Necrophila (Calosilpha) brunnicollis Kraatz 1877
Creators: name: Růžička, Jan
name: Qubaiová, Jarin
name: Nishikawa, Masaaki
name: Schneider, Jan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Silphidae
Necrophila
Necrophila brunnicollis

description: Necrophila (Calosilpha) brunnicollis (Kraatz, 1877)
(Figs. 1–4, 11–13, 18–41)
Silpha brunnicollis Kraatz, 1877: 106 (description, type locality “ Japan ”) [number of syntypes not specified]
Silpha brunnicollis: Harold 1877: 347 (supplementary description; partially misidentification with N. cyaniventris, cf. Schawaller 1982: 250)
Silpha brunnicollis: Lewis 1879: 9 (catalog)
Silpha brunnicollis: Fairmaire 1888: 114 (redescription)
Eusilpha brunneicollis: Portevin 1914a: 8 (new combination, incorrect subsequent spelling)
Eusilpha brunnicollis: Portevin 1914b: 220 (key)
Calosilpha brunneicollis: Portevin 1926: 115, 151 (new combination, incorrect subsequent spelling, key, catalog)
Silpha (Calosilpha) brunneicollis: Hatch 1928: 113 (new combination, incorrect subsequent spelling, catalog)
Silpha brunneicollis: Kurosa 1959: 426 (description of larva, incorrect subsequent spelling)
Calosilpha brunneicollis: Cho & Lee 1995: 7 (redescription, incorrect subsequent spelling, catalog, synonymy)
Necrophila brunnicollis: Nishikawa 2007a: 94 (new combination, diagnostic description, distribution)
Calosilpha brunnicollis: Ikeda et al. 2008: 2067, 2072 (phylogenetic position)
Necrophila brunnicollis: Ikeda et al. 2012: 2 –5 (molecular variance)
Necrophila (Calosilpha) brunnicollis: Ji 2012: 35, 81 (redescription, key, catalog, synonymy)
Silpha bicolor Fairmaire, 1900: 616 (description, type locality “Koua Toun, dans le Szé-Tchouen [= Sichuan province]”) Eusilpha (Calosilpha) bicolor: Portevin 1920a: 397 (new combination, catalog)
Calosilpha bicolor: Portevin 1926: 116 –117, 151 (new combination, key, catalog)
Silpha (Calosilpha) bicolor: Hatch 1928: 113 (new combination, catalog)
Calosilpha bicolor: Cho & Lee 1992: 12 (redescription, catalog)
Calosilpha bicolor: Cho & Lee 1995: 7 (redescription, catalog, junior subjective synonym of Silpha brunnicollis) Eusilpha (Calosilpha) bicolor imasakai Nishikawa, 1986: 154 (description, type locality “Senbuki, Shimabara City, Kyushu”) Necrophila (Calosilpha) bicolor imasakai: Ji 2012: 81 (junior subjective synonym of Silpha brunnicollis)
Eusilpha (Calosilpha) kurosawai Nishikawa, 1986: 156 (description, type locality “Mt. Yuwandake, Amami-Oshima Is., Ryukyus”)
Calosilpha kurosawai: Ikeda et al. 2008: 2067, 2072 (new combination, phylogenetic position) Necrophila (Calosilpha) kurosawai: Ji 2012: 81 (junior subjective synonym of Silpha brunnicollis)
Type material examined: Lectotype ♂ of Silpha bicolor Fairmaire, 1900 (here designated, MNHN), labelled (Fig. 11): “Kuatun / Delatouche [leg.] [hw] // Silpha / bicolor / Fairm. China [hw, Fairmaire’s handwriting] // TYPE [p, red characters] // MUSEUM PARIS / Collection Léon Fairmaire / 1906 [p] // LECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♂ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”. Paralectotypes (2 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀): paralectotype ♂ (MNHN), labelled: “Kuatun [hw] // Silpha / bicolor / Fairm. / China [hw] // TYPE [p, red characters] // MUSEUM PARIS / Collection Léon Fairmaire / 1906 [p] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♂ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paralectotype ♀ (MNHN), labelled: “Kuatun [hw] / COTYPE [p, red characters] // MUSEUM PARIS / Collection Léon Fairmaire / 1906 [p] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paralectotype ♀ (MNHN), labelled: “Koua-Toun / Delatouche [leg.] [hw] // COTYPE [p, red characters] // MUSEUM PARIS / Collection Léon Fairmaire / 1906 [p] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paralectotype ♀ (MNHN), labelled: “Kouang-Toung / (de Latouche) [leg.] [hw] // CHINE / H: DONCKIER 1900 [p] // TYPE [p, red characters] // Fairmaire det. / cf. Ann. Fr. 1899 [hw] // Silpha / bicolor / Fairm. n.sp. [hw] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paralectotype ♂ (MNHN), labelled: “Kouang-Toung / (de Latouche) [leg.] [hw] // CHINE / H: DONCKIER 1900 [p] // TYPE [p, red characters] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paralectotype ♀ (coll. M. Pic, MNHN), labelled: “Kuatun [hw] // TYPE [p, red characters] // Silpha / bicolor / type Fokien [hw, Pic’s handwriting] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paralectotype ♀ (coll. M. Pic, MNHN), labelled: “Kuatun [hw] // TYPE [p, red characters] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paralectotype ♀ (BMNH), labelled: “70686 [hw, yellow label] // FOKIEN [p] // CO- [hw] / TYPE [p] // China [hw] // bicolor Frm. [hw] // Fry Coll. / 1905-100. [p] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paralectotype ♀ (BMNH), labelled “FOKIEN [p] // CO- [hw] TYPE [p] // China [hw] // Fry Coll. / 1905- 100. [p] // PARALECTOTYPE / Silpha bicolor / Fairmaire, 1900 / Jan Růžička des. 2009 [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”.
