Anotylus 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 : 110

Genus Anotylus Thomson

( Figs. 5 , 35 )

Diagnosis (based on Newton et al. 2000). The genus Anotylus can be characterized by its scutellum with a tripartite impression, usually of a fleur-de-lis shape and the abdomen having tergum 2 without a curved, basolateral ridge, and terga 3–7 each with curved basolateral ridge; pronotal hypomeron broad. Length 2–4.5 mm.

Distribution. Cosmopolitan ( Newton & Thayer 2005).

Bionomics. Species belonging to Anotylus has been found mainly on dung, carrion and other decaying organic material ( Newton et al. 2000). Prado e Castro et al. (2013) cites one Anotylus species in association with the fresh and bloated stages of carcasses in the descomposition process.

Remarks. Anotylus currently comprises more than 350 species worldwide ( Newton & Thayer 2005). However, 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).

FIGURE 33 – 41. Prosternum: 33, Eulissus chalybaeus; 34, Creophilus maxillosus; 35, Anotylus sp; 40, Platydracus chrysotrichopterus, 41, Creophilus maxillosus. Pronotal hypomeron: 36, Philonthus longicornis; 37, Oligotergus ogloblini. Ligula: 38, Creophilus maxillosus; 39, Xenopygus analis. Abbreviations: Lg, ligula; IL, inferior line; Pp, plate of pronotum; SL, superior line.