Checklist of the Alexiidae of the World (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea)
Last Updated: April 8, 2008

Floyd W. Shockley
Dept. of Entomology, 413 Biological Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602

The following checklist is designed to provide the user with a concise list of the currently valid names in the beetle family Alexiidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea). Known synonyms have been provided (reduced in font size and indented), and valid names are shown in bold. This list has largely been assembled from the Zoological Record and then updated using Strohecker (1953) and Tomaszewska (2007). The aforementioned references also serve as distributional catalogues for virtually all of the included taxa, so those efforts have not been duplicated here. This checklist has been compiled to serve as an electronic, open-access source document linked to the Alexiidae family page (http://tolweb.org/Sphaerosoma/65850/2008.06.24) of the Tree of Life Project, http://tolweb.org/. At the end of the checklist, I have also included a complete bibliography of all original species descriptions referred to in the body of the checklist, including junior synonyms. If you have questions, additions, or corrections, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at fws(at)uga.edu (replace the (at) with @). This work (and the related ToL page) were supported in part by NSF/PEET grant (DEB-0329115) to J.V. McHugh, M.F. Whiting, and K.B. Miller.

Current count: 1 genus, 53 species.

Alexiidae Imhoff, 1856: 151.
-------------Sphaerosomatidae Ganglbauer, 1899: 913.

Alexiinae Imhoff, 1856: 151.
-------------Sphaerosomatinae Ganglbauer, 1899: 913.

Sphaerosoma Samouelle, 1819: 394.
-------------Alexia Stephens, 1833: 23.
-------------Arthrosphaerula Apfelbeck, 1915: 425.
-------------Hygrotophila Champion, 1887: 227.
-------------Lamprosphaerula Apfelbeck, 1910: 41.
-------------Neosphaerula Apfelbeck, 1910: 41.

