A revision of the Neotropical species of Bolitogyrus Chevrolat, a geographically disjunct lineage of Staphylinini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

Abstract

The Neotropical species of the rarely collected genus Bolitogyrus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini) are revised. The genus exhibits an uncommon, disjunct distribution between the Neotropical and Oriental Regions and is of unknown phylogenetic position within Staphylinini. Morphological evolution remarkable for Staphylinini was discovered within Bolitogyrus, including sexually dimorphic modifications of the pronotum that may be involved in male competition for females. rSEM interactive animations were used to establish morphological species boundaries between two highly variable species and are provided to illustrate diagnostic characters of the genitalia in unconventional views. The genus is redescribed based on the world fauna and twenty-eight Neotropical species are considered valid. Of these, nineteen are described as new to science: Bolitogyrus ashei sp. n.; B. apicofasciatus sp. n.; B. brevistellus sp. n.; B. bufo sp. n.; B. cheungi sp. n.; B. cornutus sp. n.; B. divisus sp. n.; B. falini sp. n.; B. gracilis sp. n.; B. inexspectatus sp. n.; B. longistellus sp. n.; B. marquezi sp. n.; B. newtoni sp. n.; B. pseudotortifolius sp. n.; B. pulchrus sp. n.; B. silex sp. n.; B. thomasi sp. n.; B. tortifolius sp. n.; and B. viridescens sp. n. Bolitogyrus sallei (Kraatz), stat. r. is removed from synonymy with B. buphthalmus (Erichson) and the following new synonyms are proposed: Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884, syn. n. = Quedius buphthalmus Erichson, 1840; C. nevermanni Scheerpeltz, 1974, syn. n. = C. costaricensis Wendeler, 1927. A summary of all available bionomic and distributional data, as well as an illustrated identification key to and diagnoses of all Neotropical species are provided.

A revision of the Oriental species of Bolitogyrus Chevrolat (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae)

“…As a precaution against DNA degradation, specimens examined in the present study were never subjected to high ambient humidity relaxing chambers or entirely submersed in water. This was in direct contrast to the specimens dissected for Brunke and Solodovnikov (2014), which may be less suitable for future amplification of DNA. Genitalia were cleared in a 10% potassium hydroxide solution and then washed with distilled water, then with 70% alcohol and finally placed in glycerin for observation.…”

“…These taxa can be recognized as cyrtoquediines based on a row of coarse, epipleural punctures (Brunke et al 2016). The monophyly of Bolitogyrus is rigorously supported and morphological characters support reciprocal monophyly of single Oriental and Neotropical lineages (Brunke and Solodovnikov 2014, Brunke et al 2016). …”

“…Species of the genus Bolitogyrus are rarely collected specialists of fungusy deadwood in the humid forests of the Neotropical and Oriental regions (Brunke and Solodovnikov 2014). Specimens of most species are predictably (and often solely) collected from primary or near-primary, usually protected, forests with large fallen or standing trees (Brunke and Solodovnikov 2014, Brunke pers.…”

“…Specimens of most species are predictably (and often solely) collected from primary or near-primary, usually protected, forests with large fallen or standing trees (Brunke and Solodovnikov 2014, Brunke pers. obs.).…”

“…Recently, all Neotropical species of Bolitogyrus were revised and a key was provided for their identification (Brunke and Solodovnikov 2014). Unlike the Neotropical species, which had received very little modern taxonomic attention, Oriental species of Bolitogyrus have gradually been discovered until the most recent description of seven Chinese species by Cai et al (2015).…”