Dichtha Explained
The white-legged toktokkies (genus Dichtha) are ground-dwelling, Afrotropical beetles in the family Tenebrionidae.[1] They are stout, black beetles of about 2 – 2.5 cm in length. The antennae and legs are covered in pale[2] to brownish down. Like the related genus Psammodes, the adults tap out a rhythm on the ground to attract and locate mates. They feed on both plant and animal material.[2] Some species, like D. inflata, may feign death.[3]
Species
The species include:[4]
- Dichtha cubica Guérin-Méneville, 1845 — White-legged toktokkie
- Dichtha inflata Gerstaecker, 1854 — Red-backed toktokkie, Kafadala
- Dichtha modesta Robiche, 2013
- Dichtha transvalica Brancsik, 1914
- Dichtha quedenfeldti Kolbe, 1886
A catalogue of the Sepidiini tribe from 2019 considers Dichtha incantatoris Koch, 1952 a nomen nudum and therefore invalid. A likely source of this erroneous name is the popular Field Guide to Insects of South Africa by M Picker, C Griffiths & A Weaving. Specimens identified under this name are likely Dichtha cubica (see this explanation by iNaturalist curator Riaan Stals).
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Dichtha cubica . MBLWHOI Library . uBio . 13 May 2013.
- Book: Picker, Mike. Field Guide to Insects of South Africa . limited . 2004 . Struik Publishers . Cape Town . 978-1-77007-061-5 . 230–233. etal.
- Book: Morris . Brian . Insects and Human Life . 2006 . Berg . 9781845209490 . 251.
- Kamiński, M. J., Kanda, K., Lumen, R., Ulmer, J. M., Wirth, C. C., Bouchard, P., Aalbu, R., Mal, N., & Smith, A. D. (2019). World catalogue of the tribe Sepidiini (Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera). In O. Bánki, Y. Roskov, M. Döring, G. Ower, L. Vandepitte, D. Hobern, D. Remsen, P. Schalk, R. E. DeWalt, M. Keping, J. Miller, T. Orrell, R. Aalbu, R. Adlard, E. M. Adriaenssens, C. Aedo, E. Aescht, N. Akkari, S. Alexander, et al., Catalogue of Life Checklist (Version 22, 2019-04). https://doi.org/10.48580/dfq8-3gm
