Atheta Thomson

Aballay, Fernando H., Chani-Posse, Mariana R., Ayón, María Rosana, Maldonado, María Belén & Centeno, Néstor D., 2014, An illustrated key to and diagnoses of the species of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina, Zootaxa 3860 (2), pp. 101-124 : 107

Genus Atheta Thomson ( Fig. 1 )

Diagnosis (based on Newton et al. 2000). The genus Atheta can be characterized by the combination of the following characters: head and pronotum with weak microsculpture and shiny surface, elytra with granulose sculpture, antennal segments 4 to 9 distinctly elongate, eyes as long as or distinctly longer than temples seen from above, pubescence in midline of pronotum directed anteriorly and pubescence on sides of pronotum directed laterally, metasternal process not longer than mesosternal process, front and mid tibiae without spines and tarsi 4-5- 5. Length 3.5–4.5 mm.

Distribution. Cosmopolitan ( Newton & Thayer 2005).

Bionomics. Species belonging to the tribe Athetini have been reported as micropredators in many habitats such as carcasses, dung, decaying fruits, rotting vegetation, bird and mammal nests, riparian areas of lakes and streams, ant nests and occasionally on flowers ( Newton et al. 2000). Prado e Castro et al. (2013) cite one species of Atheta in association with the fresh and bloated stages of carcasses in the descomposition process. Mariani et al. (2014) recorded specimens of this genus in exhumation of a human cadaver.

Remarks. Atheta belongs to the Athetini , the largest tribe in the subfamily Aleocharinae , comprising more than 170 genera ( Newton et al. 2000). In most classifications, Atheta is by far the largest genus in Athetini , (≈ 1591 species) ( Newton & Thayer 2005). Still, the delimitation of Atheta varies substantially between authors and it appears to be defined by a combination of plesiomorphic character states only ( Elven et al. 2010). There is no tool that allows the identification of the South American species belonging to this genus at present. Herein we follow the generic definition by Newton et al. (2000) which is based on the North American representatives of the genus.

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 12. Habitus: 1, Atheta sp.; 2, Aleochara bonariensis Lynch; 3, A. puberula Klug; 4, A. signaticollis Fairmaire; 5, Anotylus Thomson; 6, Eulissus chalybaeus Mannerheim; 7, Neohypnus sp.; 8, Platydracus chrysotrichopterus Scheerpeltz; 9, Platydracus scabrosus (Curtis); 10; Creophilus maxillosus (Linnaeus); 11. Creophilus variegatus Mannerheim; 12, Belonuchus rufipennis (Fabricius).