Belongs within: Staphylinoidea.
Contains: Pseudopsinae, Scaphidiinae, Osoriini, Piestinae, Oxytelinae, Proteininae, Omaliinae, Paederinae, Staphylininae, Mycetoporini, Phloeocharinae, Silphidae, Tachyporinae, Scydmaeninae, Aleocharinae, Steninae, Euaesthetinae, Leptotyphlinae, Pselaphinae, Leptochirini, Thoracophorini.
The Staphylinidae is an extremely large family of usually small, gracile beetles with a flexible abdomen. Many staphylinids have reduced elytra that expose the greater part of a long, flexible abdomen, but there are notable exceptions. Most or all of the abdomen is covered by the elytra in subfamilies such as Scydmaeninae and many Omaliinae. Molecular phylogenetic analyses also indicate that some other groups with complete elytra classified to date in separate families, such as the Silphidae, may also be derived from within the Staphylinidae (Lü et al. 2020). Staphylinids with complete elytra can usually be distinguished from other beetles by the presence of six visible abdominal ventrites and the lack of lobes on the fourth tarsomeres (Newton et al. 2001). Ocelli are commonly absent but are present in some subfamilies such as Omaliinae.
The majority of staphylinids are predatory but a number of species feed on carrion, algae or fungi (Grimaldi & Engel 2005). Some, such as a number of members of the Aleocharinae and Pselaphinae, are specialised inquilines of social insects. Inquilines may have a flattened, limuloid body form that possibly provides physical protection from their hosts, or they may have a physogastric abdomen and/or exudatory trichomes that gives them a physical or chemical resemblance to the host insects (Seevers 1957). Some staphylinids are subsocial with adults caring for larvae in nests or burrows (Newton et al. 2001).
Subgroups of the Staphylinidae include the Apateticinae which have elytra covering most of the abdomen, lobed tarsomeres and gradually clavate antennae. The Habrocerinae have a very compact, shining body with few large setae and extremely slender, verticillate antennae. The genus Trichophya has similar antennae to the Habrocerinae but the body is more densely punctate and setose. The Trigonurinae are a Holarctic subfamily with a compact body form and relatively long elytra that extend past the thorax and leave only five tergites exposed. Micropeplinae have nine-segmented antennae with the last forming a large club (Newton et al. 2001). Olisthaerus is a Holarctic genus with a unique prosternal structure, with the postcoxal process separated from the rest of the prosternum by a suture and slightly movable (Newton et al. 2001). The Solieriinae are represented in the modern fauna by a single generalised species Solierius obscurus from southern South America but are also known from Burmese Cretaceous amber (Bouchard 2014). Megalopinus is a pantropical genus with large eyes, short antennae with a three-segmented club, and a pair of elongate processes on the labrum (Newton et al. 2001).
Megalopinus: slow stalkers amidst tropical decay
Published 16 December 2024
The Staphylinidae or rove beetles are an incredibly diverse assemblage of beetles; indeed, recent reclassifications have made them one of the contenders for the most speciose recognised family of all animals. Not surprisingly, such high diversity of species comes with a high diversity of morphotypes, some of which look very odd indeed. One such distinctive subgroup of staphylinids is the genus Megalopinus.
Over 150 species of Megalopinus have been described to date with the genus having a largely pantropical distribution. The appearance of this genus is distinct enough that it has been assigned to its own subfamilies, with questions still remaining about its broader relationships. Individuals have a relatively short habitus with a shiny, strongly sculpted cuticle. The eyes are large, occupying much of the side of the head and bulging prominently. The antennae are short and end in a two- or three-segmented club. The labrum is strongly bilobed, extending forwards as a pair of long processes with setae medially (Newton et al. 2001).
