PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH. 109(3), 2007, pp. 628-642 NEW SPECIES OF ELEODES (COLEOPTERA: TENEBRIONIDAE) Charles A. Triplehorn Department of Entomology, Museum of Biological Diversity, The Ohio State University, 1315 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212, U.S.A. Abstract. — Twelve species of Eleodes Eschscholtz from the United States and Mexico are described as new: Eleodes aalbiii (California), E. spiculiferus (Texas). Mexico: E. bidens (Durango), E. hriicei (Durango), E. corrugans (Michoacan), E. mirahilis (Nuevo Leon), E. muvicatulus (San Luis Potosi), E. platypennis (Jalisco), E. reddelli (Nuevo Leon), E. samalayucae (Chihuahua), E. scyropterus (Hidalgo), and E. watrousi (Durango). Key Words: Eleodes, United States, Mexico The genus Eleodes Eschscholtz is one of the largest, if not the largest genus of the family Tenebrionidae in the Western Hemisphere. There are approximately 230 described species divided into 13 subgenera, all confined to western Unit-ed States and Mexico. The subgeneric classification is based largely on the female genitalia, which thus far has not proven to be totally satisfactory. Blais-dell (1909) in his monumental revision of Eleodes has seven plates illustrating female genitalia, yet in the large number of his subsequent papers in which many new species were described, not a single illustration of genitalia was provided. In the half century in which I have been studying these beetles, I have found no more reliable characters than the female genitalia for dividing this difficult genus into subgenera. All species of Eleodes are wingless and there is a bewildering array of recogniz-able sedentary populations, many of which have been named, causing consid-erable synonymy. There are 26 names associated with the common and wide-spread E. carbonarius (Say), some of which I am recognizing as subspecies, and others I am reducing to synonymy. Species of Eleodes are a conspicuous component of the western beetle fauna, and a few have become economically important in arid land agriculture where they are known as "false wireworms," damaging root crops and other com-modities. In anticipation of a major revision of the genus Eleodes, I wish to make known the following new species. Eleodes aalbiii Triplehorn, new species (Fig. 6) Description. — Holotype female: Nar-rowly elongate, glossy, pronotum slightly darker than elytra. Head alutaceous, clypeus rounded, rugosely punctured, punctures becoming smaller and farther apart on frons which is slightly concave, sides reflexed and prominent over anten-nal insertions, fronto-clypeal suture scarcely evident; eyes narrow, elongate, antenna extending slightly beyond pro-notal base. Pronotum slightly broader than long, widest near middle, sides rapidly narrowing toward base, smooth-
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