Tasgius Stephens, 1829

SMETANA, ALEŠ & DAVIES, ANTHONY, 2000, Reclassification of the North Temperate Taxa Associated with Staphylinus Sensu Lato, Including Comments on Relevant Subtribes of Staphylinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), American Museum Novitates 3287, pp. 1-1 : 1-

Tasgius Stephens, 1829 (stat. nov.)

TYPE SPECIES: Astrapaeus rufipes Latreille, 1806 (= Staphylinus pedator Gravenhorst, 1802 ).

COMMENTS: Members of this genus share the following character states: (1) mandibles without teeth, or each with only one poorly differentiated tooth ( figs. 4, 5 ); (2) apical segment of all palpi with many setae; (3) mesosternal intercoxal process highly acute apically, extended posteriad into very deeply depressed acetabulum as sharp, straight to highly convex, or even angulate carina ( fig. 154 ).

Further character states include: palpifer with one long lateral subapical seta and one shorter medioapical seta; base of infraorbital ridge distinctly recurved toward nuchal ridge dorsally; prothoracic epimeron ranging from absent to moderately developed, broadly rounded in all subgenera; prosternum long, at least half as long as maximum width ( fig. 155 ); series of long setae on mesosternum inserted along edge of a feeble, irregular, broadly U­shaped ridge, close to margins of projection; dorsal apicolateral lobe of hind coxa with two to three very short, relatively fine spines.

Subgenus Tasgius Stephens, 1829 .

Pseudotasgius Seidlitz, 1891 (syn. nov.) (type species: Staphylinus pedator Gravenhorst, 1802 ).

Paratasgius Jarrige, 1952 (syn. nov.) (type species: Staphylinus ater Gravenhorst, 1802 ).

COMMENTS: Members of this subgenus share the following character states: (1) mandibles each with only one poorly differentiated tooth, moderately narrow basally ( fig. 5 ); (2) prostheca long, lanceolate, with short ciliae along medial margin, becoming gradually longer to moderate at apex ( fig. 14 ); (3) maxillary palpus with apical segment vari­ able, from as broad at apex as at base to 1.5 times as broad; apical segment of labial palpus with apex broadened from about 1.5–2 times its width at base.

Further character states include: mandibular dorsolateral ridge rarely represented by more than a fine line, always very close to lateral margin; mentum frequently with more than two setae near anterolateral angles along anterior margin; submentum with anterior margin straight; postmandibular ridge absent, rarely weak but reaching almost halfway to infraorbital puncture; gula tumid to near base, with basal transverse impression very fine and along margin; postgenal ridge directed obliquely anteriad; inferior line of pronotal hypomeron runs close to superior line for some distance anteriad, never distinctly merging with it and becoming obsolete along prosternal margin ( T. pedator ), or merging just behind prosternal margin ( T. ater ) ( fig. 155 ); sternacostal ridge not distinctly arched posteriad, but straight and slightly oblique toward keel; anterior metasternal projection with margins converging highly obtusely.

Pseudotasgius is based on the same type species. Paratasgius was based on a single character: the presence of the prothoracic epimeron. Since the development of the prothoracic epimeron varies within Tasgius (see above), there is no justification for recognizing Paratasgius as a separate taxon, as was done, for example, by Coiffait (1974: 517).

Subgenus Rayacheila Motschulsky, 1845 (stat. nov.) (type species: Rayacheila inderiensis Motschulsky, 1845 ).

Anodus Nordmann, 1837 (nec Spix, 1829) (syn. nov.) (type species: Staphylinus morio Gravenhorst, 1802 ).

Alapsodus Tottenham, 1939 (syn. nov.) (type species: Staphylinus morio Gravenhorst, 1802 ).

Allocypus Coiffait, 1964 (syn. nov.) (type species: Staphylinus winkleri Bernhauer, 1906 ).

