The Acmaeoderini (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a speciose tribe of jewel beetles consisting mostly of pollinators. However, a small number of Nearctic groups are considered non-anthophilous; these are often thought to be more primitive, though molecular studies have yet to confirm this. One of these groups, Acmaeoderopsis Barr possesses a well-known apomorphic trait in which the terminal three ventrites of the females have modified long, erect setae that curve forward apically. This trait has been the justification for the elevation of the group to a generic level, as no other acmaeoderine was considered to possess similar morphological characters. However, while preparing specimens of the Acmaeodera pinalorum Knull group for study, a strikingly similar trait was noted in the ovipositors within the group. The A. pinalorum group has historically been considered sister to the Acmaeoderopsis, and preliminary molecular studies of the tribe consider the groups closely related. Further studies of the groups at the molecular, morphological, and ecological level may help to further understand the relationship of the two groups and the evolution of such a shared morphological feature.
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