Alfred Francis Newton

Field Museum of Natural History · Center for Integrative Research

There are no formal fossil records of Osoriinae known from the pre-Quaternary Europe. Here, a new osoriine rove beetle species, Thoracophorus balticus sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on an exquisitely well-preserved adult in Eocene Baltic amber. The new species is placed in the extant genus Thoracophorus (Thoracophorini: Thoracophorina...

The mouthparts and protarsi of adult rove-beetles of the Staphylinine group are examined in detail. We provide descriptions and image plates based on scanning electron micrographs taken from 36 species representing all 10 subfamilies comprising this large staphylinid subunit. We establish groundplan features of the mouthparts for the Staphylinine g...

Beetles constitute the most biodiverse animal order with over 380 000 described species and possibly several million more yet unnamed. Recent phylogenomic studies have arrived at considerably incongruent topologies and widely varying estimates of divergence dates for major beetle clades. Here, we use a dataset of 68 single-copy nuclear protein-codi...

We describe for the first time a potential stridulatory apparatus in Oxyporinae rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), which was found in all 18 studied species of the genus Oxyporus and only in three out of six studied species of the genus Pseudoxyporus. No potential stridulatory structures were found in two species of Oxyporus larvae, which we...

With over 380,000 described species and possibly several million more yet unnamed, beetles represent the most biodiverse animal order. Recent phylogenomic studies have arrived at considerably incongruent topologies and widely varying estimates of divergence dates for major beetle clades. Here we use a dataset of 68 single-copy nuclear protein codin...

Recently published molecular and total evidence phylogenies of the mega-diverse rove beetle subfamily Aleocharinae defined a backbone for the greatly needed further detailed phylogenetic research and large-scale reclassification of this lineage. Given the enormous species diversity of Aleocharinae, wise taxon sampling is crucial for such research....

Anthropogenic climate change is causing the Arctic and Subarctic to warm faster than lower latitudes. Arthropods comprise the majority of animal species and are especially sensitive to abiotic environmental changes. In this chapter we review and discuss impacts of climate change on arthropods, including extinctions and extirpations, population decl...

A review of four species of Placusa Erichson recorded in Arctic/Subarctic North America is presented. A key to species of Placusa Erichson is provided. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and...

A short review of research in Canada using aleocharine beetles as indicators of forest change mainly due to different forestry practices is reviewed and discussed. It reletes mainly to boreal forests in eastern and central Canada.

One species of the tribe Boreocyphini Klimaszewski and Langor is recorded in North America. The following is provided for the species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genitalia (median lobe of the aedeagus, s...

A total of 231 species placed in 54 genera and 12 tribes of Aleocharinae are reported from Subarctic and Arctic North America, and an additional seven species are reported as occurring in transitional areas between the softwood shield (5.1) and taiga shield (3.4, subarctic) forests of Labrador. This assemblage represents about 37% of the total aleo...

The study region, the Nearctic Arctic and Subarctic, is delimited to include the ecoregions 1–4 and 6.1 as defined by CEC (Terrestrial ecoregions – Level II ecoregions, http://www.cec.org/north-american-environmental-atlas/terrestrial-ecoregions-level-ii/, 2018). This encompasses the tundra, taiga forests and the lowlands of Alaska (United States)...

Only one genus Cypha Leach, with one species, of the tribe Hypocyphtini Laporte is recorded from the Arctic/Subarctic. The following is provided for the species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genitalia (med...

Three genera Leptusa, Gyrophaena, and Silusa of the tribe Homalotini Heer are found in Arctic/Subarctic region of Canada and Alaska. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the...

Information is presented on the book format, abbreviations, diagnostic features including external body structures and genital structures important for identification (e.g. aedeagus, parameres, spermatheca, and terminal segments of abdomen), microdissection and preparation of genital structures for examination and diagnostics, image production, a r...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Athetini Casey are provided. A review is provided for the following genera: Acrotona, Adota, Aloconota, Amischa, Atheta, Bellatheta, Boreophilia, Boreostiba, Dinaraea, Dochmonota, Earota, Hydrosmecta, Liogluta, Lypoglossa, Mocyta, Paragoniusa, Philhygra, Schistoglossa, Strigota, Tarphiota, and Trichiusa. The...