Metocypus Coiffait, 1964 (syn. nov.) (type species: Staphylinus globulifer Geoffroy, 1785 ).

Paralapsodus Coiffait, 1974 (syn. nov.) (type species: Staphylinus solskyi Fauvel, 1875 ).

COMMENTS: Members of this subgenus share the following character states: (1) mandibles each without teeth, falciform, flat, very narrow to near base ( fig. 4 ); and (2) mandibular prostheca elongate, narrow, par­ allel­sided, with ciliae only near apex ( fig. 16 ).

Further character states include: maxillary palpus with apical segment variable, from as broad at apex as at base to 1.5 times as broad; apical segment of labial palpus with apex broadened from about 1.5 to more than 4 times its width at base (variable within species, with base sometimes very narrow); mentum short, with an even, broadly rounded transverse discal swelling between basolateral angles so that basal portion depressed and anterior portion slightly deflected at an angle to submentum ( fig. 156 ); submentum with anterior margin broadly, arcuately rounded ( fig. 156 ); postmandibular ridge absent; postgenal ridge directed obliquely anteriad, broadly obsolete or confused near gula; lateral end of nuchal ridge directed toward, or anteriad of, transverse postgenal ridge; inferior line of pronotal hypomeron runs close to superior line for some distance anteriad, merging with it along prosternal margin; prosternum with long, broadly arcuate fine carina behind macrosetae medially ( fig. 157 ); sternacostal ridge distinctly arched posteriad, or distinctly oblique toward keel; anterior metasternal projection with margins converging highly obtusely, apex broadly rounded ( fig. 158 ).

Until recently, this subgenus was known under the name Alapsodus , a name provided by Tottenham (1939: 225) to replace the preoccupied Nordmann name Anodus . However, Boháč (1988: 553) revised the type specimen of the type species of Rayacheila ( R. inderiensis , incorrectly cited by Boháč [loc. cit.] as described in Ocypus ) and recognized it as a species of Metocypus . Since Metocypus , along with Allocypus and Paralapsodus , is a superfluous taxon based solely on aedoeagal characters, which was already placed in synonymy with Alapsodus by Dvořák (1984: 66), Rayacheila becomes the valid name of the taxon.

REMARKS ON SOME SPECIES OF TASGIUS

1. Tasgius amoenus (Reitter, 1909: 122) , described in Staphylinus , is preoccupied by Staphylinus amoenus Olivier, 1795 . The replacement name Tasgius amoenanus , nom. nov., is proposed for it.

2. Tasgius bicolor (Cameron, 1944: 11) . The collection at the Natural History Museum, London, England, contains one male specimen (holotype) under this name. It is labelled as follows: ‘‘Type [round label with red margin]/Govt. Entomologist, Punjab CI/ Under leaves in sweet potato field Ayallpur 23.6.1939 M. A. Ghani/Pres. by Imp. Inst. Ent. B.M. 1940/ S. (Ocypus) bicolor TYPE Cam.’’ The mouthparts (including both palpi) and mandibles confirm the assignment of this species to Tasgius (Tasgius) . A label ‘‘belongs to Tasgius (Tasgius) Det. A. Smetana 1999 ’’ was attached to the specimen.

3. Tasgius eppelsheimianus (Jakobson, 1909: 510) . This is a replacement name for Ocypus rufipes Eppelsheim, 1884: 15 (nec Astrapaeus rufipes Latreille, 1806: 285 ), commonly used for the species. At the time of the replacement, both names were listed in Staphylinus . Although both are now in different genera, a junior secondary homonym replaced before 1961 is permanently invalid (Art. 59[b] of the Code). Bernhauer (1900: 55) described Ocypus rufipes var. obscuripes , which predates Jakobson’s replacement name and may be in fact the valid name of this species. However, the status of this ‘‘variety’’ is not clear at present, and therefore we consider it as a doubtful name pending a revision of Bernhauer’s original material.

