Family HISTERIDAE

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Family HISTERIDAE

Compiler and date details

March 2012 - Tom Weir, Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra

1 October 2002 - Andrew A. Calder, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Introduction

The Histeridae are a cosmopolitan group of generalist predators comprising 332 genera, 3793 species and 48 subspecies worldwide (Mazur 1997). The described Australian fauna contains 47 genera and 262 species.

Histerids occupy a diverse range of habitats. They are found in various types of decomposing and sometimes fermenting organic matter including rotting fungi, decaying wood, leaf litter and other forms of decaying vegetation, dung, carrion as well as living under the bark of rotting logs where they feed upon fly and beetle larvae. Histerids also have symbiotic associations with social insects particularly ants and occasionally termites (Lea 1925; Halstead 1963; Matthews 1982; Lawrence & Britton 1994; Hansen 1997a). The Niponiinae, Trypeticinae and Trypanaeinae are specialised predators of wood-boring insects (Kryzhanovskij 1989). Members of the subfamilies Histerinae, Saprininae and some Dendrophilinae usually inhabit decomposing organic matter, while some genera of Saprininae and Abraeinae are sand dune inhabitants of coastal regions (Hansen 1997a); the Australian species of Halacritus Schmidt are found under rotting seaweed at high tide level (Lea 1925). In the Palaearctic, particularly in Europe and the Mediterranean Region, several histerids are stored product contaminants (Hinton 1945).

Myrmecophily is found in members of the Dendrophilinae, some Saprininae, most Hetaeriinae (Vienna 1980; Helava et al. 1985; Kryzhanovskij 1989) and Chlamydopsinae (Lea 1925). The Australian species of Chlamydopsis are inquilines living in ants' nests mostly of the genera Rhytidoponera and Iridomyrmex (Lea 1925) while some histerids are termitophiles, for example Eucurtia comata (Blackburn) found in the nests of an unknown Ekphysotermes species and Arbolister termitophilus Mazur found in the nests of Nasutitermes graveolus Hill. The setose secretory structures on myrmecophilous chlamydopsines apparently produce an appeasement substance that facilitates the acceptance of histerids in ant colonies (Wilson 1971).

Some Onthophilinae, Histerinae (Margarinotus Marseul—not recorded from Australia), some Dendrophilinae (Carcinops Marseul) and Saprininae (Gnathoncus Jacquelin du Val) are associated with bird or mammal nests particularly of small rodents or insectivores (Koch 1989; Ôhara 1989; Hansen 1997a).

Several histerids have been introduced into Australia, most notably from South Africa, in biological control programmes aimed at control of buffalo and bush fly that breed in the dung of introduced herbivores. The following introduced species: Carcinops pumilio (Erichson), Chalcionellus aeneovirens (Schmidt), Hister nomas Erichson, Hypocacculus interpunctatus (Schmidt), Pachylister caffer Erichson, Pachylister chinensis (Quensel), Saprinus splendens (Paykull), S. chalcites (Illiger) and S. cupreus Erichson have become established (Waterhouse & Sands 2001). Hister calidus Erichson introduced from South Africa to control Haematobia exigua (buffalo fly) and Musca vetustissima (bush fly) (Diptera, Muscidae) and Hister cruentus Erichson introduced from South Africa to control buffalo fly apparently have not established. The histerids Hololepta quadridentata (Olivier) and Plaesius javanus Erichson introduced mainly from Java to control the banana root weevil Cosmopolites sordidus Germar also never established (Waterhouse & Sands 2001).

The identification of Australian histerids is problematical with most of the literature scattered in various specialist journals. There is no recent comprehensive identification guide to the Australian histerids available. Lea (1912, 1914, 1925) revised the myrmecophilous Chlamydopsinae and provided a table to the species of Platysoma Leach. Dahlgren (1967, 1968, 1971, 1974) revised the Saprininae as well as the genus Tomogenius Marseul (Dahlgren 1976) which is apparently confined to Australia and New Zealand. Matthews (1982) gives an illustrated key to the histerid genera of South Australia and the tribe Acritini was revised by Gomy (1984). Hansen (1997b) gives keys to the subfamilies of adult and larval Histeridae. The two most recent catalogues of the world fauna were prepared by Mazur (1984, 1997). Larval illustrations and keys to subfamilies can be found in Newton (1991).

