Pselaphinae

Fustigerodes majusculus, from Péringuey (1897).

Belongs within: Staphylinidae.
Contains: Pselaphitae, Goniaceritae, Batrisitae, Faronini, Bythinoplectitae, Euplectini, Trogastrini, Jubini, Raffrayia, Claviger, Articerus, Fustiger.

The Pselaphinae are a cosmopolitan group of small, often grotesque-looking staphylinid beetles with a robust, relatively inflexible body (Newton et al. 2001). Members include the Clavigeritae, specialised beetles that are all associates of ants. Clavigeritae have antennae with one to six segments and greatly reduced maxillary palpi. An extensive hollow at the base of the abdomen surrounded by tufts of golden-yellow setae secretes a substance attractive to the beetle's ant hosts.

Characters (from Newton et al. 2001): Body robust, relatively inflexible, usually reddish-brown, with elytra exposing some abdominal segments; deep conical foveae present on vertex and/or other parts of the body; antennae inserted anterior to a line drawn between anterior margins of eyes; maxillary palps with 1-4 palpomeres plus a lightly sclerotized or unsclerotized apical pseudosegment, therefore often appearing to have five palpomeres; tarsal formula 3-3-3, rarely apparently 2-2-2; abdominal sterna III and IV usually with very dense setal fringe covering a basal impression on sternum IV.

<==Pselaphinae [Clavigeridae, Pselaphi, Pselaphidae, Pselaphii] NG05
    |  i. s.: Pselaphaulax MW01
    |         Seracamaurops PN02
    |         Troglamaurops PN02
    |         Cordiamaurops PN02
    |         Imtemps NG05
    |         Machadoites termitophilus N55
    |         Tinaroo ZS10
    |         Malleecola myrmecophila ZS10
    |--+--Pselaphitae R03
    |  `--Brachyscelidae R03
    |       |--Goniaceritae R03
    |       |--Batrisitae R03
    |       |--Faronini R03
    |       |--Bythinoplectitae R03
    |       `--Euplectitae [Euplectinae] R03
    |            |--Euplectini R03
    |            |--Trogastrini NT01
    |            |--Jubini NT01
    |            |--Raffrayia NT01
    |            `--Pteracmes Raffray 1890 R03 [Pteracmini NT01]
    |                 `--P. schaufussi Raffray 1890 R03
    `--Clavigeritae [Clavigerinae] R03
         |--Tiracerus LB91 [Tiracerini NG05]
         |    `--T. foveicollis LB91
         |--Colilodion Besuchet 1991 [Colilodionini] NG05
         |    |--C. incredibilis Besuchet 1991 NG05
         |    |--C. inopinatus Besuchet 1991 NG05
         |    |--C. mirus Besuchet 1991 NG05
         |    `--C. wuesti Löbl 1994 NG05
         `--Clavigerini [Adranini, Clavigerodini, Fustigerini] NG05
              |--Claviger R04
              |--Cerylambus reticulatus (Raffray 1895) NG05
              |--Articerus R04
              |--Fustiger NT01
              |--Pseudacerus Raffray 1895 R04
              |    `--P. furcatus Raffray 1895 NG05
              |--Anaclasiger Raffray 1890 R04
              |    `--A. sinuaticollis Raffray 1890 NG05
              |--Elasmatus Raffray 1903 R04
              |    `--E. lamellipes Raffray 1903 R04
              |--Theocerus Raffray 1896 R04
              |    `--T. crenulatus Raffray 1896 R04
              |--Amblycerus Raffray 1895 R04
              |    `--A. reticulatus Raffray 1895 R04
              |--Neocerus Wasmann 1893 R04
              |    `--N. compressicornis Wasmann 1893 R04
              |--Commatocerus Raffray 1882 R04
              |    `--C. elegantulus Raffray 1882 R04
              |--Apoderiger Wasmann 1897 R04
              |    `--A. cervinus Wasmann 1897 R04
              |--Trymalius Fairmaire 1898 R04
              |    `--T. foveicollis Fairmaire 1898 R04
              |--Hadrophorus Fairmaire 1898 R04
              |    `--H. humerosus Fairmaire 1898 R04
              |--Novofustiger Wasmann 1893 R04
              |    `--N. raffrayi Wasmann 1893 R04
              |--Pseudofustiger Reitter 1884 R04
              |    `--P. stricticornis (Reitter 1883) [=Articerus stricticornis] R04
              |--Commatoceropsis Raffray 1890 R04
              |    `--C. madagascariensis (Raffray 1882) [=Commatocerus madagascariensis] R04
              |--Rhynchoclaviger Wasmann 1891 R04
              |    `--R. crematogastris Wasmann 1891 R04
              |--Articeropsis Wasmann 1893 R04
              |    `--A. sikorae Wasmann 1893 R04
              |--Articeronomus Raffray 1897 R04
              |    `--A. nitidus Raffray 1897 R04
              |--Fusifer Raffray 1899 R04
              |    `--F. perrieri (Fairmaire 1898) [=Commatoceropsis perrieri] R04
              |--Paussiger Wasmann 1893 R04
              |    `--P. limicornis Wasmann 1893 R04
              |--Commatocerodes Péringuey 1888 R04
              |    `--C. raffrayi Péringuey 1888 R04
              |--Syrraphesina Raffray 1903 R04
              |    `--S. pliciventris Raffray 1903 R04
              |--Clavigerodes Raffray 1877 R04
              |    `--C. abyssinicus Raffray 1877 R04
              |--Bironia Raffray 1903 R04
              |    `--B. cavernosa Raffray 1903 R04
              |--Braunsiella Raffray 1901 R04
              |    `--B. pubiventris Raffray 1901 R04
              |--Clavigeropsis Raffray 1882 R04
              |    `--C. formicaria Raffray 1882 R04
              |--Semiclaviger Wasmann 1893 R04
              |    `--S. sikorae Wasmann 1893 R04
              |--Mastiger Motschulsky 1851 R04
              |    |--M. abruptus Motschulsky 1851 R04
              |    `--M. brevicornis Raffray 1890 NG05
              |--Disarthricerus Raffray 1895 R04
              |    |--D. integer Raffray 1895 NG05
              |    `--D. moultoni Bryant 1915 NG05
              |--Diartiger Sharp 1883 R04
              |    |--D. fossulatus Sharp 1883 R04
              |    `--D. spinipes Sharp 1883 R04
              |--Fustigeropsis Raffray 1890 R04
              |    |--F. peringueyi (Raffray 1887) [=Commatocerus peringueyi] R04
              |    `--F. simplex Raffray 1904 R04
              |--Thysdarius Fairmaire 1904 [incl. Thysdrus Fairmaire 1898 (preoc.)] R04
              |    |--T. gracilis Raffray 1899 R04
              |    `--T. perrieri Fairmaire 1898 R04
              |--Radamellus Raffray 1904 R04
              |    |--R. minutus (Raffray 1899) [=Radamides minutus] R04
              |    `--R. spinipennis (Raffray 1883) [=Radama spinipennis] R04
              |--Imerina Raffray 1896 R04
              |    |--I. breviceps Raffray 1896 R04
              |    `--I. wasmanni Raffray 1896 R04
              |--Miroclaviger Wasmann 1893 R04
              |    |--M. alluaudi Raffray 1897 R04
              |    `--M. cervicornis Wasmann 1893 R04
              |--Radamides Wasmann 1897 R04
              |    |--R. sulcicollis Fairmaire 1899 R04
              |    `--R. trifoveolatus Wasmann 1897 R04
              |--Articerodes Raffray 1890 R04
              |    |--A. borneensis Bryant 1915 NG05
              |    |--A. quadriscopulatus Schaufuss 1883 R04
              |    `--A. syriacus Saulcy 1865 [incl. A. bucharicus Reitter 1900, A. ponticus Sharp 1878] R04
              |--Radama Raffray 1883 R04
              |    |--R. fimbriatus Wasmann 1893 R04
              |    |--R. inflatus Raffray 1883 R04
              |    `--R. sulcatus Wasmann 1897 R04
              |--Adranes LeConte 1849 NT01
              |    |--A. coecus Leconte 1850 R04
              |    |--A. lecontei Brendel 1865 R04
              |    |--A. pacificus Wickham 1901 R04
              |    `--A. taylori Wickham 1901 R04
              `--Fustigerodes Reitter 1884 [incl. Novoclaviger Wasmann 1894] R04
                   |--F. articulatus Wasmann 1898 R04
                   |--F. braunsi Wasmann 1897 R04
                   |--F. capensis Péringuey 1888 R04
                   |--F. majusculus Péringuey 1888 R04
                   `--F. wroughtoni [=Novoclaviger wroughtoni] R04

