Dichtha
{{Short description|Genus of beetles}}
{{italictitle}}{{Taxobox
| name = White-legged toktokkies
| image = Dichtha incantatoris, e, Phalandingwe.jpg
| image_caption = D. cubica
| regnum = Animalia
| phylum = Arthropoda
| classis = Insecta
| ordo = Coleoptera
| familia = Tenebrionidae
| tribus = Sepidiini
| genus = Dichtha
| genus_authority = Haag-Rutenberg JG, 1871[http://iphylo.org/~rpage/nz/?genus=Dichtha in Harold, Coleopt. Hefte, 7, 39]
}}
The white-legged toktokkies (genus Dichtha) are ground-dwelling, Afrotropical beetles in the family Tenebrionidae.{{cite web |title=Dichtha cubica |url=http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=2895640 |work=MBLWHOI Library |publisher=uBio |accessdate=13 May 2013}} They are stout, black beetles of about 2 – 2.5 cm in length. The antennae and legs are covered in pale{{cite book|last=Picker |first=Mike|title=Field Guide to Insects of South Africa |url=https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetoinse00grif |url-access=limited |year=2004 |publisher=Struik Publishers |location=Cape Town |isbn=978-1-77007-061-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetoinse00grif/page/n228 230]–233|display-authors=etal}} 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. Some species, like D. inflata, may feign death.{{cite book |last1=Morris |first1=Brian |title=Insects and Human Life |date=2006 |publisher=Berg |isbn=9781845209490 |page=251}}
Species
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
- 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 [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes?taxon_id=662079 this explanation by iNaturalist curator Riaan Stals]).
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://gni.globalnames.org/data_sources/30?page=223&search_term=ns%3ADIC* Dichtha], Global names index
- [https://archive.org/stream/coleopterorumcat18sche/coleopterorumcat18sche_djvu.txt Dichtha], "Coleopterorum catalogus", W. Junk, Internet archive
- [http://static.skynetblogs.be/media/166058/2440428302.jpg Dichtha cubica ] Guérin-Méneville, 1845
- [http://static.skynetblogs.be/media/166058/2653726210.jpg Dichtha inflata] Gerstaecker, 1854
- [http://www.galerie-insecte.org/galerie/ref-54072.htm Dichtha quedenfeldti] Kolbe, 1886
{{Commons category-inline|Dichtha|Dichtha}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q15137406}}