The Tenebrionidae of southern Africa. XLI. Descriptive notes on the early stages of four genera of the Drosochrini (Coleoptera)

The larvae of the Drosochrini were unknown, apart from an insufficient description of Emyon tristis Fahraeus (Jack, 1919), until we succeeded in rearing several species in the vivarium of the Transvaal Museum. They belong to the three sub tribes Drosochrina, Aptilina and Micrantereina. Unfortunately no early stages of the Oncosomina have yet been obtained. Some Drosochrini are difficult to breed; in these cases the larvae die at an early stage from unknown causes, a fact which is represented in the material dealt with in this paper. But, as it is found that from the third instar onwards the main characters in tenebrionid larvae remain practically unchanged, a reliable comparison is nevertheless possible and may complement our knowledge of the interrelationship of tenebrionid beetles, as reflected in their larval stages.