# Pimelia

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{{Short description|Genus of beetles}}
{{distinguish|text=the plant genus [Pimelea](/source/Pimelea)}}
{{Automatic Taxobox
| image =Pimelia (Piesterotarsa) obsoleta Solier, 1836 (3518257693).jpg
| image_caption =''[Pimelia obsoleta](/source/Pimelia_obsoleta)''
| taxon = Pimelia
| authority = [Fabricius](/source/Johan_Christian_Fabricius), 1775
| display_parents = 2
}}

'''''Pimelia''''' is a genus of [darkling beetle](/source/darkling_beetle)s 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](/source/Pimelia_aculeata)'' Klug, 1830
* ''[Pimelia akbesiana](/source/Pimelia_akbesiana)'' Fairmaire, 1884 
* ''[Pimelia angulata](/source/Pimelia_angulata)'' Fabricius, 1775 
* ''[Pimelia angusticollis](/source/Pimelia_angusticollis)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia arabica](/source/Pimelia_arabica)'' Klug, 1830 
* ''[Pimelia arenacea](/source/Pimelia_arenacea)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia ascendens](/source/Pimelia_ascendens)'' Wollaston, 1864 
* ''[Pimelia baetica](/source/Pimelia_baetica)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia bajula](/source/Pimelia_bajula)'' Klug, 1830 
* ''[Pimelia barmerensis](/source/Pimelia_barmerensis)'' Kulzer, 1956 
* ''[Pimelia bipunctata](/source/Pimelia_bipunctata)'' Fabricius, 1781 
* ''[Pimelia boyeri](/source/Pimelia_boyeri)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia brevicollis](/source/Pimelia_brevicollis)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia canariensis](/source/Pimelia_canariensis)'' Brullé, 1838 
* ''[Pimelia capito](/source/Pimelia_capito)'' Krynicky, 1832 
* ''[Pimelia cephalotes](/source/Pimelia_cephalotes)'' (Pallas, 1781) 
* ''[Pimelia costata](/source/Pimelia_costata)'' Waltl, 1835 
* ''[Pimelia cribra](/source/Pimelia_cribra)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia elevata](/source/Pimelia_elevata)'' Sénac, 1887 
* ''[Pimelia estevezi](/source/Pimelia_estevezi)'' Oromí, 1990 
* ''[Pimelia fairmairei](/source/Pimelia_fairmairei)'' Kraatz, 1865 
* ''[Pimelia fernandezlopezi](/source/Pimelia_fernandezlopezi)'' Machado, 1979 
* ''[Pimelia fornicata](/source/Pimelia_fornicata)'' Herbst, 1799 
* ''[Pimelia goryi](/source/Pimelia_goryi)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia graeca](/source/Pimelia_graeca)'' Brullé, 1832 
* ''[Pimelia grandis](/source/Pimelia_grandis)'' Klug, 1830 
* ''[Pimelia granulata](/source/Pimelia_granulata)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia granulicollis](/source/Pimelia_granulicollis)'' Wollaston, 1864 
* ''[Pimelia grossa](/source/Pimelia_grossa)'' Fabricius, 1792 
* ''[Pimelia incerta](/source/Pimelia_incerta)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia indica](/source/Pimelia_indica)'' Sénac, 1882 
* ''[Pimelia integra](/source/Pimelia_integra)'' Rosenhauer, 1856 
* ''[Pimelia interjecta](/source/Pimelia_interjecta)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia laevigata](/source/Pimelia_laevigata)'' Brullé, 1838 
* ''[Pimelia lutaria](/source/Pimelia_lutaria)'' Brullé, 1838 
* ''[Pimelia maura](/source/Pimelia_maura)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia minos](/source/Pimelia_minos)'' Lucas, 1853 
* ''[Pimelia modesta](/source/Pimelia_modesta)'' Herbst, 1799 
* ''[Pimelia monticola](/source/Pimelia_monticola)'' Rosenh., 1856 
* ''[Pimelia nazarena](/source/Pimelia_nazarena)'' Miller, 1861
* ''[Pimelia orientalis](/source/Pimelia_orientalis)'' Senac, 1886 
* ''[Pimelia payraudi](/source/Pimelia_payraudi)'' Latreille, 1829 
* ''[Pimelia perezi](/source/Pimelia_perezi)'' Sénac, 1887 
* ''[Pimelia punctata](/source/Pimelia_punctata)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia radula](/source/Pimelia_radula)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia repleta](/source/Pimelia_repleta)'' Reitter, 1915 
* ''[Pimelia rotundata](/source/Pimelia_rotundata)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia rotundipennis](/source/Pimelia_rotundipennis)'' Kraatz, 1865 
* ''[Pimelia rugosa](/source/Pimelia_rugosa)'' Fabricius, 1792 
* ''[Pimelia rugulosa](/source/Pimelia_rugulosa)'' Germar, 1824 
* ''[Pimelia ruida](/source/Pimelia_ruida)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia scabrosa](/source/Pimelia_scabrosa)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia sericea](/source/Pimelia_sericea)'' Olivier, 1795
* ''[Pimelia simplex](/source/Pimelia_simplex)'' Solier, 1836
* ''[Pimelia sparsa](/source/Pimelia_sparsa)'' Brullé, 1838 
* ''[Pimelia subglobosa](/source/Pimelia_subglobosa)'' (Pallas, 1781) 
* ''[Pimelia testudo](/source/Pimelia_testudo)'' Kraatz, 1885 
* ''[Pimelia undulata](/source/Pimelia_undulata)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia variolosa](/source/Pimelia_variolosa)'' Solier, 1836 
* ''[Pimelia ventricosa](/source/Pimelia_ventricosa)'' Falderm., 1837
* ''[Pimelia verruculifera](/source/Pimelia_verruculifera)'' Soliér, 1836
* ''[Pimelia villanovae](/source/Pimelia_villanovae)'' Sénac, 1887
{{Div col end}}
<ref>[https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id55552/ Biolib]</ref>

