Saprininae Blanchard 1845
Creators: name: Lackner, Tomáš
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Histeridae

description: Key to the genera of the Palaearctic Saprininae
Although this work omits several taxa that are either not considered as a part of the Palaearctic fauna or their taxonomic placement is questionable (see Material and methods for details), the key presented here contains most of them. It is hoped that this will add more value to the work presented and permit the reader to identify every taxon that is presently thought to occur in the Palaearctic Region. The subgenera are, with a few exceptions, excluded from this key; keys to the subgenera are given with the corresponding genus.
1 (10) Frontal and supraorbital striae completely absent (Fig. 363).
2 (9) Prosternum without pre-apical foveae (Fig. 305).
3 (8) Elytral epipleuron asetose (Fig. 368).
4 (7) Lateral prosternal striae usually strongly reduced, but present; carinal prosternal striae usually sharply convergent on anterior half (Fig. 366).
5 (6) Elytra with prominent punctation; outer margin of protibia with teeth topped with denticles; protibial groove present; each elytron between fourth dorsal elytral stria and sutural stria with a characteristic, short and hooked appendix, sutural stria often significantly shortened apically but always present. .................................................. .......................................................................... Gnathoncus Jacquelin-Duval, 1858
6 (5) Elytra without prominent punctation, mat; outer margin of protibia without teeth, topped only with short denticles; protarsal groove absent; sutural elytral stria absent, each elytron between fourth dorsal elytral stria and sutural stria without short and hooked appendix. ............................................................. Myrmetes Marseul, 1862
7 (4) Lateral prosternal striae absent; carinal prosternal striae ‘open’ anteriorly (Fig. 305); meso- and metatarsi long, together with tarsal claws as long as meso- and metatibiae, respectively; outer margin of protibia explanate, concealing about 15 short denticles. ................................................................................. Eremosaprinus Ross, 1939
8 (3) Elytral epipleuron setose (Fig. 700); carinal prosternal striae slightly divergent, vaguely united anteriorly; protibia widened, outer margin explanate, completely concealing numerous denticles; metatibia flattened, outer margin explanate, denticles almost entirely concealed. .............................................. Turanostyphrus Tishechkin, 2005
9 (2) Pre-apical foveae of prosternum present, vague, anteriorly connected by groove; prosternal process between carinal prosternal striae distinctly convex (Fig. 323); carinal prosternal striae widely divergent anteriorly; pygidium of female with sulci. .......... ................................................. Euspilotus, subgenus Neosaprinus Bickhardt, 1909
10 (1) At least supraorbital stria always present, usually frontal stria also present, often well developed or carinate, sometimes widely interrupted medially and in some cases prolonged onto clypeus.
11 (12) Labrum conspicuously large, larger than clypeus, flattened and expanded anteriorly (Fig. 733); mentum also distinctly broadening anteriorly (Fig. 732); anterior margin of mentum with long dense lamelliform setae; protibia with four teeth topped with short denticle; 1 st and 3 rd teeth about the same size, 2 nd tooth conspicuously larger. .......................................................................... Xenophilothis Kryzhanovskij, 1987
12 (11) Labrum not larger than clypeus; often semicircular or elongate oval, dorsally usually convex, sometimes depressed medially; mentum sub-trapezoid, trapezoid or squareshaped (Fig. 683), never distinctly broadening anteriorly; protibial teeth or denticles usually diminishing in size in proximal direction.
13 (60) Labrum with punctures or coarse structures, convex or medially depressed, in most cases with labral pits fringed with one or, more often, two setae; protarsi well developed; underside of body moderately convex.
14 (29) Pre-apical foveae absent (Fig. 203).
15 (16) Lateral pronotal stria present (Fig. 198); protibia with two large triangular teeth topped with large triangular denticle, followed by one short and one almost invisible denticle; carinal prosternal striae absent; prosternal process setose (Fig. 203); underside of body with short setae. ........................................... Ammostyphrus Reichardt, 1924
16 (15) Lateral pronotal stria absent (Fig. 282).
17 (18) Pronotum except for a row of punctures along hind margin and elytra almost impunctate; cuticle never metallic; elytra often with red macula; prosternal process compressed, knife-like (Fig. 287); carinal prosternal striae present only on prosternal apophysis; ventral surface of protibia with numerous denticles (Fig. 290); outer margin of metatibia with at least four rows of denticles. .... Eopachylopus Reichardt, 1926
18 (17) Pronotum almost always punctate, at least laterally or in antero-lateral angles; hind tibia on outer margin with no more than two rows of denticles; elytra punctate at least on its apical third; prosternal process never knife-like, surface between carinal prosternal striae usually flat or slightly convex, only rarely somewhat concave.
