Generic Revisions of the Scopaeina and the Sphaeronina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The generic classifications of the paederine subtribes Scopaeina Mulsant and Rey, 1878, and Sphaeronina Casey, 1905, are revised. Sphaeronina, revised status, is resurrected from synonymy. Keys to the included genera of both subtribes are included. Newly discovered characters in both subtribes are discussed and illustrated. The Scopaeina now includes Scopaeus, Hyperscopaeus, Micranops, Orus, and Trisunius. The account for each genus includes its diagnostic characters, a description, summary of the general distribution, and list of the included species and specimens examined. Scopaeus Erichson, 1839, has a revised definition and is now restricted to species that have not only a constricted neck and a trichobothrium adjacent to and at about the middorsal margin of the eye, but also a metathoracic/mesofemoral stridulum comprised of a lateral, metaventral file and mesofemoral plectral ridges, slender, apically acute, metakatepisternal processes, and a middorsally fused median lobe of the aedeagus. The stridulum, redefined herein as a file and plectrum that when rubbed together produce stridulation in insects. The metaventral file and mesofemoral plectral ridges of Scopaeus, is, heretofore, unknown in the Staphylinidae or perhaps, even the Coleoptera. Variations of the stridulum and metakatepisternal processes are illustrated and described for each species group. Five genus-group names in the Western Hemisphere, Scopaeomerus Sharp, 1886, and Euscopaeus Sharp, 1886, are new synonyms of Scopaeus; Scopaeodera Casey, 1886, Scopaeoma Casey, 1905, and Scopaeopsis Casey, 1905, are revised status junior synonyms of Scopaeus. The species in those generic groups are now included in species groups of Scopaeus. Hyperscopaeus Coiffait, 1984, new status, is elevated to genus from subgeneric status in Scopaeus. Trisunius Assing, 2011, new subtribal assignment, is moved from the Medonina to the Scopaeina. Typhloscopaeus Jarrige, 1951, incertae sedis, formerly a subgenus of Scopaeus, is of unknown placement, but the species and generic names are retained in Scopaeus awaiting study of the type. Orus cervicula Casey, 1905, revised combination, is returned to Orus from Scopaeus. Orus femoralis (Sharp, 1887), new combination, is transferred from Scopaeus. There are now three named species of Orus with narrow necks. Scopaeus chiriquensis (Sharp, 1886), S. guatemalensis (Sharp, 1886), S. obscurus (Sharp, 1886), and S. palmatus (Sharp, 1886), new combinations, are transferred to Scopaeus from Scopaeomerus. Medon mexicanus (Bernhauer, 1910), new combination, is transferred to Medon from Scopaeomerus. Scopaeus crassitarsis (Sharp, 1886), S. gracilicornis (Sharp, 1886), S. impar (Bierig, 1935), new combinations, are transferred to Scopaeus from Euscopaeus. The following names are transferred from Scopaeus to Hyperscopaeus as new combinations: Hyperscopaeus admixtus (Fagel, 1973), H. albertvillensis (Fagel, 1973), H. allardianus (Fagel, 1973), H. andrewesi(Cameron, 1931), H. angolanus (Fagel, 1973), H. bamaniaensis (Fagel, 1973), H. borneensis (Cameron, 1941), H. bredoanus (Fagel, 1973), H. calidus (Bernhauer, 1932), H. confusoides (Fagel, 1973), H. confusus (Fagel, 1973), H. consimilis (Fagel, 1973), H. convexiceps (Bernhauer, 1932), H. corpulentus(Fagel, 1973), H. decelleanus (Fagel, 1973), H. dolosus (Fagel, 1973), H. endrodyanus (Fagel, 1973), H. errans (Fagel, 1973), H. erraticus (Fagel, 1973), H. fageli (Levasseur, 1981), H. fallaciosus (Fagel, 1973), H. filicornis (Fagel, 1973), H. flavidulus (Fagel, 1973), H. flavocastaneus (Lea, 1923), H. fluviatilis (Fagel, 1973), H. fossiceps (Eppelsheim, 1885), H. fuliginosus (Fagel, 1973), H. fulvescens (Motschulsky, 1858), H. fusculus (Motschulsky, 1858), H. gigantulus (Bernhauer, 1929), H. girardianus (Fagel, 1973), H. hova (Fauvel, 1905), H. hulstaertianus (Fagel, 1973), H. intermixtus (Fagel, 1973), H. kaszabianus (Fagel, 1973), H. katanganus (Fagel, 1973), H. kivuanus (Fagel, 1973), H. lamtoensis (Fagel, 1973), H. leleupianus (Fagel, 1973), H. leopoldvillensis (Fagel, 1973), H. lescuyeri (Delaunay, Coache, and Rainon, 2019), H. levasseuri (Lundgren, 1982), H. longiusculus (Fagel, 1973), H. machadoanus(Fagel, 1973), H. major (Eppelsheim, 1885), H. methneri (Bernhauer, 1932), H. minutulus (Fagel, 1973), H. mulongoensis (Fagel, 1973), H. nitidiceps (Fagel, 1973), H. nitidicollis (Fagel, 1973), H. opacicollis (Bernhauer, 1942), H. overlaetianus (Fagel, 1973), H. parvicornis (Fauvel, 1900), H. procerus (Kraatz, 1859), H. pruinosulus (Eppelsheim, 1885), H. pseudomethneri (Fagel, 1973), H. puberulus (Kraatz, 1859), H. reduncus (Fagel, 1973), H. ripicola (Fagel, 1973), H. rubricollis (Fagel, 1973), H. rubrotestaceus (Kraatz, 1859), H. ruguliceps (Fagel, 1973), H. ruziziensis (Fagel, 1973), H. semifuscus (Kraatz, 1859), H. senegalensis (Fagel, 1973), H. seydeli (Cameron, 1952), H. simillimus (Fagel, 1973), H. simulator (Fagel, 1973), H. spathiferus (Coiffait, 1970), H. spinosophallatus (Frisch, 2012), H. subconfusus (Fagel, 1973), H. subprocerus (Coiffait, 1978), H. surdus (Fagel, 1973), H. suspectus (Fauvel, 1907), H. tchapembanus (Fagel, 1973), H. thoracicus (Motschulsky, 1858), H. tristis (Bernhauer, 1929), H. vagans (Fagel, 1973, and H. voltae (Fagel, 1973). Sphaeronina, revised status, is resurrected from synonymy and now includes Sphaeronum Sharp, 1876, Tripectenopus Lea, 1918, Typhloleleupius Fagel, 1964, and Coecoscopaeus Coiffait, 1982; the last three genera are new assignments to the subtribe. Sphaeronina is redefined by the presence of a hypopharyngeal peg, an enlarged protibial concavity with combs, a ventral denticle on the left mandible, and a groove on the outer edge of the mandibles; additional possible diagnostic characters are discussed. Sphaeronum, Tripectenopus, Typhloleleupius, and Coecoscopaeus are redescribed; the genera are found, respectively, in the American tropical and subtropical regions, Australia, southern Africa and perhaps Madagascar, and Tunisia. Few African and Australian were available for study. Scopaeodracus Scheerpeltz, 1935, is a new synonym of Tripectenopus. Tripectenopus handschini (Scheerpeltz, 1935), new combination, is transferred from Scopaeodracus; Tripectenopus australiae (Fauvel, 1878), T. microps (Lea, 1923), T. pectinatrix (Lea, 1923), and T. torrensensis (Blackburn, 1891), new combinations, are transferred from Domene.