Philonthus antipodum Fauvel, 1877

Shaw, Josh Jenkins & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2016, Systematic and biogeographic review of the Staphylinini rove beetles of Lord Howe Island with description of new species and taxonomic changes (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 638, pp. 1-25 : 17

Philonthus antipodum Fauvel, 1877

Taxon discussion.

Philonthus antipodum was originally described from Victoria and Queensland in Australia. Subsequently, Lea (1925) reported the species from New South Wales, South Australia, West Australia and Lord Howe Island. Without a comprehensive global phylogenetic study of the genus Philonthus , which according to Chani-Posse (2013) and Chani-Posse et al. (in press) is not monophyletic, currently it is impossible to assess sister-group relationships of this species. Preliminary study of the photos of a syntype in the BMNH suggests Philonthus antipodum may be closely related to or most likely a synonym of Philonthus umbratilis (Gravenhorst, 1802), a European species which is already known as adventive in New Zealand ( Solodovnikov and Brunke 2016). Without examination of the rest of the type material of Philonthus antipodum at Fauvel’s collection in Brussels here we refrain from implementing a new synonymy. Also, material of that species from mainland Australia and Lord Howe Island, even though it superficially looks conspecific, remains to be carefully compared including genitalia dissections.