The Sepidiini is a tribe of ground-dwelling darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae), that occurs across Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Arabian Peninsula and Mesopotamia. It is composed of many hundreds of species. The larvae of some species are known to damage crops.
Morphology
Their morphology is complex due to their richly divergent forms. They are distinguished from the diurnal taxa, by their well-developed and true hypomera of the elytra, the free mobility of the thorax and hind body, and the free and non-fused pleurital and pleural margins of the sterna and elytra respectively.
Biology
Their morphology is believed to facilitate moisture absorption and accumulation, via the open body sutures and the loosely joined body parts. Subtribe Trachynotina excepting, they show an almost uniform tendency to be nocturnal, crepuscular or shade-loving. Like the tribe Tentyriini, their daily rhythm is based on a strictly nocturnal ancestral disposition. Their open and non-connate body sutures suggest the enjoyment of nocturnal conditions and night moisture.
At night, a surface secretion of a sometimes pruinescent or waxy substance has been noted on the bodies of genera Brinckia, Namibomodes, Synhimba and Ocnodes (or Phanerotomea). This is assumed to prevent evaporation.
Taxonomy
The tribe Sepidiini is made up of 6 subtribes, 70 genera, and more than 1000 species. These genera belong to the tribe Sepidiini: