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The Cryptoglossini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae) is revised. The species are relatively large beetles, which are irregularly distributed throughout much of the highly and areas of Southwestern United States and Mexico. The tribe is composed of three monophyletic genera: Asbolus LeConte, Cryptoglossa Solier, and Schizillus Horn. Adult external and internal reproductive structures of the tribe are described and illustrated. Immature stages are described for Cryptoglossa muricata (LeConte), Cryptoglossa infausta (LeConte), Cryptoglossa asperata (Horn), Cryptoglossa spiculifera LeConte, Cryptoglossa variolosa (Horn), Asbolus verrucosus LeConte, Asbolus laevis LeConte, Asbolus mexicanus (Champion), Schizillus laticeps Horn, and Schizillus nunenmacheri Blaisdell. Keys are provided for the adult genera and species and for the known immature stages. A new subspecies, Cryptoglossa seriata cerralvoensis, is described from Mexico. Centrioptera Mannerheim is placed as a synonym of Cryptoglossa Solier. Asbolus LeConte is reinstated to replace Cryptoglossa (in part). Eschatoporis Blaisdell is removed to the Laenini (Lagriinae). A phylogeny, based on 50 adult and immature characters is proposed established on cladistic methodology. Phylogenetic relationships and systematic position of the subfamily, tribe, genera and species are examined.

The biology of the species is discussed including ecological, morphological, and physiological adaptations to aridity. Ecological adaptations include strategies to acclimate to extreme environmental conditions: surface/subsurface daily and seasonal activity patterns, cavity utilization, substrate preference/restrictions (C. muricata, A. verrucosus, S. laticeps), euryphagous feeding habits, avoidance of interspecific competition. Adult and immature morphological adaptations include locomotory modifications relative to substrate utilization (i.e. larval madibular expansion in all Cryptoglossini) and heat avoidance modifications (i.e. subelytral/subpronotal cavities in A. verrucosus, A. laevis and A. papillosus. Physiological adaptations include high heat and wide humidity range tolerance (C. muricata and A. verrucosus), epicuticular lipids with high rations of straight-chain hydrocarbons (C. variolosa and A. verrucosus), long larval and adult life spans (seven years recorded for A. verrucosus). Specialized environmental adaptations include psammophily (A. verrucosus, A. papillosus and A. laevis, being respectively more adapted to psammophily, the last two restricted to sand dunes) and troglophily (S. nunenmacheri and A. mexicanus). Ecological importance (biomass) and economic importance of species is discussed. Predators and parasites of the Cryptoglossini are addressed. Catagoniopsis specularis (Aldrich and Weber), (Tachinidae) is recorded reared from both A. verrucosus and A. laevis. Defensive behavioral strategies include escape to shelters (Cryptoglossa), death feigning (all Cryptoglossa observed except C. asperata; most developed in Asbolus) and head standing (most immediate defense in all Cryptoglossa observed, absent in Asbolus and Schizillus except A. laevis).