19 (28) Anterior margin of clypeus not elevated; frontal stria usually interrupted, rarely complete; eyes in most species convex, well visible from above.
20 (21) Body very small for the subfamily (1.40–1.95 mm long), not metallic; protibia without teeth, outer margin with short denticles; 8 th sternite of males sickle-shaped (Fig. 482). ....................................................... Microsaprinus Kryzhanovskij, 1976
21 (20) Body usually larger than 2.00 mm, often metallic; outer margin of protibia usually with teeth topped with denticles; 8 th sternite of males never sickle-shaped.
22 (27) Prosternal process setose (Fig. 685); underside of body setose.
23 (24) Both sets of prosternal striae rudimentary, carinal prosternal striae present only on prosternal apophysis, frontal stria complete. ............................................................. ............................................................. Neopachylopus pakistanicus Lackner, 2001
24 (23) Prosternal striae not rudimentary, both sets well developed, frontal stria often interrupted medially.
25 (26) Prosternal process somewhat concave, lateral prosternal striae widely ‘open’ anteriorly (Fig. 685); frontal disc smooth; tarsal claws long, slightly bent; underside of body with setae. .................................................................. Styphrus Motschulsky, 1845
26 (25) Prosternal process flattened; lateral prosternal striae strongly convergent anteriorly, merging in front of merged carinal prosternal striae; frontal disc densely punctate; tarsal claws shortened, bent. .......................... Paravolvulus syphax (Reitter, 1904)
27 (22) Prosternal process in most cases asetose; underside of body normally without setae 1). ............................................................................... Saprinus Erichson, 1834
28 (19) Anterior margin of clypeus elevated (Fig. 750); frontal stria complete, slightly carinate anteriorly; eyes flattened, but visible from above. .............. Zorius Reichardt, 1932
29 (14) Pre-apical foveae present (Fig. 719) 2).
30 (33) Prosternal process compressed, knife-like (Fig. 253).
31 (32) Carinal prosternal striae absent (Fig. 253); cuticle entirely castaneous brown. ........ ............................................................................................. Chivaenius Olexa, 1980
32 (31) Carinal prosternal striae present, approximate; pronotum black, elytra rufous. ........ ........................................................................... Neopachylopus secqi Kanaar, 1998
33 (30) Prosternal process differently shaped, not knife-like.
34 (35) Frontal disc smooth; elytral epipleuron setose; dorsal elytral striae almost reaching elytral apex; outer margin of protibia with three large teeth, topped with short denticle, followed by five short denticles (Fig. 720). .............. Xenonychus Wollaston, 1864
35 (34) Frontal disc never completely smooth; elytral epipleuron almost always glabrous (setose only in Alienocacculus Kanaar, 2008); dorsal elytral striae usually terminating before apical fifth, often shorter.
1) Some desert or semi-desert species of Saprinus may possess setae on underside of their bodies.
2) Several species of the genus Pholioxenus, or even some specimens of the species Chivaenius kryzhanovskii may have minuscule, or even absent pre-apical foveae, but in those cases the frontal stria is always well impressed and complete. Species Hypocacculus (Colpellus) solieri (Marseul, 1862) does not posses pre-apical foveae, but likewise the frontal stria of this species is complete.
36 (41) Frontal disc with several, usually one or two, deep or carinate rugae (Fig. 342), sometimes with numerous deep rugae, but in that case elytra usually with very coarse and dense punctures; frontal stria always strongly carinate (Fig. 342), usually straight.
37 (38) Underside of body with short setae; protibia usually with two to four teeth, topped with short denticle (Fig. 348); rugae on frontal disc prominent (Fig. 342). .............. ...................................................................................... Exaesiopus Reichardt, 1932
38 (37) Underside of body without setae, at most with extremely short setae on lateral disc of metaventrite or metepisternum.
39 (40) Pronotum almost smooth, at most with fine punctation in antero-lateral corners. .... ........................................ Hypocaccus, subgenus Baeckmanniolus Reichardt, 1932
40 (39) Pronotum always with punctation, at least laterally. ................................................. ........................................... Hypocaccus, subgenus Hypocaccus C. Thomson, 1867
41 (36) Frontal disc with variously coarse or dense punctation, but never smooth and never with several deep rugae.
