| Trichinorhipis | |
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| Genus: | Trichinorhipis Barr, 1948 |
| Species: | T. knulli |
| Binomial name | |
| Trichinorhipis knulli Barr, 1948 | |
Trichinorhipis is a monotypic genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, the jewel beetles. The single species, Trichinorhipis knulli, is endemic to California in the United States, where it has been collected from Riverside [1] and Imperial Counties. [2]
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon.
Beetles are a group of insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal life-forms; new species are discovered frequently. The largest of all families, the Curculionidae (weevils) with some 83,000 member species, belongs to this order. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops.
Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,500 species known in 775 genera. In addition, almost 100 fossil species have been described.
This beetle is black with large whitish marks across its elytra. The original specimen measured less than 4 millimeters in length. It has fan-like (flabellate) antennae. [1] Very few specimens of this beetle have been collected, but it has usually been associated with jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis). [3]
An elytron is a modified, hardened forewing of certain insect orders, notably beetles (Coleoptera) and a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera); in most true bugs, the forewings are instead called hemelytra, as only the basal half is thickened while the apex is membranous. An elytron is sometimes also referred to as a shard.
Jojoba, with the botanical name Simmondsia chinensis, and also known as goat nut,deer nut,pignut,wild hazel,quinine nut,coffeeberry, and gray box bush, is native to Southwestern North America. Simmondsia chinensis is the sole species of the family Simmondsiaceae, placed in the order Caryophyllales.
The beetle has been collected close to the Mexico–United States border, so it likely occurs in Mexico as well. [2]
The Mexico–United States border is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from urban areas to deserts. The Mexico–United States border is the most frequently crossed border in the world, with approximately 350 million documented crossings annually.
The genus is so far monotypic, another undescribed beetle found in West Texas likely belongs to the genus as well. [2]
West Texas is a loosely defined part of the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio.
