Lomechusini

Drusilla canaliculata, copyright Udo Schmidt.

Belongs within: Aleocharinae.
Contains: Zyras.

The Lomechusini are a diverse but poorly defined group of staphylinid beetles that have been recognised in the past (under the name Myrmedoniini) as including almost all Aleocharinae with 4,5,5-segmented tarsi. Many species possess mouthparts with extensive maxillary sinuses that extend caudally beyond the cardo, and an elongated galea and lacinia (Seevers 1957). Many, but not all, species are associated with ants and members of the subtribe Lomechusina possess prominent tufts of golden-yellow trichomes on the abdomen (Newton et al. 2001).

Characters (from Newton et al. 2001): Tarsi 4-5-5; metasternal process distinctly longer than very short mesosternal process; galea and lacinia of maxilla usually moderately to greatly elongated, length of galea equal to or greater than distance to base of galea from cardo; mesocoxae moderately to very broadly separated by broad meso- and metasternal processes.

Lomechusini [Myrmedoniini, Zyrasini] NT01
    |--Schistogeniae S57
    |--Termitonda Seevers 1957 [Termitondina] S57
    |    |--*T. liberiae Seevers 1957 S57
    |    `--T. tachyporoides Seevers 1957 S57
    |--Lomechusina NT01
    |    |--Lomechusa strumosa A71
    |    `--Xenodusa Wasmann 1894 [incl. Pseudolomechusa Mann 1914] NT01
    |         |--X. cava B14
    |         `--X. reflexa (Walker 1866) B14
    |--Feldina S57
    |    |--Felda Blackwelder 1952 [=Asticta Wasmann 1916 (preoc.)] S57
    |    |    `--*F. butteli (Wasmann 1916) [=*Asticta butteli] S57
    |    |--Zunia Blackwelder 1952 [=Disticta Wasmann 1916 (preoc.)] S57
    |    |    `--*Z. capritermitis (Wasmann 1916) [=*Disticta capritermitis] S57
    |    `--Termitobiella Wasmann 1916 S57
    |         `--*T. setipes Wasmann 1916 S57
    |--Termitozyrina S57
    |    |--Termitophagus Silvestri 1945 S57
    |    |    `--*T. synterminus Silvestri 1945 S57
    |    |--Termitonusa Borgmeier 1950 S57
    |    |    `--*T. sequax Borgmeier 1950 S57
    |    |--Iheringocantharus Bernhauer 1912 S57
    |    |    `--*I. ypiranganus Bernhauer 1912 S57
    |    |--Termitosymbia Seevers 1957 S57
    |    |    `--*T. nitida Seevers 1957 S57
    |    `--Termitozyras Seevers 1957 S57
    |         |--*T. adamsoni Seevers 1957 S57
    |         |--T. boliviae Seevers 1957 S57
    |         `--T. guianae Seevers 1957 S57
    `--Myrmedoniina [Myrmedoniae, Zyrasina] NT01
         |--Atemeles S57
         |--Zyras NT01
         |--Termozyras Cameron 1930 S57
         |    `--*T. politus Cameron 1930 S57
         |--Urodonia Silvestri 1946 S57
         |    `--*U. notabilis Silvestri 1946 S57
         |--Apalonia Casey 1906 NT01
         |    `--A. seticornis NT01
         |--Meronera Sharp 1887 [incl. Merona Sharp 1883 non Norman 1865] NT01
         |    `--M. venustula NT01
         |--Tetradonia Wasmann 1894 [incl. Chlorotusa Casey 1906] NT01
         |    `--T. megalops (Casey 1906) NT01
         |--Trachyota Casey 1906 NT01
         |    `--T. lativentris NT01
         `--Drusilla Leach 1819 [incl. Astilbus Dillwyn 1829, Myrmedonia Erichson 1837] NT01
              |--*D. canaliculata (Fabricius 1787) S57, NT01 [=Astilbus canaliculatus C01]
              |--D. cavicollis Casey 1906 NT01
              |--‘Myrmedonia’ clavigera Fauvel 1878 O86
              |--‘Myrmedonia’ humeralis C01
              |--D. impressicollis [incl. D. sculpticollis] S57
              |--D. incola S57
              |--‘Myrmedonia’ insignicornis Fauvel 1878 O86
              |--D. planaticollis S57
              `--‘Myrmedonia’ tristis Lucas 1846 E12

Lomechusini incertae sedis:
  Dinocoryna Casey 1893 [incl. Ecitonusa Wasmann 1897] NT01
    `--D. carolinensis NT01
  Ecitocala Frank 1981 NT01
    `--E. rugosa Frank 1981 NT01
  Ecitonidia Wasmann 1900 NT01
    `--E. wheeleri Wasmann 1900 NT01
  Ecitoxenidia Wasmann 1909 NT01
    `--E. brevicornis NT01
  Microdonia Casey 1893 NT01
    `--M. nitidiventris NT01
  Xesturida Casey 1906 NT01
    `--X. laevis Casey 1906 NT01

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A71] Askew, R. R. 1971. Parasitic Insects. Heinemann Educational Books: London.

[B14] Bouchard, P. (ed.) 2014. The Book of Beetles: A lifesize guide to six hundred of nature's gems. Ivy Press: Lewes (United Kingdom).

[C01] Csiki, E. 1901. Bogarak [Coleopteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 75–120. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[E12] Evenhuis, N. L. 2012. Publication and dating of the Exploration Scientifique de l’Algérie: Histoire Naturelle des Animaux Articulés (1846–1849) by Pierre Hippolyte Lucas. Zootaxa 3448: 1–61.

[NT01] Newton, A. F., M. K. Thayer, J. S. Ashe & D. S. Chandler. 2001. Staphylinidae Latreille, 1802. In: Arnett, R. H., Jr & M. C. Thomas (eds) American Beetles vol. 1. Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia pp. 272–418. CRC Press: Boca Raton.

[O86] Olliff, A. S. 1886. A revision of the Staphylinidae of Australia. Part I. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, series 2, 1 (2): 403–473, pl. 7.

[S57] Seevers, C. H. 1957. A monograph on the termitophilous Staphylinidae (Coleoptera). Fieldiana Zoology 40: 1–334.