Staphylinidae
Creators: name: Aballay, Fernando H.
name: Chani-Posse, Mariana R.
name: Ayón, María Rosana
name: Maldonado, María Belén
name: Centeno, Néstor D.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae

description: Key to species of Staphylinidae associated with carcasses in Argentina
1 Antennae inserted posterior to a line drawn between anterior margin of eyes (Fig. 25)................... 2. Aleocharinae
- Antennae inserted anterior to a line drawn between anterior margin of eyes (Fig. 26)................................ 5
2 Maxillary and labial palpi with apical pseudosegment, 5-articled and 4-articled respectively (Fig. 27); tarsal formula 5-5-5.. 3 Aleochara Gravenhorst
- Maxillary and labial palpi without apical pseudosegment, 4-articled and 3-articled respectively; tarsal formula 4-5-5... Atheta Thomson
3 Pronotum with two longitudinal, subparallel rows of setiferous punctures, arranged in more or less defined lines (Fig. 30)......................................................................... subgenus Coprochara Mulsant and Rey Head and pronotum scarcely pubescent, elytra with two small apico-medial spots not well defined and blurred (Figs. 4, 30)…........................................................ Aleochara signaticollis Fairmaire & Germain
- Pronotum evenly pubescent (Figs. 28, 29).................................................................. 4
4 Mesosternum completely carinate along midline (Fig. 31)....................... subgenus Xenochara Mulsant and Rey Antennal segments 4–6 slightly elongate to quadrate, 5–10 slightly transverse; pronotum and elytra densely pubescent; elytral pubescence directed posterad (Figs. 3, 29)........................................ Aleochara puberula Klug
- Mesosternum not carinate along midline (Fig. 32); body robust and compact......... subgenus Aleochara Mulsant and Rey Antennal segments 4–6 distinctly transverse; head and pronotum sparsely pubescent; elytra with two latero-medial brown spots (Figs. 2, 28)........................................................... Aleochara bonariensis Lynch
5 Abdomen with complete sternum 2 (seven sterna can be counted) (Fig. 43)................................ Oxytelinae Pronotum transverse, with longitudinal impressions (Fig. 35); scutellum with tripartite impression, of a fleur-de-lis shape.................................................................................. Anotylus Thomson
- Abdomen with sternum 2 absent or rudimentary, only six complete sterna are visible (Fig. 42);............ 6 Staphylininae
6 With sclerotized plate (solid or divided into two sclerites) in front of prosternum (Fig. 33)................... Xantholinini 6.1 Pronotal disc impunctate except near margins; head, pronotum and abdomen of metallic color; length> 20 mm (Fig. 6)....................................................................... Eulissus chalybaeus Mannerheim 6.2 Pronotal disc with distinct dorsal and lateral rows of punctures; head, pronotum and abdomen brownish, glossy but never of metallic color; length distinctly <20 mm (Fig. 7)............................ Neohypnus Coiffait and Sáiz
- Without distinct sclerotized plate in front of prosternum (Fig. 34)........................ 7. Staphylinini (Staphylininae)
7 Superior line of pronotal hypomeron deflexed ventrad to join inferior line before reaching anterior angle of pronotum (Fig. 36)................................................................................................... 8.
- Superior line of pronotal hypomeron not deflexed ventrad, reaching anterior angle of pronotum without joining inferior line (Fig. 37)................................................................................20. Xanthopygina
8 Ligula distinctly emarginated or bilobed apically (Fig. 38); always large, length 12–30 mm ................ 9. Staphylinina
- Ligula distinctly entire, rounded or slightly sinuate apically (Fig. 39); usually smaller, length 4–15 mm ......12. Philonthina
9 Central part of pronotal disc densely punctate (Figs. 8, 9, 40)............................... 10. Platydracus Thomson
- Central part of pronotal disc glossy and impunctate (Figs. 10, 11, 41)............................11. Creophilus Leach
10 Head, pronotum and elytra of metallic color, abdomen entirely black with distinct white pubescence (usually head and pronotum metallic green to blue and elytra metallic red) (Fig. 8)................... Platydracus chrysotrichopterus Scheerpeltz
- Head, pronotum and elytra dull black to piceous black, abdomen black with last visible segment brown to reddish brown (Fig. 9).......................................................................... Platydracus scabrosus (Curtis)
11 With distinctive white pubescence especially on anterior angles of pronotum, across middle of elytra and on abdominal terga 4 and 5 (Fig. 10).............................................................. Creophilus maxillosus (Linnaeus)
- With extensive pattern of white and golden brown vestiture on anterior angles of pronotum, elytra, and abdomen (Fig. 11)........................................................................... Creophilus variegatus Mannerheim