Despite their wide distribution, Megalopinus species are not commonly collected. They appear to have very specific habitat preferences, being typically found under fallen wood subject to fungal decay. Megalopinus has therefore been considered a possible fungivore but Leschen & Newton (2003) concluded that it was a predator (as is more typical for staphylinids), feeding on fungivorous fly larvae. These authors observed the hunting and feeding behaviour of a captive Megalopinus, finding that it moved slowly towards a fly larva before pinning it with its mandibles. Actual feeding was via preoral digestion, with a mass of prey tissue combined with digestive enzymes being rotated at the mouth opening between the forks of the labrum. Semi-digested fluids were progressively sucked off the bolus with the setae on the labrum acting as a sieve to keep out undigested particles. After the fluids had all been extracted, a wad of indigestible solids was discarded on the substrate, of no further interest to the hungry beetle.
Systematics of Staphylinidae
Staphylinidae [Osoriinae, Oxyporidae, Oxytelidae, Piestides, Staphilinii, Staphyliniae]
|--+--+--ApateticinaeLC20
| | | |--Apatetica princepsLC20
| | | `--Nodynus Waterhous 1876GN09
| | | `--N. leucofasciatus (Lewis 1879GN09
| | `--+--HabrocerinaeLC20
| | | |--Nomimocerus Coiffait & Sáiz 1965NT01
| | | `--Habrocerus Erichson 1839NT01
| | | |--H. capillaricornis (Gravenhorst 1806)NT01
| | | |--H. magnus LeConte 1878NT01
| | | `--H. schwarzi Horn 1877NT01
| | `--+--Trichophya Mannerheim 1830NT01 [incl. Eumitocerus Casey 1886NT01; TrichophyinaeLC20]
| | | |--T. pilicornis (Gyllenhal 1810)NT01
| | | `--T. tarsalisLC20
| | `--TrigonurinaeLC20
| | |--Trigonurus Mulsant 1847GN09
| | | |--T. caelatus LeConte 1874GN09
| | | `--T. crotchiiLC20
| | `--Abolescus glabratusLC20
| `--+--+--PseudopsinaeLC20
| | `--ScaphidiinaeLC20
| `--+--OsoriiniLC20
| `--+--PiestinaeLC20
| `--OxytelinaeLC20
`--+--+--Micropeplinae [Micropeplidae]LC20
| | |--Peplomicrus mexicanus Campbell 1978B14
| | |--Micropeplus Latreille 1809NT01
| | | |--M. dokuchaeviGE05
| | | |--M. fulvusLC20
| | | `--M. punctatusLC20
| | |--Kalissus LeConte 1874NT01
| | | `--K. nitidus LeConte 1874NT01
| | `--Protopeplus cretaceusLC20
| `--+--ProteininaeLC20
| `--OmaliinaeLC20
`--+--+--+--PaederinaeLC20
| | `--StaphylininaeLC20
| `--Olisthaerus Dejean 1833LC20, NT01 [Olisthaerinae]
| |--O. megacephalus (Zetterstedt 1828)LC20, NT01
| `--+--O. substriatus (Gyllenhal 1827)LC20, NT01
| `--MycetoporiniLC20
`--+--+--PhloeocharinaeLC20
| `--+--SilphidaeLC20
| `--TachyporinaeLC20
`--+--+--ScydmaeninaeLC20
| `--SolieriinaeLC20
| |--Solierius Bernhauer 1921GN09
| | `--S. obscurus (Solier 1849)GN09
| `--ProsolieriusB14
| |--P. crassicornisB14
| |--P. mixticornisB14
| `--P. tenuicornisB14
`--+--AleocharinaeLC20
`--+--+--+--SteninaeLC20
| | `--EuaesthetinaeLC20
| `--+--Megalopinus Eichelbaum 1915GN09 (see below for synonymy)
| | |--M. caelatus (Gravenhorst 1802)NT01
