4). {{doi|10.1080/03014223.1974.9517846}}
{{commons category}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q632895}}
Category:Pimelia Category:Tenebrionidae genera Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius