Staphylininae
Emus hirtus at Elmley © John Walters
These staphs should be a great deal easier to identify now that the latest RES Handbook by Derek Lott and Roy Anderson is published (June 2011: £49 + £5 p&p from here). Now that the Handbook is published, the test keys which have been available here throughout the preparation of the Handbook, have been taken down. So this webpage should hopefully be redundant but if anyone finds any errors in the Handbook or has any tips to pass on to other coleopterists, please let me know.
I was pleased that Derek managed to include Quedius lucidulus (my recent first for Britain) in the Handbook at the last minute.
Derek passed away on the weekend of 18/19 June 2011 having just seen his second RES Handbook published. I am immensely grateful that he worked so hard in his final years to pass on his knowledge to other coleopterists, all the while suffering from cancer. A truly admirable achievement. He will be greatly missed but his legacy will be appreciated by generations of coleopterists.
18 Responses “Staphylininae”
Leptacinus key:
Leptacinus formicetorum species description:
The length is given as 3-5.4 should this be 3-4.5?
Yes, it should. Thanks for the feedback.
Test key to genera of Staphylininae v2
Couplet 30, first option directs to couplet 30 – should this be 32?
Mike, The first part of couplet 30 in version 2 (which leads to 30) should lead to 31. The second part (which leads to 31 in version 2) should lead to 32. I have uploaded a corrected version 3 of the key to genera of Staphylininae.
Cafius cicatricosus specimens in RMS are distinctly reddish overall when compared with other species of Cafius. I was under the impression that this species had been recorded recently?
Ocypus/Tasgius version 3 – the numbering of the figures has got out of sync with the text in the key:
Couplet 11b: fig. for pronotum/head should be Fig. 12; fig. for mandible (currently given as Fig. 11) is missing from this key, although an equivalent illustration is in Fig. 32 of the Staphylininae genera key; figs. of female abdominal tergite X should be Figs. 11 & 13.
Couplet 12a: female abdominal tergite X should be Fig. 11.
Staphylininae genera version 3, couplet 11: my specimens of what I think are Megalinus seem to have four longitudinal furrows on the frons, with the outer ones very nearly as strong as the inner ones.
(However, being a novice at staphs this may mean my specimens are not actually Megalinus!)
Martin,
My specimens of Megalinus are the same. The inner and outer furrows are about equally deep. However, the inner ones are stronger by virtue of a distinct stria running along the deepest part of the furrow. I think the couplet should make more explicit use of body length (10-13 mm in Megalinus, 3-6 mm in Leptacinus/ Phacophallus).
Martin,
The number of frontal character is one used in all the old keys. I have tried not to slavishly follow these old keys because it is surprising how often these characters do not work universally. I think I may have been caught out here though. Thanks for the feedback. Just the kind I need. I have amended the key accordingly.
The test key to Philonthus is now ready for posting as soon as Mark recovers from his new year’s celebrations. The new Quedius will be published in the next edition of the Coleopterist. So the handbook manuscript is making good progress toward publication. I hesitate to set any new deadlines for feedback, having missed so many myself due to illness, but I would ask for feedback fairly swiftly now as we near completion.
Philonthus key couplet 9 directs to 14 and 15. I presume it should direct to couplets 10 and 11.
Thanks Andrew. You are right.
Distributional notes:
Tasgius morsitans (Rossi, 1790)has been recorded at several sites in southern Scotland, most recently Arran in 1996.
Quedius auricomus is also present in southern Scotland.
Staphylininae Key to genera (v3) – couplet 6 (part 2) says “body length <12mm", however the length given for several Quedius spp. is up to 13mm. Also, Joy has Q. lateralis as up to 14mm (although this may have been revised for the new work).
Heterothops minutus: species notes say “Male abdominal sternite VIII with small “v”-shaped excision on apical margin.” Should this be sternite VII?
Probably too late to get into print now – but there seems to be an error in the Philonthus sanguinolentus description, in which it is stated to have a series of four punctures on the pronotum. Actually it has five – the key is correct so it is identified correctly, it’s just the description that is in eror.
Hi Mark. Is that the actual Emus hirtus that I saw with you back in August 2003?
Graeme
Hi Graeme, It is the very same, photographed by John Walters at home in Devon before being released back at Elmley Marshes after its postal journey!