==Reproduction==
''Pimelia'' are [univoltine](/source/univoltine), with one generation per year. Species in [North Africa](/source/North_Africa) emerge in January to begin mating, synchronously with floral bloom. Normally ''Pimelia'' are detrivores, but during mating season they may [cannibalize](/source/Cannibalism_(zoology)) other adults, [larva](/source/larva)e, 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](/source/dune).  After mating, the female digs a shallow hole and deposits a single egg, which closely resembles a grain of [white rice](/source/white_rice). As the temperature rises above 50&nbsp;°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 [seta](/source/seta)e 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>

[Adaptation](/source/Adaptation)s to [arid climates](/source/Desert_climate) and [desert](/source/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](/source/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](/source/morphology_(biology)) adaptations allow ''Pimelia'' to survive in the desert, including the [lipid](/source/lipid) layers of the [epicuticle](/source/Arthropod_cuticle), fused [sclerite](/source/sclerite)s, 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](/source/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 [spiracle](/source/Spiracle_(arthropods))s open into a humid subelytral cavity rather than directly to the atmosphere, thus reducing water loss. Water retention by intact [elytral covers](/source/elytron) is greater at 0% [relative humidity](/source/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](/source/Tubercle_(anatomy)) on the surface of their elytra which scatter and reflect incident energy.

[Burrow](/source/Burrow)ing 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](/source/diurnality), 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](/source/Pimelia_angulata)''
File:Pimelia bipunctata.jpg|''[Pimelia bipunctata](/source/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](/source/Pimelia_(Piesterotarsa)_obsoleta)''
File:Pimelia ascendens Wollaston, 1864 (14341625972).png|''[Pimelia ascendens](/source/Pimelia_ascendens)''
File:Pimelia baluja Klug, 1830 (28489421274).png|''[Pimelia baluja](/source/Pimelia_baluja)''
File:Pimelia confusa Senac, 1884 (3058854966) (2).jpg|''[Pimelia confusa](/source/Pimelia_confusa)''
File:Pimelia laevigata Brullé, 1838 (14439393510).png|''[Pimelia laevigata](/source/Pimelia_laevigata)''
File:Pimelia senegalensis Olivier, 1795 (29388949801).jpg|''[Pimelia senegalensis](/source/Pimelia_senegalensis)''
File:Pimelia sparsa Brullé, 1838 (14149179257).png|''[Pimelia sparsa](/source/Pimelia_sparsa)''
File:Pimelia subglobosa (Pallas, 1781) (14626021235).png|''[Pimelia subglobosa](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pimelia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimelia) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimelia?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.