algiricum (Reitter), 1889b: 304.
--------------Alexia algirica Reitter, 1889b: 304.
alutaceum (Reitter), 1883a: 239.
------------- Alexia alutacea Reitter, 1883a: 239.
antennarium Apfelbeck, 1909: 500.
------------- Sphaerosoma antennaria var. narentinum Apfelbeck, 1909: 501.
apuanum Reitter, 1909b: 211.
bicome Peyerimhoff, 1917: 141.
bosnicum (Reitter), 1885: 35.
------------- Alexia laevicollis var. bosnica Reitter, 1885: 35.
------------- Sphaerosoma formaneki Reitter, 1902: 5.
carniolicum Apfelbeck, 1915: 427.
carpathicum (Reitter), 1883a: 239.
------------- Alexia carpathica Reitter, 1883a: 239.
circassicum (Reitter), 1888: 169.
------------- Alexia circassica Reitter, 1888: 169.
clamboides (Reitter), 1888: 170.
------------- Alexia clamboides Reitter, 1888: 170.
compressum (Reitter), 1901: 99.
------------- Alexia compressa Reitter, 1901: 99.
corcyreum (Reitter), 1883b: 394.
------------- Alexia corcyrea Reitter, 1883b: 394.
------------- Alexia hellenica Reitter, 1888: 36.
------------- Sphaerosoma valonense Apfelbeck, 1915: 423.
csikii Apfelbeck, 1915: 421.
diversepunctatum Roubal, 1932: 145.
fiorii Ganglbauer, 1899: 917.
globosum (Sturm), 1807: 82.
------------- Phalacrus globosus Sturm, 1807: 82.
------------- Sphaerosoma globosum var. glabrum Reitter, 1885: 204.
------------- Sphaerosoma globosum var. subvillosum Roubal, 1932: 145.
hemisphaericum Ganglbauer, 1899: 916.
------------- Sphaerosoma globosum var. hemisphaericum Csiki, 1910: 5.
hispanicum Obenberger, 1917: 27.
laevicolle (Reitter), 1883a: 240.
------------- Alexia laevicolle Reitter, 1883a: 240.
latitarse Apfelbeck, 1915: 427.
lederi (Reitter), 1888: 169.
------------- Alexia lederi Reitter, 1888: 169.
------------- Sphaerosoma lederi var. asiaticum Roubal, 1932: 145.
leonhardi Apfelbeck, 1915: 494.
libani Sahlberg, 1913: 32.
maritimum (Reitter), 1904a: 45.
------------- Alexia maritima Reitter, 1904a: 45.
merditanum Apfelbeck, 1915: 418.
meridionale (Reitter), 1883a: 239.
------------- Alexia meridionale Reitter, 1883a: 239.
nevadense (Reitter), 1883a: 241.
------------- Alexia nevadense Reitter, 1883a: 241.
normandi Peyerimhoff, 1917: 141.
obscuricorne Obenberger, 1917: 28.
obsoletum (Reitter), 1883a: 242.
------------- Alexia obsoleta Reitter, 1883a: 242.
paganetti Obenberger, 1913: 110.
rotundatum Obenberger, 1913: 110.
pilosellum (Reitter), 1877: 296.
------------- Alexia pilosella Reitter, 1877: 296.
------------- Alexia hirtula Reitter, 1876: 294.
pilosissimum (Frivaldszky), 1881: 266.
------------- Alexia pilosissimaFrivaldszky, 1881: 266.
pilosum (Panzer), 1793: 8.
------------- Tritoma pilosa Panzer, 1793: 8.
------------- Alexia pilosaRedtenbacher, 1845: 317.
------------- Alexia pilifera Jacquelin du Val, 1857-59: pl. 55.
------------- Alexia ignorans Reitter, 1883b: 393.
------------- Alexia ignorans var. lunigera Reitter, 1883a: 241.
pubescens (Frivaldszky), 1881 : 265.
------------- Alexia pubescens Frivaldszky, 1881 : 265.
punctatum punctatum (Reitter), 1878 : 240.
------------- Alexia punctata Reitter, 1878: 240.
punctatum tatricum (Reitter), 1897: 17.
------------- Alexia tatrica Reitter, 1897: 17.
puncticolle (Reitter), 1883a: 242.
------------- Alexia puncticolle Reitter, 1883a: 242.
purkynei Obenberger, 1917: 28.
quercus Samouelle, 1819: 394.
------------- Tritoma pilifera Muller, 1821: 207.
------------- Tritoma piligera Muller, 1824: 617.
------------- Alexia piliferaRedtenbacher, 1845: 406.
------------- Alexia infima Baudi di Selve, 1889: 88.
rambouseki Apfelbeck, 1916: 490.
reitteri (Ormay), 1888: 166.
------------- Alexia reitteri Ormay, 1888: 166.
------------- Alexia pilosissima Reitter, 1883a: 241.
------------- Sphaerosoma albanicum Apfelbeck, 1906: 1670.
------------- Sphaerosoma aspromontanum Reitter, 1909a: 21.
scymnoides (Reitter), 1885: 35.
------------- Alexia scymnoides Reitter, 1885: 35.
seidlitzi (Reitter), 1889a: 307.
------------- Alexia seidlitzi Reitter, 1889a: 307.
shardaghense Apfelbeck, 1915: 418.
solarii Reitter, 1904b: 155.
sparsum Reitter, 1909a: 22.
------------- Sphaerosoma sparsum var. rotundum Obenberger, 1914: 110.
sturanyi Apfelbeck, 1909: 500.
subglabrum Peyerimhoff, 1917: 140.
------------- Sphaerosoma punctulatum Normand, 1936: 94.
sublaeve (Reitter), 1883a: 239.
------------- Alexia sublaeve Reitter, 1883a: 239.
tengitinum Peyerimhoff, 1917: 141.
vallambrosae (Reitter), 1885: 35.
------------- Alexia vallambrosae Reitter, 1885: 35.
winneguthi Apfelbeck, 1915: 425.

Literature Cited

Apfelbeck, V. 1906. Neue Koleopteren, gesammelt wahrend einer im Jahre 1905 mit Subvention der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien durchgefuhrten Forschungsreise nach Albanien und Montenegro. Sitzungsberichte der Matematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Classe der k. Akademie der Wissenschaften 115: 1661-1674.

Apfelbeck, V. 1909. Contributiones ad Coleopterorum faunam peninsulae balcanicae. Glasnik Zemaljskog Muzeja u Bosni i Hercegovini 21: 495-504.

Apfelbeck, V. 1910. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Kaferfauna der Balkanhalbinsel. Pp. 40-42. In: Bericht der Sektion fur Koleopterologie. Versammlung am 3. February 1910. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Koniglichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 60: 40-49.

Apfelbeck, V. 1915. Revizija vrsta roda Sphaerosoma Leach balkanskog poluostrva ( Col. ). Glasnik Zemaljskog Muzeja u Bosni I Hercegovini 27: 407-429.

Apfelbeck, V. 1916. Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Sphaerosoma Leach ( Col. ). Revision der Arten von der Balkanhalbinseln. Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 14: 471-500

Baudi di Selve, F. 1889. Catalogo dei coleotteri del Piemonte. Annali della Reale Accademia d'Agricoltura di Torino 32: 1-225.

Champion, G.C. 1887. On the priority of various generic names in use in British Coleoptera. The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 23: 227-230.

Csiki, E. 1910. Endomychidae. Pars 12. In: S. Schenkling (ed.): Coleopterorum Catalogus. Vol. 16. W. Junk , Berlin . 68 pp.

Frivaldszky, J. 1881. Coleoptera nova in Europa orientali et Asia Minore. Termeszetrajzi Fuzetek 4 [1880]: 260-266.

Ganglbauer, L. 1899. Ueber einige, zum Theil neue mitteleuropaische Col eopteren. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Koniglichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 49: 526-535.

Imhoff, L. 1856. Versuch einer Einfuhrung in das Studium der Koleopteren. Privately published, Basel , xxxi + 114 + 272 pp., 25 + 1 pls.

Jacquelin du Val, P.N.C. 1858. Nitidulides. Pp. 134-160. In : Manuel Entomologique. Genera des coleopteres d'Europe comprenant leur classification en familles naturelles, la description de tous les genres, des tableaux synoptiques destines a faciliter l'etude, le catalogue de toutes les especes, de nombreux dessins au trait de caracteres. Tome deuxieme . A. Deyrolle, Paris. 285+ [3] + [53-122, Catalogue] + [2] pp., 67 pls.

Muller, P.W.J. 1821. Neue Insecten. Magazin der Entomologie (Halle) 4 : 184-230.

Muller, P.W.J. 1824. New taxa. In : E.F. Germar (ed.), Insectorum species novae aut minus cognitae, descriptionibus illustratae, Vol. 1. J.C. Hendelii et filii, Halae. 624 pp.

Normand, 1936. Contribution au catalogue des coleopteres de la Tunisie (8 e fascicule). Bulletin de la Societe d'Histoire Naturelle Afrique du Nord 27 : 81-100.

Obenberger, J. 1914. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der palaearktischen Kaferfauna. Coleopterologische Rundschau 3 : 97-142.

Obenberger, J. 1917. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der palaearktischen Kaferfauna. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte A 82 (4): 9-45.

Ormay, S. 1888. Coleoptera nova e Transsilvania. Wiener Entomologische Zeitung 7: 165-168.

Panzer, G.W.F. 1793. Faunae insectorum Germanicae initia oder Deutschlands Insecten. He ft 7 . Felsecker, Nurnberg. 24 pp.

Peyerimhoff, P.M. de. 1917. Nouveaux coleopteres du Nord-Africain. Vingt-cinquieme note avec des renseignements synonymiques sur les Silphidae et les Histeridae. Annales de la Societe Entomologiqe de France 86 : 117-148.

Reitter, E. 1876. Neue transcaucasische Col eopteren, gesammelt von Hans Leder (Erstes Stuck). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 20: 289-294.

Reitter, E. 1877. Neue caucasische Col eopteren, gesammelt von Hans Leder (Zweites Stuck). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 21: 289-296.

Reitter, E. 1878. Beitrag zur Col eopteren-Fauna der Carpathen. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 22: 33-64.

Reitter, E. 1883a. Revision der Alexia -Arten. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 27: 236-242.

Reitter, E. 1883b. Weitere Mittheilungen uber Alexia. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 27: 393-394.

