Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ANNALES ZOOLOGICI, cilt.75, sa.4, ss.1163-1179, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Morphological specialization is a key driver of diversification in darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae), underpinning their broad ecological success across arid habitats around the world. Among morphological traits, the ovipositor plays a pivotal role in female reproductive strategy and egg-laying behavior. In this study, we investigate female genitalia across all 14 subgenera of the genus Pimelia Fabricius, 1175, an iconic lineage of darkling beetles distributed across the western Palaearctic and North Africa. We examined 91 specimens representing 44 species using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, focusing on the ovipositor and the fifth abdominal ventrite. Morphometric analyses, including principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering, revealed consistent inter-subgeneric variation in ovipositor shape, sclerotization, pubescence, and ventrite structure. Ancestral character state reconstruction identified multiple independent origins of ovipositor plate fusion and pubescence reduction. Notably, coxite #4 displayed the greatest morphological variability, often associated with habitat type, suggesting a potential link between oviposition substrate and genital morphology. These results underscore the utility of female genital traits in understanding the taxonomy and ecological adaptation within Pimelia.