Holotype ♂ of Eusilpha bicolor imasakai Nishikawa, 1986 (NSMT), labelled (Fig. 12): “Senbuki [hw] / Shimabara-city [p] / 18. VI. [hw] 19 [p] 78 [hw] / S. Imasaka leg. [p] // HOLOTYPE [p, red label] // [blue label = sign for holotype] // HOLOTYPE / Eusilpha (Calosilpha) / bicolor imasakai / Nishikawa, 1986 / (label added by / Jan Růžička, 2009) [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♂ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”. Paratypes (1 ♂, 5 ♀♀): paratype ♀ (NSMT), with identical locality label and “ PARATYPE [p, red label] // PARATYPE / Eusilpha (Calosilpha) / bicolor imasakai / Nishikawa, 1986 / (label added by / Jan Růžička, 2009) [p, red label] // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♀ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paratypes 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀ (MNIC), labelled: “Senbuki [hw] / Shimabara-city [Nagasaki prefecture, Kyushu, Japan] [p] / 18.VI. [hw] 19 [p] 78 [hw] / S. Imasaka leg. [p] // PARATYPE / Eusilpha (Calosilpha) / bicolor imasakai / M. NISHIKAWA, 1986 [p, light blue label]”.
Holotype ♂ of Eusilpha kurosawai Nishikawa, 1986 (NSMT), labelled (Fig. 13): “Mt. Yuwandake / Amami – Oshima / vii-17, 1963 / Y. Kurosawa [leg.] [p] // HOLOTYPE [p, red label] // [blue label = sign for holotype] // HOLOTYPE / Eusilpha (Calosilpha) / kurosawai / Nishikawa, 1986 / (label added by / Jan Růžička, 2009) // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♂ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”. Paratypes (5 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀): paratypes 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ (one ♀ paratype with dissected genitalia, glued on a paper card on the same pin with the specimen) (NSMT), with identical locality label and “ PARATYPE [p, red label] // PARATYPE / Eusilpha (Calosilpha) / kurosawai / Nishikawa, 1986 / (label added by / Jan Růžička, 2009) // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♂ [or ♀] [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paratype ♂ (aedeagus dissected, glued together with two apical abdominal segments on a paper card on the same pin with the specimen) (NSMT), labelled: “Mt. Yuwan / Amami–Oshima I. / 22. VI. 1980 / S. Imasaka leg. [p] // trap [p] // Fig. 1 [hw] // PARATYPE [p, red label] // PARATYPE / Eusilpha (Calosilpha) / kurosawai / Nishikawa, 1986 / (label added by / Jan Růžička, 2009) // Necrophila (Calosilpha) / brunnicollis / (Kraatz, 1877) [p] ♂ [hw] / Jan Růžička det. 200 [p] 9 [hw]”; paratypes 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (MNIC), labelled: “(Mt. Yuwan) / Amami-Ohshima I. [Ryukyu Islands, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan] / 22.VI.1980 / S. Imasaka leg. [p] // trap [p] // PARATYPE / Eusilpha (Calosilpha) / kurosawai / M. NISHIKAWA, 1986 [p, light blue label]; paratype 1 ♀ (MNIC), labelled: “Nishinakama / Amami-Oshima Is. / 5.IV. [hw] 19 [p] 72 [hw] / leg. [p] M. Nishikawa [hw] // PARATYPE / Eusilpha (Calosilpha) / kurosawai / M. NISHIKAWA, 1986 [p, light blue label]”.