Reitter, E. 1885. Bestimmungs-Tabellen der europaischen Coleoptern. I. Enthaltend die Familien: Cucujidae, Telmatophilidae, Tritomidae, Mycetaeidae, Endomychidae, Lyctidae und Sphindidae. II. Auflage . E. Reitter, Modling. 45 pp.

Reitter, E. 1888. Col eopteren aus Circassien, gesammelt von Hans Leder im Jahr 1887. IV. Theil. Wiener Entomologische Zeitung 7: 169-180.

Reitter, E. 1889a. Bemerkungen und Berichtigungen zu den Clavicornen in der Fauna Baltica 2. Aufl. und Fauna Transsylvanica von Dr. G. Seidlitz. Ein Beitrag zur Losung strittiger, coleopterologischer Fragen. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1889: 289-318.

Reitter, E. 1889b. Eine neue Alexia aus Algier. Wiener Entomologische Zeitung 8 : 304.

Reitter, E. 1897. Neunter Beitrag zur Col eopteren-Fauna von Europa und den angrenzenden Land ern. Wiener Entomologische Zeitung 16: 45-47.

Reitter, E. 1901. Uebersicht der Arten der Coleopteren-Gattungen Triplax Pa yk. aus Europa und den angrenzenden Land ern. Wiener Entomologische Zeitung 20: 73-76.

Reitter, E. 1902. Neue und seltene Coleopteren, gesammelt im Jahre 1901, in der Herzegowina, in Dalmatien und Bosnien. Wiener Entomologische Zeitung 20: 200-202.

Reitter, E. 1904a. Alexia maritima n. sp. Wiener Entomologische Zeitung 23: 45.

Reitter, E. 1904b. Sechzehn neue Coleopteren aus Europa und den angrenzenden Landern. Wiener Entomologische Zeitung 23: 151-160.

Reitter, E. 1909a. Due nuove specie di Sphaerosoma della Calabria ( Sph. aspromontanum e Sph. sparsum ). Rivista Coleotterologica Italiana 7: 21-22.

Reitter, E. 1909b. Tre nuovi coleotteri italiani ( Liodes calcaratoides , Agathidium labratum , Sphaerosoma apuanum ). Rivista Coleotterologica Italiana 7: 209-211.

Roubal, J. 1932. Beschreibungen von drei neuen Sphaerosomen (Col. Endomych). Sborník Entomologického Oddělení Národního Musea v Praze 10: 145.

Sahlberg, J.R. 1913. Coleoptera Mediterranea que in Aegypto, Palaestina, Syria, Caramania at que in Anatolia occidentali anno 1904. Öfversigt Finska Vetenskaps-Societetens. Förhandlingar, Helsingfors 55A (19): 1-281.

Samouelle, G. 1819. The Entomologist's useful compendium; or an introduction to the knowledge of British insects, comprising the best means of obtaining and preserving them, and a description of the apparatus generally used; together with the genera of Linne, and the modern method of arranging the classes Crustacea, Myriapoda, spiders, mites, and insects from their affinities and structure, according to the views of Dr. Leach. Also an explanation of the term used in entomology; a calendar of the times of appearance and usual situation of near 3000 species of British insects; with instructions for collecting and fitting up objects for the microscope . Thomas Boys, London . 496 pp.

Stephens, J.F. 1833. The nomenclature of British Insects; together with their synonymes: being a compendious list of such species as are contained in the systematic catalogue of British insects, and of those discovered subsequently to its publication; forming a guide to their classification . Baldwin and Cradock, London . 2 pp. + 135 columns.

Strohecker, H. F. 1953. Coleoptera, Endomychidae, pp. 1-145. In P. Wytsman [ed.], Genera Insectorum. Louis Desmet-Verteneuil, Bruxelles.

Sturm, J. 1807. Deutschlands Fauna in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen. V. Abtheilung. Die Insecten. Zweites Bandchen. Kafer. Verfasser, Nurnberg . 279 pp.

Tomaszewska, K.W. 2007. Alexiidae, pp. 555-556. In: I. Lobl and A. Smetana [eds.], Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera. Volume 4. Elateroidea - Derodontoidea - Bostrichoidea - Lymexyloidea - Cleroidea - Cucujoidea. Apollo Books, Stenstrup.