CHECKLIST OF NORTH TEMPERATE TAXA

This checklist cites, at the generic level, only valid taxa, new synonyms, and from previously recognized synonyms only those that are for some reason important; similarly, at the specific level, only currently recognized, valid specific and subspecific (or ranked as subspecific at least once in the past) names are given, with the exception of a few synonyms of importance, and the new synonyms. Valid names are in italics; synonyms in roman type. A complete listing of all names, at both generic and specific levels, including complete references, will be available in the upcoming world catalog of Staphylinidae by Herman.

As specified in the title of this paper, the species listed occur only in the northern temperate zone, that is in the Palearctic and Ne­ arctic Regions, with some overlap into the northern areas of the Oriental Region and into the Neotropical Region. The limits of the Palearctic Region are identical, mainly for practical reasons, with those specified for the contributors to the Catalogue of the Coleoptera of the Palearctic Region, which is in preparation. The southern limits of the Palearctic Region are, from west to east, as follows: Atlantic Islands (including Azores), Africa north of Sahara ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt), the entire Arabian Peninsula (including Socotra), all of Pakistan, areas along the base of the Himalayas (Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal, Sikkim and Darjeeling, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh), all of mainland China (including Hainan), Taiwan, Japan (including Ryukyus and Bonin Isles), and the Kuril Islands.

The taxa at the subspecific level are listed as they are recognized at present; however, many of them, in addition to those presented in this paper, will be placed in synonymy once the complexes are properly studied (see also the Introduction). This is particularly true for those erected for Ocypus (Ocypus) ophthalmicus , even quite recently (Drugmand, 1998), and, to a lesser extent, for Ocypus picipennis (see the new synonymies un­ der this species). The new synonymies at the subspecific level presented in the following checklist are those that were established based on the study of much material (not necessarily type material), including the variability of the apical portion of the median lobe and the paramere of the aedeagus. When additional details (e.g., data on the original material studied) were deemed necessary (this information is given for all new synonymies at specific level, but see Platydracus below), these were given in ‘‘Remarks on Some Species’’ under the proper genus/subgenus. The synonymies presented in the genus Platydracus are based on the results of the study of the original material by Newton (in litteris), and he should be credited with them. The species described by Li (1992) and by Li and Chen (1993) from China were left in the genera to which the authors assigned them; these assignments may not be correct.

The following abbreviations are used in the checklist: Pa (= Palearctic); Ne (= Nearctic); Nt (= Neotropical); Or (= Oriental).

Figures

Figs. 4–10. 4. Tasgius melanarius, left mandible, ventral view. 5. Tasgius ater, left mandible, ventral view. 6, 7. Platydracus stercorarius: left and right mandibles (both in ventral view). 8. Staphylinus erythropterus, both mandibles, ventral view. 9. Naddia sp., right mandible, dorsal view. 10. Ocypus ophthalmicus, both mandibles, ventral view.

Figs. 152–155. 152. Agelosus carinatus, underside of head, showing abbreviated infraorbital ridge (arrow). 153. Agelosus carinatus, last segment of labial palpus. 154. Tasgius melanarius, mesosternal intercoxal process. 155. Tasgius ater, pronotal hypomeron and prosternum.

Figs. 11–16. 11. Platydracus stercorarius, right mandibular prostheca, ventral view. 12. Abemus chloropterus, left mandibular prostheca, ventral view. 13. Ocypus picipennis, left mandibular prostheca, ventral view. 14. Tasgius ater, left mandibular prostheca, ventral view. 15. Staphylinus dimidiaticornis, left mandibular prostheca, ventral view. 16. Tasgius melanarius, left mandibular prostheca, ventral view.

Figs. 156–159. 156. Tasgius melanarius, mentum and submentum. 157. Tasgius melanarius, prosternum. 158. Tasgius melanarius, metasternum, showing anterior metasternal projection. 159. Platydracus stercorarius, pronotum.