Additional material examined. See Appendix 1.
Diagnostic description. Body length 17.0– 22.8 mm (22.0 mm in the lectotype of Silpha bicolor), maximum body width 9.6–12.5 mm (12.1 mm in the lectotype). Pronotum orange in dorsal view (Figs. 1–2, 4); sometimes with darker (brown to dark brown), usually poorly delimited medial spot on disc (populations from Japan, including Ryukyus) (Fig. 3). Hypomeron medially orange in ventral view, dark metallic blue only along its posterior margin. Elytra brown to dark brown, without metallic luster; outline subrectangular; costae finer, less elevated (Figs. 1–4).
Male. Elytra slightly more rounded and wide than in N. cyaneocephala (Figs. 1, 3). Metatibia only slightly bent. Male genital segment with longer spiculum gastrale in ventral view (Figs. 24–29). Aedeagus with median lobe distinctly shorter than slender, elongate parameres in ventral view (Figs. 18–23).
Female. Apex of elytron shorter than in N. cyaneocephala (Figs. 2, 4, 66, 69). Genital segment with tergum 10 large, pentagonal in shape, narrowly or widely rounded in dorsal view (Figs. 30–35).
Notes on type specimens and synonymy. We were not able to locate syntypes of Silpha brunnicollis. They are not found in the collection of SDEI (where most of Kraatz’s type material of beetles is deposited), nor in ZMHB, where is deposited the collection of Palearctic beetles of Friedrich Otto Gustav Quedenfeldt (1817–1891), who collected in Japan the pair of syntypes of S. brunnicollis mentioned by Kraatz (1877).
A lectotype of Silpha bicolor is designated here, selected from a series of syntype specimens from MNHN and BMNH. We confirm the opinion of Cho & Lee (1995), who considered both S. brunnicollis from Japan and S. bicolor from continental Asia as conspecific, and we are treating S. bicolor as a junior subjective synonym of S. brunnicollis.
Type material of Eusilpha (Calosilpha) bicolor imasakai and Eusilpha (Calosilpha) kurosawai was examined, including both holotypes deposited in NSMT. We confirm the opinion of Ji (2012), who considers both taxa as junior subjective synonyms of S. brunnicollis. See the section on geometric morphometrics below for more details.
Ecology. Specimen data (based on material from Fujian Province, Kuatun [=Huaqiao, 27°40'N 117°40'E], 1938, J. Klapperich leg., mostly deposited in ZFMK) indicate that adults are most active in the spring and early summer (summarized by months: April—173 spec. (85 ♂♂, 88 ♀♀), May—48 spec. (22 ♂♂, 26 ♀♀), June—45 spec. (19 ♂♂, 26 ♀♀), July—119 spec. (58 ♂♂, 61 ♀♀), August—18 spec. (8 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀)).
This species is usually collected on larger carcasses of endothermic vertebrates or using baited pitfall traps. Several records from Japan also document its occurrence on snake carrion and on smelling stinkhorn mushrooms (Phallus, Agaricomycetes: Phallales) (see Appendices 1, 2).
Distribution (Fig. 63). Known from Far East of Russia, Korea and Japan (Lafer 1989; Cho & Lee 1995; Nishikawa 1986, 1994, 2007a – b, 2013, 2014), and reported in China from Beijing and Chongqing municipalities as well as Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces (Fairmaire 1888; Zhang 1992, 1993, 1997; Růžička & Schneider 1996; Ji 2012; Nishikawa 2014). Old records from Taiwan (Fairmaire 1888: without precise locality; Portevin 1914a: Kosempo) are probable misidentifications with N. cyaneocephala or are based on erroneously labelled specimens of C. brunnicollis (see Appendix 1). First reliable records from China: Hong Kong, and Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangxi, Hubei, Jiangxi, Jilin, Qinghai and Zheijiang provinces. First record from Bhutan.
description: Published as part of Růžička, Jan, Qubaiová, Jarin, Nishikawa, Masaaki & Schneider, Jan, 2015, Revision of Palearctic and Oriental Necrophila Kirby et Spence, part 3: subgenus Calosilpha Portevin (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Silphinae), pp. 451-502 in Zootaxa 4013 (4) on pages 461-466, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4013.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/241424