| | |--M. cruciger (Sharp 1886)B14
| | |--M. extinctus Yamamoto & Solodovnikov 2016YS16
| | |--M. rufipes (LeConte 1863)NT01
| | `--M. sanguinitriguttatus (Scheerpeltz 1972)GN09
| `--+--LeptotyphlinaeLC20
| `--Oxyporus Fabriciaus 1775GN09 [incl. Pseudoxyporus Nakane & Sawada 1956NT01; OxyporinaeLC20]
| |--O. femoralisBC16
| |--O. lateralis Gravenhorst 1802GN09
| |--O. mannerheimiC01
| |--O. maxillosusB14
| |--O. occipitalis Fauvel 1864GN09
| |--O. rufipennis LeConte 1963GN09
| |--O. rufus (Linnaeus 1758)B14 [=Staphylinus rufusG20]
| |--O. vittatusNT01
| `--O. yixianusLC20
`--+--+--Neophonus [Neophoninae]LC20
| | `--N. bruchi Fauvel 1905B14
| `--+--Dasycerinae [Dasyceridae]LC20
| | |--Dasycerus Brongniart 1800B00
| | | |--*D. sulcatus Brongniart 1800B00
| | | |--D. angulicollisLC20
| | | |--D. bicolorB14
| | | `--D. carolinensis Horn 1882B14
| | `--Protodasycerus aenigmaticusLC20
| `--PselaphinaeLC20
`--+--Charhyphus Sharp 1887LC20, NT01 (see below for synonymy)
| |--C. arizonensis Herman 1972NT01
| `--C. picipennis (LeConte 1863)NT01
`--+--LeptochiriniLC20
`--+--NeolispinusLC20
`--+--EleusininiNT01
| |--Renardia Motschulsky 1865 [incl. Eumalus Sharp 1887]NT01
| | |--R. canadensis (Horn 1871)NT01
| | `--R. nigrella (LeConte 1863) [incl. R. jubilaea Motschulsky 1865]NT01
| `--Eleusis Laporte 1835LC20, NT01 [incl. Isomalus Erichson 1839NT01]
| |--E. humilis (Erichson 1840) [incl. E. fasciata (LeConte 1863)]NT01
| |--E. muticaLC20
| |--E. pallida (LeConte 1863)NT01
| `--E. parva Blackb. 1892M96
`--ThoracophoriniLC20
Staphylinidae incertae sedis:
Paratorchus microphthalmus (Fauvel 1900)E02
StenomaliumE02
Anicula infernaP02
CariridermaS02
Brevicula gradus Whalley 1985Z02
AcheniumG89
|--A. cribriceps Fauv. 1886G89
|--A. distinctum Lucas 1846E12
`--A. haemorrhoidale Lucas 1846E12
HesperomimusDK08
Canariobolitobius Schülke 2004F05
`--*C. filicornis (Wollaston 1864) [=Bolitobius filicornis]F05
Paratyphlus maestratensis Hernando & Fancello 2004F05
‘Heterosoma’ Bernhauer 1903 non Schaum 1845LT61
Protopselaphus Newton & Thayer 1995 [Protopselaphinae]NG05
Ischnoglossa prolixaO86
CoptolimulusB74
CoptophilusB74
Eulissus chalcopterusB70
Myrmelibia kingiNT01
Pareiobledius pruinosusNT01
LamprinusRD77
BembicidiodesP92
PlaneustomusP92
Palaeopsenius Seevers 1971P92
`--P. mexicanus Seevers 1971P92
Paracyptus Seevers 1971P92
`--P. minutissima Seevers 1971P92
Paracraspedomerus Moore 1960 [=Xystridiogaster Scheerpeltz 1966]M72
`--*P. speculifrons [=Cafius speculifrons, *Xystridiogaster speculifrons]M72
OdontolinusMF15
Priochirus milesLB91
Cephennomicrus lawrencei Jaloszyńģski 2017JG19
Charhyphus Sharp 1887LC20, NT01 [incl. Pseudeleusis Bernhauer 1923NT01, Triga Fauvel 1878 non Gray 1867NT01, Trigites Handlirsch 1907NT01]
Megalopinus Eichelbaum 1915GN09 [incl. Megalops Erichson 1839 non Lacepède 1803NT01, Megalopsidia Leng 1918NT01; MegalopsidiinaeLC20]
*Type species of generic name indicated
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