Tribe Ctenistini Blanchard, 1845

Museums

Regional Maps

• Ctenistini Blanchard, E. 1845. Histoire des insectes, traitant de leurs moeurs et de leurs métamorphoses en général, et comprenant une nouvelle classification fondée sur leurs rapports naturels. Hyménoptères et Coléoptères. Paris : Didot Vol. 1 v, 396 pp., 10 pls. [306].

  Type genus:

   Ctenistes Reichenbach, 1816.

  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] [184] (as Chenniides Reitter); 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] [141]; Raffray, A. 1908. Coleoptera fam. Pselaphidae. 1-487, pls i-ix in Wytsman, P. (ed.). Genera Insectorum, 64th fascicule. Rome : Wytsman. [327]; 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. [291]; Jeannel, R. 1949. Les Psélaphides de l'Afrique Orientale (Coleoptera). Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] 29: 1-226 [183]; Jeannel, R. 1950. Coléoptères Psélaphides. Faune de France. Paris : Lechevalier Vol. 53 iii 421 pp. [397].
• Chenniides Reitter, E. 1882 [1881]. Versuch einer systematischen Eintheilung der Clavigeriden und Pselaphiden. Verhandlungen des Naturforschenden Vereines in Brünn 20: 177-211 [Date published 1882] [184] [junior subjective synonym of Ctenistini Blanchard, 1845].

  Type genus:

   Chennium Latreille, 1807.
• Petanopini Jeannel, R. 1954. Description d'un Psélaphide australien type d'une tribu nouvelle. Revue Française d'Entomologie 21: 99-102 [102] [junior subjective synonym of Ctenistini Blanchard, 1845].

  Type genus:

   Petanops Jeannel, 1954.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Newton, A.F. & Chandler, D.S. 1989. World Catalog of the Genera of Pselaphidae (Coleoptera). Fieldiana Zoology ns 53: 1-93 [Date published 28 April 1989] [12] (Chenniides; overlooked name; this is possibly first time listed in synonymy)
• 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] [484] (Petanopini)

Introduction

Thirty-three genera are currently placed in the Ctenistini, and this group is represented in all biogeographic regions (Chandler 2001: 485).

Diagnosis

Squamous setae commonly found over body, but may be restricted to foveae, sulci, and ventral articulations of the major body parts. Head usually with lateral margins of clypeus angularly projecting or broadly lobed, clypeus broadly rounded and then briefly indented by narrow vertical sulcus just anterior to eyes in a few North American genera, such as Ctenisodes Raffray (= Pilopius Casey; Chandler 1999), often with asymmetric Y-shaped or linear sulci filled with squamous setae ventral to antennal insertions (Fig. 25); frontal rostrum usually prominent and narrow, antennal insertions then close (Daveyia with antennal insertions widely separated, lacking frontal rostrum); lacking ocular-mandibular carinae; maxillary palpi with third and/or fourth, and often second segments bearing lateral spines or coalesced pencils of setae, often strongly angulate laterally. Pronotum lacking antebasal sulcus and paranotal carinae; median gular carina variably present. Abdomen with deep basal sulci on visible tergite 1 (IV) and visible sternite 2 (IV); visible tergite 4 (VII) with accompanying paratergites. Legs with third tarsomeres as long as basal two tarsomeres combined; tarsi with 2 claws.

ID Keys

Key to Australian genera of Ctenistini (Chandler 2001: 485).

1. Fourth segments of maxillary palpi distinctly smaller than third segments, third segments tuberculate or spinose at lateroapical angles, articulating with fourth segments on mesal margins (Figs. 209, 210); ocular canthi extending as prominent ridge or plate lateral or posterior to eyes (Figs. 177, 178) … 2

Third segments of maxillary palpi same size as fourth segments, articulating with fourth segments at apices; ocular canthi not projecting or ridged (Fig. 175) … 3

2. (1) Head with large ocular plate extending laterally and anteriorly to nearly divide eyes in half; with ten antennomeres; third segments of maxillary palpi tuberculate at apices (Figs. 177, 209) … Daveyia Lea

Head with ocular canthi extending posteriorly to head base as carinate ridges; with eleven antennomeres; third segments of maxillary palpi with apical spines (Figs. 178, 210) … Edocranes Reitter

3. (1) Small to large spine originating beneath each eye (Fig. 24); second segments of maxillary palpi with lateral spines (Fig. 176) … Ctenisophus Raffray

Head lacking spine beneath each eye; second segments of maxillary palpi lacking spines (Fig. 175) … Ctenicellus Raffray

Diagnosis References

Chandler, D.S. 1999. New synonymies and combinations for New World Pselaphinae (Coleoptera: Pselaphinae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 125: 163-183

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] [484]

Raffray, A. 1908. Coleoptera fam. Pselaphidae. 1-487, pls i-ix in Wytsman, P. (ed.). Genera Insectorum, 64th fascicule. Rome : Wytsman. [327]

General 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]

History of changes