The article provides information on the organizational aspects of the International Tenebrionoidea Virtual Symposium VI and the preceding North American Tenebrionidae identification and classification virtual workshop. Both events took place in May of 2021. Useful references to permanent online resources (schedules, talks) from both these meetings are presented.

The incomplete knowledge of the species distribution ranges represents a serious barrier for many areas of study in Biology that goes from Systematics to conservation of Biodiversity. One of the most important available resources to deal with the lack of geographic information are scientific collections. Epicauta with more than 366 species described is one of the most speciose lineages within Meloidae. Almost 73% of its diversity occurs in America. In Venezuela, the tenth richest country in biodiversity of the world, only nine species of Epicauta have been recorded and most of them are known from one or two localities. The revision of the specimens of Epicauta held at the entomological collection of the Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola “Francisco Fernandez Yépez” (MIZA) of the Universidad Central de Venezuela at Maracay, with additional data from other American and European collections allowed us to improve significantly the knowledge of the geographic distribution of the Venezuelan taxa. Besides, the morphological study of the specimens resulted in the addition of some species not previously recorded in Venezuela, the description of a new species, and the redescription of the almost unknown and forgotten species E. subvittata (Erichson 1848).

The tribe Amphidorini LeConte, 1862, commonly known as the Desert Stink Beetles, is a species-rich group of flightless darkling beetles in the subfamily Blaptinae Leach, 1815 distributed throughout the Western Hemisphere and contains 252 valid species-group taxa within seven genera. In this study we provide molecular phylogenetic analyses based on seven loci to assess both the tribal monophyly and composition of Amphidorini as well as the genus and species-group relationships within the tribe. We find strong support for the exclusion of the South American genus Nycterinus Eschscholtz, 1829 from the rest of the otherwise North American tribe. Nycterinus is recovered in a distantly related clade comprising several Western Hemisphere tribes of Tenebrioninae Latrielle, 1802 and is placed as incertae sedis within that subfamily. Within the remaining 23 genera and subgenera within Amphidorini, 11 were recovered as distinct lineages. The composition and relationships of genera and subgenera of the large genus Eleodes Eschscholtz, 1829 are discussed along with the need for an overhaul in genus-group classification which will likely require the elevation to genus of many current constituent lineages of Eleodes.

The South American genus Hipalmus Bates, 1870 (Tenebrioninae: Tenebrionini), distributed in the Pacific coast of Peru and Ecuador, is revised using external morphology and including for the first time details on sexual dimorphism, defensive glands, and male and female genitalia. The genus and its species are redescribed. New distribution records, photographs of the two included species, illustrations of genital features, and distribution maps are provided. A discussion including differences in character states between Hipalmus and Zophobas Dejean, 1834 as well as the tribal placement of Hipalmus in Tenebrionini on the basis of external and internal morphology is also included. The following nomenclatural changes are proposed: Zophobas lugubris Boheman, 1858 is transferred to Hipalmus, Psammetichus dissimilis Peña, 1994 is synonymized under Hipalmus costatus (Guérin-Méneville, 1831) and Hipalmus aequatorius Kolbe, 1901 is synonymized under Hipalmus lugubris (Boheman, 1858) comb. nov.

The genus Emmallodera Blanchard, 1842 (Tenebrionidae: Scotobiini) is widely distributed in western and southern Argentina and partially in southern Chile, inhabiting the biogeographic provinces Patagonian, Chacoan and Monte. The genus Emmallodera is well characterized within Scotobiini by the presence of a single spine on the profemur of its species, as well as by having pointed terminal antennomeres, and the tarsomeres loosely articulated to each other. Within the genus, E. perlifera Burmeister, 1875 is the largest species and is the only one characterized by the presence of tubercles on elytral intervals. Analysis of the recently collected specimens resulted in discovery of two new species (E. payunia Silvestro and Flores sp. nov. and E. andina Silvestro and Macagno sp. nov.), which share the main diagnostic features of E. perlifera but possess enough differences in elytral configuration and male genitalia to confirm that they are not conspecific. Under a deep morphological revision, it can be concluded that all of the three above-mentioned species constitute a well-characterized species-group inside the genus Emmallodera, while each of these taxa inhabits different biogeographic provinces, i.e.: Emmallodera perlifera (Monte and Chaco), E. payunia Silvestro and Flores sp. nov. (Patagonian) and E. andina Silvestro and Macagno sp. nov. (Puna). This paper includes taxonomic characterization of the group, designation of lectotype for E. perlifera, descriptions of the two new species, habitus photographs, illustrations of genital features and a distribution map.

A new species of Diastoleus is described from the Atacama desert. Both morphological and genetic evidence support distinction of the Diastoleus reticulatus sp. nov. This new taxon is morphologically close to D. costalenis but genetically closer to D. bicarinatus. Probably all these species belong to the same lineage together with D. arrigadai. The newly discovered species constitutes the first record of this species group in the Andes Cordillera.

The immature stages (larvae and pupae) of Nilio (Micronilio) pusillus Ihering, 1914 are described and illustrated for the first time. A redescription of adults is provided, including the male and female terminalia morphology. Nilio (M.) pusillus is recorded from Paraná State, Brazil, for the first time, while some biological aspects of the species are described. In addition, a lectotype of N. (M.) pusillus Ihering, 1914 is designated.