The classification of histerids is undergoing substantial modification due to phylogenetic analyses of both morphological and molecular (18S rDNA) data. Wenzel (1944) was the first to distinguish two major histerid lineages albeit artificial, based on the presence or absence of a prosternal lobe (Histeromorphae and Saprinomorphae). This system was further refined by Ôhara (1994), Hansen (1997b) and Slipinski & Mazur (1999) who used phylogenetic methods. Slipinski & Mazur (1999) attempted to find a more natural classificatory system based on shared derived character states that demonstrated sister group relationships. This work recognised nine subfamilies arranged in three divisions: Niponiomorphae (Niponiinae), Abraeomorphae (Abraeinae, Saprininae, Dendrophilinae and Trypanaeinae) and Histeromorphae (Histerinae, Onthophilinae, Chlamydopsinae and Hetaeriinae). Of these, two subfamilies Hetaeriinae and Trypanaeinae, are not represented in the Australian fauna. The tribal classification of the Histerinae is in need of revision as the characters on which they are based are highly variable and of no use in defining tribal limits. The classification used in this ABIF site follows the phylogenetic analyses of Slipinski & Mazur (1999). Both Ôhara (1994) and Slipinski & Mazur (1999) recognise the bark beetle predator Niponius Lewis as the most basal extant histerid assigning it to its own subfamily. However, recent molecular work using 18S rDNA as well as larval and adult characters (Caterino & Vogler 2002) does not corroborate the histerid phylogeny derived from adult morphological characters by Slipinski & Mazur (1999). Caterino & Vogler's analyses on the other hand indicate, amongst other discoveries, that Niponius is more closely related to the dendrophiline genera Paromalus Erichson and Platylomalus Cooman. Caterino & Vogler (2002) counsel against recognising the three "Divisions" proposed by Slipinski & Mazur (1999) recommending a more traditional classification of eleven subfamilies such as that of Mazur (1997) be followed until a more robust and comprehensive phylogeny can be determined.

A summary of the classification follows:

Subfamily Abraeinae
Tribe Acritini
Acritus LeConte, 1853, Aeletes Horn, 1873, Halacritus Schmidt, 1893

Tribe Acritomorphini
Acritomorphus Wenzel, 1944

Tribe Bacanini
Bacaniomorphus Mazur, 1989, Bacanius LeConte, 1853

Tribe Teretriini
Teretrius Erichson, 1834

Subfamily Chlamydopsinae
Chlamydopsis Westwood, 1869, Ectatommiphila Lea, 1914, Eucurtia Mjöberg, 1912, Orectoscelis Lewis, 1903, Pheidoliphila Lea, 1914

Subfamily Dendrophilinae
Tribe Dendrophilini
Dendrophilus Leach, 1817

Tribe Paromalini
Carcinops Marseul, 1855, Eulomalus Cooman, 1937, Platylomalus Cooman, 1948

Subfamily Histerinae
Tribe Exosternini
Arbolister Mazur, 1990, Asterix Mazur, 1993, Diabletes Reichardt, 1933, Pseudister Bickhardt, 1917

Tribe Histerini
Hister Linnaeus, 1758, Pachylister Lewis, 1904

Tribe Hololeptini
Hololepta Paykull, 1811

Tribe Platysomatini
Eblisia Lewis, 1889, Platysoma Leach, 1817, Silinus Lewis, 1907

Subfamily Niponiinae
Niponius Lewis, 1885

Subfamily Orthophilinae
Epiechinus Lewis, 1891, Onthophilus Leach, 1817, Parepierus Bickhardt, 1913, Stictostix Marseul, 1870, Tribalus Erichson, 1834

Subfamily Saprininae
Chalcionellus Reichardt, 1932, Gnathoncus Jacquelin du Val, 1858, Hypocacculus Bickhardt, 1914, Hypocaccus C.G. Thomson, 1867, Notosaprinus Kryzhanovskij, 1972, Saprinodes Lewis, 1891, Saprinus Erichson, 1834, Tomogenius Marseul, 1862.