Supertribe Clavigeritae Leach, 1815

Museums

Regional Maps

• Clavigeritae Leach, W.E. 1815. Entomology. pp. 57-172 in Brewster (ed.). The Edinburgh Encyclopedia. Edinburgh : William Blackburn Vol. 9(1) 764 pp. [reprint 1830] [117].

  Type genus:

   Claviger Preyssler, 1790.

  Secondary source:

   Reitter, E. 1882 [1881]. Versuch einer systematischen Eintheilung der Clavigeriden und Pselaphiden. Verhandlungen des Naturforschenden Vereines in Brünn 20: 177-211 [Date published 1882] [182]; Raffray, A. 1890. Étude sur le Psélaphides. V. Tableux synoptiques. - Notes et synonymie. Revue d'Entomologie (Caen) 9: 81-172 [Date published March-June 1890] [165]; Raffray, A. 1904. Genera et catalogue des Psélaphides. (1903). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 72: 484-604 [488]; Raffray, A. 1908. Coleoptera fam. Pselaphidae. 1-487, pls i-ix in Wytsman, P. (ed.). Genera Insectorum, 64th fascicule. Rome : Wytsman. [415]; Park, O. 1942. A study in Neotropical Pselaphidae. Number 1. Evanston and Chicago : Northwestern University Studies in the Biological Sciences and Medicine x + 403 pp. [350]; Jeannel, R. 1949. Les Psélaphides de l'Afrique Orientale (Coleoptera). Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 29: 1-226 [26]; Jeannel, R. 1950. Coléoptères Psélaphides. Faune de France. Paris : Lechevalier Vol. 53 iii 421 pp. [57]; Besuchet, C. 1991. Révolution chez les Clavigerinae (Coleoptera, Pselaphidae). Revue Suisse de Zoologie 98: 499-515 [514].

Introduction

All the members of this subfamily appear to be obligate myrmecophiles, with a total of 99 genera. Besuchet (1991A) reduced the status of 14 tribes to the rank of subtribes in this group, leaving only Clavigerini (worldwide), Tiracerini (Tiracerus Besuchet, Australian), and his new tribe Colilodionini (Colilodion Besuchet, Oriental) as separate tribes (Chandler 2001: 534).

Diagnosis

Head with 3-6 antennomeres, terminal antennomeres with setose cavity in truncate apices; lacking ocular-mandibular carinae; mouthparts small, barely visible; maxillary palpi small, often with only one segment. Pronotum lacking paranotal carinae. Abdomen with visible tergites 1-3 (IV-VI) fused into tergal plate; tergal plate and visible sternite 2 (IV) with bases expanded, basal foveae often distant from anterior margins, basal sulci broad and shallow, often glabrous; first visible paratergites bearing tufts of specialized setae (trichomes). Legs with trochanters of middle and hind legs elongate, dorsal junction of mesofemora and mesotrochanters distant from mesocoxae; third tarsomeres longer than length of basal two tarsomeres combined, first and second tarsomeres subequal in length (except Colilodionini, second tarsomeres elongate, as is in Pselaphitae), with single tarsal claws. Male genitalia symmetric, dorsal diaphragm present in some groups, parameres present or lacking.

ID Keys

Key to Australian tribes and genera (Chandler 2001: 534).

1. Pronotum lacking distinct antebasal foveae, with only median impression near base; with three antennomeres, basal two very short (Fig. 193) … Tiracerini (genus Tiracerus Besuchet)

Pronotum with distinct median and lateral antebasal foveae; with 5-6 antennomeres (Fig. 192) … Clavigerini (genus Clavigeropsis Raffray)

Diagnosis References

Chandler, D.S. 2001. Biology, morphology, and systematics of the ant-like litter beetle genera of Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae). Gainesville, FL : Memoirs on Entomology, International Vol. 15 viii + 560 pp. [Date published 30 April 2001] [534]

Newton, A.F., Jr & Thayer, M.A. 1995. Protopselaphinae new subfamily for Protopselaphus new genus from Malaysia, with a phylogenetic analysis and review of the Omaliine group of Staphylinidae including Pselaphidae (Coleoptera). pp. 219-320 in Pakaluk, J. & Ślipiński, S.A. (eds). Biology, Phylogeny, and Classification of Coleoptera; Papers Celebrating the 80th Birthday of Roy A. Crowson. Warszawa : Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN Vol. 1 xii + 558 pp. [307]

General References

Besuchet, C. 1991. Révolution chez les Clavigerinae (Coleoptera, Pselaphidae). Revue Suisse de Zoologie 98: 499-515

Chandler, D.S. 2001. Biology, morphology, and systematics of the ant-like litter beetle genera of Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae). Gainesville, FL : Memoirs on Entomology, International Vol. 15 viii + 560 pp. [Date published 30 April 2001]

History of changes