Hegeter (Hegeter) merkli sp. nov. is described, illustrated, and compared with H. (H.) brevicornis Lindberg, 1953 and H. (H.) gomerensis Wollaston, 1864. The following diagnostic features are proposed for the newly established species: antennomeres not cylindrical, bristles of antenna conspicuous, antennomere 5 longer than wide, prosternal apophysis with a deep, narrow furrow, males with small prosternal tuft of bristles, and aedeagus distally straight and pointed. New faunistic records for the genus are provided. The lectotype for Hegeter gomerensis Wollaston, 1864 is designated in order to fix the nomenclatural status of the taxon. A key to the Hegeter species of La Gomera is provided.

Two new species are described from Eastern Africa – Pogonobasis granulosa sp. nov. from Burundi and Pogonobasis merkli sp. nov. from Tanzania. A catalogue of the species, with deposition of their name-bearing types, is provided for the genus Pogonobasis.

A new species of the genus Toktokkus Kamiński and Gearner, 2021 (T. o-serraferrus sp. nov.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is described from Boroma, Mozambique. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the shape and sculpturing of the elytra: disc flat, with two distinct rows of sharp tubercles on the lateral margins of the elytra. An updated identification key and distribution map for all known Toktokkus species are included.

Decomposition of organic matter and soil nitrogen (N) cycling is a key process in soil fertility. In arid ecosystems, plant litter remains intact for long periods and is gradually consumed by macrodetritivore arthropods. It is suggested that tenebrionid beetles are responsible for most of nutrient cycling from accumulated litter in warm and dry seasons in arid ecosystems. The objective of this work was to extent the role on soil fertility and N cycling to Nyctelia dorsata Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) throughout litter fragmentation and consumption in a manipulative pot experiment. Our results showed that litter presence alone is not enough to incorporate N to the soil. N. dorsata consumed a significant fraction of litter and this activity was associated to an increase in soil N contents in the experimental pots. These confirmed that several tenebrionid species positively affects soil fertility in Northeastern Patagonia throughout litter fragmentation/consumption; and that these effects may vary with body size. Consequently, these beetles might be very important into the food/energy web from plants to higher trophic levels in this region.

Ten new genus-group names in Alleculinae described in the tribe Alleculini in 2021 and early in 2022 are added to the world checklist of genus-group names in this subfamily, including information about the author, year of publication, and type species (Barbucha Novák, 2021, Cistelochara Novák, 2021, Erzacula Novák, 2021, Mycetoculoides Novák, 2021, Palpistela Novák, 2021, Sulawesica Novák, 2021, Upineloides Novák, 2021, Vaclavka Novák, 2021, Novistela Novák, 2022 belonging to subtribe Alleculina Laporte, 1840 and Nocaroides Novák, 2021 belonging to the subtribe Gonoderina Seidlitz, 1896). Nine genus-group names are removed from Alleculinae “incertae sedis” based on a study of type material found in museum collections. Investigation of holotypes resulted in the following conclusions: Alogistopsis pilistriata Borchmann, 1943, Lagriallecula aeneipennis Pic, 1920, Pseudomorocaulus rufonotatus Pic, 1915, Stenogenomorpha impressa Pic, 1919 are members of the subtribe Alleculina Laporte, 1840; Bancocistela ivoirensis Pic, 1947 and Cistelodema cyanea (Pic, 1930) belong to the subtribe Gonoderina Seidlitz, 1896. Lectotypes are designated here for the type species Aptericula nyassensis Borchmann, 1937, Borchmannius pilosus (Borchmann, 1937) and Mimocistela zumpti Borchmann, 1938 for the purpose of clarifying the application of the name to those taxa, and these species are added to the subtribe Alleculina Laporte, 1840. An additional eight type species/genera are removed from Alleculinae “incertae sedis” based on the most important character (lobed penultimate tarsomeres) found in original descriptions which makes it possible to add them to the subtribe Alleculina (Apalmia cerambycina Fairmaire, 1896, Asticostena alternata Fairmaire, 1897, Bearnicistela luteicolor Pic in E. Olivier & Pic, 1909, Buxela sordescens Fairmaire, 1894, Dioxycula aranea Fairmaire, 1896, Idatius ophtalmicus Fairmaire, 1906, Isomiropsis wittei Borchmann, 1942 and Macrocistela striata Pic, 1941). The type species of the genus Ectenostoma (E. nigriventris Fåhraeus, 1870) is removed from Alleculinae “incertae sedis” based on information from the Borchmann's key making it possible to add the species to the subtribe Gonoderina Seidlitz, 1896.

Tenebrionidae Latreille, 1802 from the tropical regions of South America include many taxonomically problematic groups. The orphaned Neotropical genus Ancylopoma Pascoe, 1871 is one such group and is reviewed here. The genus was most recently placed as incertae sedis within the family after having not been taxonomically treated in the literature for 150 years after it was erected for Ancylopoma punctigera Pascoe, 1871 from Brazil. We describe the second known species Ancylopoma merkli Johnston, Matsumoto, and Kanda sp. nov. from Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina and newly record A. punctigera from Peru. We further place the genus in the tribe Goniaderini Lacordaire, 1859 (=Ancylopominae Pascoe, 1871 syn. nov.).

Arthromacra W. Kirby, 1837 is a rather small genus of colourful Lagriinae Latreille, 1825 (Tenebrionidae Latreille, 1802) distributed in the Holarctic and Oriental realms. In the present paper the following two new species from continental China are described and illustrated: Arthromacra distincta sp. nov. (Southwest China: Yunnan) and A. zhongtiao sp. nov. (Central China: Shaanxi). Arthromacra caerulescens (Pic, 1914) and A. donckieri (Pic, 1910) are redescribed based on the study of the name-bearing types and new material. An updated key to Arthromacra species from mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is presented. A checklist of Arthromacra of the Oriental Region is presented.