Pselaphinae

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Pselaphinae
Ctenisodes sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Staphyliniformia
Superfamily: Staphylinoidea
Family: Staphylinidae
Lameere, 1900
Subfamilies

Pselaphinae Latreille 1802 are a subfamily of Staphylinidae.[1] The group was originally regarded as a separate family, named Pselaphidae. Newton and Thayer (1995)[2] placed them in the Omaliine group of the family Staphylinidae, based on shared morphological characters.

Pselaphinae consists of six "Supertribes":[3]

  • Faronitae
  • Euplectitae
  • Goniaceritae
  • Pselaphitae
  • Clavigeritae
  • Batrisitae

Pselaphines are a very species-rich group (9,000–10,000 species have been described; Newton and Chandler, 1989[4]), and are especially diverse in the tropics. They are commonly found in decaying leaf litter on forest floors, in grass tussocks, flood refuse, moss, and other highly structured and particulate microhabitats. Little is known about their biology. They are believed to be predatory on small invertebrates, in particular springtails (order Collembola) and oribatid mites (family Oribatidae). Pselaphines have attracted the interest of entomologists due to their exquisite and massively variable morphology, which is rewarding to observe with a microscope. In addition, the myrmecophilous ("ant-loving") behavior of some pselaphine groups (notably certain batrisites, pselaphites and clavigerites) has inspired behavioral studies. Spectacular morphology and myrmecophilia are both taken to extremes by the Clavigeritae. These are obligate inquilines which have undergone radical changes in body form, including segmental fusions within the abdomen and antennae to form strong rigid plate- and club-like structures respectively. Clavigerites also possess trichomes, which secrete a solution that ant larvae feed on.

Anatomy

  • most with clubbed antennae.
  • small and compact.
  • head and pronotum narrow than elytra.
  • short elytra, not covering first abdominal segment.
  • most with 11 antennomeres, some with 10, 9, or 3.
  • tarsi 3-3-3, some apparently 2-2-2

  • Ctenisodes sp.

  • Trimioplectus obsoletus

Ecology

  • Habitat: forest leaf litter, tree holes, under bark, some inquilines of ants, some in caves.
  • Biology: all are predacious.

Systematics

One hundred genera and 710 species in North America.

References

  • Newton, A. F., Jr., M. K. Thayer, J. S. Ashe, and D. S. Chandler. 2001. 22. Staphylinidae Latreille, 1802. p. 272–418. In: R. H. Arnett, Jr., and M. C. Thomas (eds.). American beetles, Volume 1. CRC Press; Boca Raton, FL. ix + 443 p.

References

  1. ↑ Newton, A. F., Jr., M. K. Thayer, J. S. Ashe, and D. S. Chandler. 2001. 22. Staphylinidae Latreille, 1802. p. 272–418. In: R. H. Arnett, Jr., and M. C. Thomas (eds.). American beetles, Volume 1. CRC Press; Boca Raton, FL. ix + 443 p.
  2. ↑ A. F. Newton, Jr. & M. K. Thayer. 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: J. Pakaluk and S. A. Slipinski (editors). Biology, phylogeny and classification of Coleoptera: Papers celebrating the 80th birthday of Roy A. Crowson. Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warszawa.
  3. ↑ D.S. Chandler. 2001. Biology, morphology, and systematics of the ant-like litter beetle genera of Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae). Memoirs on Entomology International 15. x + 562 pp.
  4. ↑ A. F. Newton & D. S. Chandler. 1989. World catalog of the genera of Pselaphidae (Coleoptera). Fieldiana: Zoology (N.S.) 53: 1–93.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Pselaphinae
  • Pselaphinae at Bugguide.net.
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