Supertribe Pselaphitae Latreille, 1802

Museums

Regional Maps

• Pselaphitae Latreille, P.A. 1802. Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière des Crustacés et des Insectes. Ouvrage faisant suite à l’histoire naturelle générale et particulière, composée par Leclerc de Buffon, et rédigée par C.S. Sonnini, membre de plusieurs sociétés savantes. Familles naturelles des genres. Tome troisième. Paris : F. Dufart xii + 13–467 + [1] pp. [An "X" (title page = 1802)] [239].

  Type genus:

   Pselaphus Herbst, 1792.

  Secondary source:

   Jeannel, R. 1955. Les Psélaphides de l'Afrique australe. Mémoires du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris [1936-1950] ns, Série A: Zoologie 9: 1-196 [136]; Leleup, N. 1970. (1969). Contributions a l'etude des Coleopteres Pselaphides de l'Afrique. 7. Une nouvelle sous-tribu de Batrisini de l'Afrique intertropicale. Bulletin et Annales de la Société Royale Belgique d'Entomologie 105: 305-341 [Date published 1969] [307].

Introduction

The Pselaphitae and the Clavigeritae, considered sister groups by Newton & Thayer (1995), are most readily recognized by their relatively long mesotrochanters, with particularly the dorsal portion of the joint between the trochanters and femora being distant from the mesocoxae, and the third tarsomeres are usually as long or longer than the basal two tarsomeres combined. These groups are further united by the metacoxae being separated, and the abdominal margins have distinct paratergites. The Pselaphitae are separated from the Clavigeritae by the tarsi usually possessing two tarsal claws (the posterior claws are reduced in some genera, completely lost in members of Hybocephalini, Arhytodini, and Pselaphini, anterior claws reduced in Phalepsus Raffray), the second and third tarsomeres are much longer than the first tarsomeres, and the abdominal tergites are always free, never forming a fused tergal plate.

There are eleven tribes in the Pselaphitae, with three of these not found in Australia. Each of these contains only one or two genera: Attapseniini (Attapsenius Bruch, Neotropical), Pachygastrodini (Pachygastrodes Leleup and Pachygastrodirius Leleup, both African), and Phalepsini (Phalepsus Westwood, Neotropical). There are now 205 genera in this supertribe (Chandler 2001: 398).

Diagnosis

Head with maxillary palpi varying greatly in form between genera, often with at least fourth segments enlarged or modified; lacking ocular-mandibular carinae (present in Neotropical Caccoplectus, Arhytodini), gular-mandibular carinae present in some groups. Thorax with metacoxae at least narrowly separated by metasternal apex, often widely separated. Abdomen with paratergites associated with visible tergites 1-4 (IV-VII), variably reduced in members of Hybocephalini; mediobasal foveae of tergites and sternites moved to near lateral margins, basolateral foveae often reduced, frequently developed into cuticular pockets on sternites. Legs with first tarsomeres short, second and third tarsomeres elongate, third tarsomeres often longer than length of basal two tarsomeres combined; trochanters of second and third pairs of legs relatively long, the angle of the femoral joint with the trochanters relatively large. Aedeagus symmetric with elongate parameres, derived genera with apex of median lobe asymmetric and parameres reduced, lost, or with only one paramere present (as in Tasmanityrus); dorsal diaphragm present.

ID Keys

Key to Australian tribes (Chandler 2001: 399).

1. Tarsi with single claw … 2

Tarsi with two claws, may be unequal in size … 4

2. (1) First abdominal tergite (IV) much longer than second; maxillary palpi at least half as long as head, usually much longer (Figs. 182, 188) … Pselaphini

First abdominal tergite (IV) about as long as second (V); maxillary palpi very small … 3

3. (2) Each elytron with two basal foveae; pronotum lacking antebasal sulcus; with 11 antennomeres (Fig. 179) … Hybocephalini

Each elytron with four basal foveae; pronotum with antebasal sulcus; with 7-9 antennomeres (Fig. 180) … Arhytodini

4. (1) Head with distinct lateral lobes on clypeus (Fig. 175), or clypeus broadly arched and projecting laterally (Fig. 177); third segments of maxillary palpi with lateral or apical spines, tubercles, or with prominent lateral angulations; with bands of flattened (squamous) whitish setae between abdominal segments … Ctenistini

Head with clypeal apex evenly curved, lateral margins relatively straight to eyes; third segments of maxillary palpi with lateral spines only in Schistodactylini (Fig. 166) and Tmesiphorini (173); squamous setae only obvious on Warrumbungle (Odontalgini) (Fig. 167), though other groups may have thick cylindrical setae clumped on some areas on the body … 5

5. (4) Head with semicircular setose sulci partially enclosing insertions of antennal scapes (Fig. 25) (lacking in Jardine); pronotum often with blunt median point on disc near base; protibiae usually thickened and curved at middle (Fig. 173) … Tmesiphorini

Head with at most setose pit posterior to insertions of antennal scapes, or area covered with dense squamous setae (Odontalgini); pronotum convexly rounded near base; protibiae not thickened at middle, curved differently … 6

6. (5) Each elytron and first three abdominal tergites (IV-VI) with three longitudinal carinate ridges, carinae bearing squamous setae; second and fourth segments of maxillary palpi lengthily pedunculate (Fig. 167) … Odontalgini

Elytra and abdominal tergites lacking prominent carinate ridges; maxillary palpi different … 7

7. (6) Second segments of maxillary palpi with two spines, third and fourth segments each with a lateral spine (Figs. 165, 207); cardos of labium angularly protruding or spinose … Schistodactylini

Second segments of maxillary palpi lacking spines; cardos not protruding (Figs. 145, 159) … Tyrini

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] [398]

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. [306]

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]

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.

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