12 Front tarsi with first four segments more or less cylindrical with only regular, unmodified marginal setae on ventral surface (Fig. 44): lateral puncture of pronotum bearing long seta situated away from superior line at a distance at least three times as large as diameter of puncture (Fig. 50)................................................... Belonuchus Nordmann Head, pronotum and two last abdominal segments black, elytra and first four abdominal segments reddish-yellow to rufous (Fig.12)................................................................... Belonuchus rufipennis (Fabricius)
- Front tarsi with first four segments more or less flattened dorsoventrally and widened distally, with modified pale (adhesive) setae on ventral surface (Figs. 45); lateral puncture of pronotum bearing long seta situated close to superior line or at a distance no more than three times the diameter of puncture (Fig. 51)................................. 13. Philonthus Stephens
13 Pronotum moderately to distinctly narrowed anteriad (Figs. 55, 56)............................................. 15
- Pronotum parallel-sided (Fig. 57)........................................................................ 14
14 Eyes distinctly shorter than temples seen from above (Fig. 52); transverse distance between punctures on elytra distinctly larger than diameters of punctures............................................. Philonthus quadraticeps Boheman
- Eyes distinctly longer than temples seen from above (Figs. 53); transverse distance between punctures on elytra about as large as to distinctly smaller than diameters of punctures............................... Philonthus discoideus (Gravenhorst)
15 Eyes about as long as or shorter than temples seen from above................................................. 16
- Eyes distinctly longer than temples seen from above (Fig. 15, 54)................. Philonthus bicoloristylus Chani-Posse
16 Head about as wide as long............................................................................. 17
- Head moderately to distinctly wider than long (Fig. 16)........................... Philonthus bruchianus Chani-Posse
17 Antennal segments 8–10 distinctly elongate................................................................ 19
- Antennal segments 8–10 not elongate..................................................................... 18
18 Pronotum with dorsal rows of punctures each with five punctures, rarely with four (if so, only at one row); first segment of hind tarsus distinctly longer than last segment (Fig. 17)............................. Philonthus flavolimbatus Erichson
- Pronotum with dorsal rows of punctures each with four punctures; first segment of hind tarsus as long as or shorter than last segment (Fig. 18)............................................................ Philonthus bonariensis Bernhauer
19 Pronotum with dorsal rows of punctures each with five punctures; apex of male tergum 10 not emarginate medioapically (Fig. 19)........................................................................ Philonthus longicornis Stephens
- Pronotum with dorsal rows of punctures each with four punctures; apex of male tergum 10 emarginate medio-apically (Fig. 20)................................................................................ Philonthus argus Herman
20 First four segments of front tarsus slightly dilated, much narrower than apex of protibia and with few translucent tenent setae on either side of ventral apex (Fig. 47); hind femur of male with posterior margin crenulate (Fig. 49)....... Styngetus Sharp Head and pronotum glossy black and densely punctate; elytra metallic blue, abdomen black with last visible segment brown to reddish brown (Fig. 21)................................................. Styngetus viduus (Erichson)
- First four segments of front tarsus distinctly dilated, about as wide as or wider than apex of protibia and with dense pad of translucent tenent setae below (Fig.46); hind femur of male not crenulate (Fig. 48)............................. 21
21 Eyes about as long as or shorter than temples seen from above; pronotal hypomeron with a small translucent postcoxal process very close behind coxal articulation (Fig. 58)................................................ Xenopygus Bernhuer Head, pronotum and elytra of metallic color (Fig. 22)................................... Xenopygus analis (Erichson)
- Eyes distinctly longer than temples seen from above; pronotal hypomeron without postcoxal process (Fig. 59)........... 22
22 Antenna with segments 7–10 transverse; head, especially the frons and vertex, with dense contiguous punctures............................................................................................... Nordus Blackwelder Head, pronotum, elytra and scutellum golden orange, antennal segments yellow, abdomen black except apical margin of segment 7 and entire segment 8 golden orange (Fig. 23).................................... Nordus elytisi Chatzimanolis
- Antenna with segments 7–10 elongate or conical; head with frons and vertex only sparsely punctate, but often with dense microsculpture.......................................................................... Oligotergus Bierig Head, pronotum and elytra black to piceous black, abdominal segments black to piceous black with apical margins of segments 3–6 and entire segments 7 and 8 brown to reddish brown (Fig. 24)............. Oligotergus ogloblini Bernhauer
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 101-124 in Zootaxa 3860 (2) on pages 103-104, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3860.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/229557