42 (43) Protibia without typical articulated teeth, outer margin (Fig. 618) with numerous (10–12) short denticles; clypeus rugulose-lacunose (Fig. 615); major part of frontal disc densely punctate but not rugulose-lacunose; body cylindrical or sub-cylindrical, small (PEL = 1.50–1.85 mm); metatibia very slender. .............................................. ............................................................................... Saprinillus Kryzhanovskij, 1974
43 (42) Protibia with typical articulated teeth topped with denticle; body oval or roundly oval, never cylindrical, usually larger (PEL usually larger than 1.70 mm).
44 (47) Antennal scape strongly thickened (Fig. 184).
45 (46) Antennal scape resembling a trapezoid, furnished with long strongly sclerotized setae; elytral epipleuron setose (Fig. 185). ......................... Alienocacculus Kanaar, 2008
46 (45) Antennal scape strongly thickened, resembling a triangle with broadly rounded apex, with variously long setae; elytral epipleuron asetose. ............................................... ......................................................................... Dahlgrenius Penati & Vienna, 1996
47 (44) Antennal scape not particularly thickened.
48 (51) Frontal disc rugulose-lacunose and densely punctate; frontal stria usually interrupted, rarely complete.
49 (50) Frontal stria shortly interrupted (Fig. 596); metatibia thickened and dilated; protibia with two large teeth, topped with triangular denticle, followed by single low tooth topped with short denticle (Fig. 603). ............ Reichardtiolus Kryzhanovskij, 1959
50 (49) Frontal stria widely interrupted medially; metatibia not particularly thickened or dilated; protibia with three large teeth topped with short denticle, followed by two very low teeth topped with minuscule denticle (Fig. 217). ........................................ ................................................................................... Axelinus Kryzhanovskij, 1976
51 (48) Frontal disc with variously coarse or dense punctation but never rugulose-lacunose; frontal stria usually complete.
52 (53) Frontal stria largely interrupted and prolonged onto clypeus; carinal prosternal striae divergent anteriorly, open; lateral prosternal striae straight, terminating in deep preapical foveae (Fig. 648). ............................................................................................ .......................................... Saprinus, subgenus Hemisaprinus Kryzhanovskij, 1976
53 (52) Frontal stria in most cases complete, only occasionally interrupted, at times prolonged onto clypeus; clypeus sometimes depressed; carinal prosternal striae almost always convergent apically, often united in front.
54 (55) Pronotum often with pronotal foveae, if devoid of them then frontal stria prolonged onto clypeus and body metallic; clypeus and anterior part of frontal disc sometimes depressed. ................................................................ Chalcionellus Reichardt, 1932
55 (54) Pronotum without pronotal foveae, frontal stria usually complete.
56 (57) Pronotum only slightly convex, with both lateral margins visible along their entire length in dorsal view; pre-apical foveae usually very small, sometimes absent; protibia dilated, outer margin with 4–6 short broad teeth, topped with slender short denticle (Fig. 585); metatarsus rather long; cuticle often imbricate; eyes markedly convex. ..................................................................................... Pholioxenus Reichardt, 1932
57 (56) Pronotum rather convex, with lateral margins not simultaneously visible along their entire length in dorsal view; pre-apical foveae usually larger and well developed; metatarsi moderately long; cuticle usually not imbricate, eyes usually flattened, as a rule not very convex.
58 (59) Frontal stria usually complete, medially uninterrupted; pronotum never with lateral pronotal stria; cuticle often metallic; elytra never with red maculae; protibia moderately dilated, outer margin with 6–15 low teeth, topped with short denticle getting progressively smaller in proximal direction. .......... Hypocacculus Bickhardt, 1914
59 (58) Frontal stria usually interrupted medially; pronotum often with lateral pronotal stria; cuticle usually not metallic; elytra often reddish or with red macula; frontal disc often with rather coarse and dense punctation. ................. Paravolvulus Reichardt, 1932
60 (13) Labrum always smooth, substantially flattened with shallow median depression, labral pits absent; underside of body strongly convex, with long setae; eyes flattened, invisible from above (Fig. 269); protarsi either rudimentary, reduced or absent (Fig. 551).
61 (62) Outer margin of protibia with numerous long movable denticles (Fig. 274); metatibia dilated as a whole; elytral epipleuron setose. ............................................................. ......................................................................... Ctenophilothis Kryzhanovskij, 1987
62 (61) Outer margin of protibia with two large distal teeth, topped with minuscule denticle (Fig. 551); elytral epipleuron glabrous; outer margin of metatibia with two strongly divergent rows of denticles, one of the rows markedly shifted away from outer margin and observable only from ventral view. .......................... Philothis Reichardt, 1930
description: Published as part of Lackner, Tomáš, 2010, Review of the Palaearctic genera of Saprininae (Coleoptera: Histeridae), pp. 1-254 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) (suppl.) 50 on pages 60-64, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4272127