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[LB91] Lawrence, J. F., & E. B. Britton. 1991. Coleoptera (beetles). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 543–683. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

[MW01] Molleman, F., & D. E. Walter. 2001. Niche segregation and can-openers: scydmaenid beetles as predators of armoured mites in Australia. In: Halliday, R. B., D. E. Walter, H. C. Proctor, R. A. Norton & M. J. Colloff (eds) Acarology: Proceedings of the 10^th International Congress pp. 283–288 Publishing: Melbourne.

[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.

[N55] Noirot, C. 1955. Termites du centre et du sud-ouest de l’Angola récoltés par A. de Barros Machado. Diamang Publicações Culturais 27: 139–150.

[NG05] Nomura, S., & I. Abd Ghani. 2005. Faunistic notes on the pselaphine species of the supertribes Goniaceritae, Pselaphitae and Clavigeritae from Malaysia and Singapore (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae). Serangga 10 (1–2): 1–36.

[PN02] Poggi, R., G. Nonveiller, A. Colla, D. Pavićević & T. Rađa. 2001–2002. Thaumastocephalini, a new tribe of Pselaphinae for Thaumastocephalus folliculipalpus n. gen., n. sp., an interesting new troglobious species from central Dalmatia (Croatia) (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae). Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “Giacomo Doria” 94: 1–20.

[R03] Raffray, A. 1903. Genera et catalogue des psélaphides. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 72: 484–604.

[R04] Raffray, A. 1904. Genera et catalogue des psélaphides [part III]. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 73: 401-476, pls 1-3.

[ZS10] Zborowski, P., & R. Storey. 2010. A Field Guide to Insects in Australia 3^rd ed. Reed New Holland: Sydney.