Philonthus quadraticeps Boheman

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 : 115-116

Philonthus quadraticeps Boheman

( Figs. 13 , 52, 57 )

Diagnosis (based on Chani-Posse 2010). Philonthus quadraticeps may be identified by the head and thorax castaneous to black, the elytra castaneous to testaceous and the abdominal segments castaneous to piceous with apical margins lighter, the eyes distinctly shorter than temples seen from above, the distance separating medial interocular punctures on frons about three times as large as distance separating medial punctures from lateral punctures, and the dorsal rows of punctures on pronotum each with four punctures. It differs from other southern South American species of Philonthus by the absence of a postmandibular ridge and the transverse distance between punctures on elytra distinctly larger than diameters of punctures. Length 6.0– 7.5 mm.

Distribution. Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia ( Chani-Posse 2010). Bionomics. Philonthus quadraticeps has been reported as a common species in manure ( Chani-Posse 2004, 2010). Larval stages were described by Chani-Posse (2006).

Figures

FIGURE 13 – 24. Habitus: 13, Philonthus quadraticeps Boheman; 14, P. discoideus (Gravenhorst); 15, P. bicoloristylus Chani- Posse; 16, P. bruchianus Chani-Posse; 17, P. flavolimbatus Erichson; 18, P. bonariensis Bernhauer; 19, P. longicornis Stephens; 20, P. argus Herman; 21, Styngetus viduus (Erichson); 22, Xenopygus analis (Erichson); 23, Nordus elytisi Chatzimanolis; 24, Oligotergus ogloblini Bernhauer.

FIGURE 52 – 59. Head: 52, Philonthus quadraticeps; 53, P. discoideus; 54, P. bicoloristylus. Pronotum: 55, P. bicoloristylus; 56, P. bonariensis; 57, Philonthus quadraticeps. 58, 59. Pronotal hypomeron: 58, Xenopygus analis; 59, Oligotergus ogloblini. Abbreviations: 1 – 5, punctures on dorsal rows of pronotum; Pcp, postcoxal process.