A well illustrated key to 12 tribes recorded from Arctic and Subarctic regions is presented. Relevant literature is provided.

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Tachyusini C.G. Thomson are provided. We present a review of the species of Brachyusa Mulsant and Rey, Dasygnypeta Lohse, Gnypeta C.G. Thomson, Paradilacra Bernhauer and Tachyusa Erichson recorded in Arctic/Subarctic ecozones. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution...

Keys to genera and Arctic/Subarctic species of the tribe Oxypodini C.G. Thomson are presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genitalia (median lobe of the aedeagu...

Three genera Amblopusa, Paramblopusa, and Liparocephalus of the tribe Liparocephalini Fenyes are recorded in Arctic/Subarctic region of Alaska. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white im...

One species of the tribe Lomechusini Fleming is recorded from Subarctic region. The following is provided: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genitalia (median lobe of the aedeagus, spermatheca) and terminal seg...

A diagnosis of the tribe Gymnusini Heer is presented, with a review of species of Gymnusa Gravenhorst and Deinopsis Matthews. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, color images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genital...

Keys to subgenera and review of 22 species of the genus Aleochara Gravenhorst occurring in Arctic and Subarctic regions of Canada and Alaska are presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black...

A taxonomic checklist is provided of the 238 included aleocharine species. Tribe and genus totals are given, in addition to status as adventive or native (Holarctic or Nearctic). Recent taxonomic changes and those implemented in the present work are indicated under the respective species.

Key to species of the tribe Myllaenini Ganglbauer is provided. A review of four species of Myllaena Erichson recorded from Arctic/Subarctic is presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black an...

Trichophyinae is one of the smallest subfamilies of the megadiverse rove-beetle family Staphylinidae, with only 18 species in the single extant genus Trichophya Mannerheim. Here we describe the first fossil representative of Trichophyinae in mid-Cretaceous amber from Kachin, northern Myanmar. †Trichophya minor sp. nov. is unusual in having non-fili...

Rove beetles of the Staphylinine group of subfamilies represent the most species-rich clade of Staphylinidae, which in turn is the most speciose beetle family. While several relationships within the Staphylinine group are well supported by morphological and molecular data alike, the basal relationships within the clade remain unresolved. In particu...

This paper is primarily a compilation of published data on the staphylinid beetle species reported for El Salvador. It is based on taxonomic and ecological literature, with inclusion of some new records from different entomological collections. Thirty eight genera and 96 species are reported in the list, including a first country record: Eulissus c...

The first detailed description of the late-instar larva of Prionochaeta opaca (Say, 1825) is provided, with chaetotaxy, illustrations and photos. The single Nearctic representative of Cholevina and the only known larval stage of Prionochaeta Horn, 1880 is discussed and compared to other known larvae of Cholevini with special reference to its autapo...

Within the hyperdiverse beetle family Staphylinidae, Dasycerinae is one of the smallest and most cryptic subfamilies, comprising a sole extant genus characterized by a latridiid beetle‐like body form. Little has been known about their early diversification, character evolution, phylogeny and historical biogeography because of limited fossil materia...

As in most species-rich groups, cases of homonymy are not uncommon among Scydmaeninae. Many primary and secondary junior homonyms were recently replaced by O’Keefe (2000), Davies (2004), Davies & Vít (2004), Castellini (2010), Jałoszyński (2011), Asenjo (2016), and Newton (2017). One new primary homonym has been published since then, and changes in...

The megadiverse subfamily Staphylininae traditionally belonged to the best-defined rove beetle taxa, but the advent of molecular phylogenetics in the last decade has brought turbulent changes to the group's classification. Here, we reevaluate the internal relationships among the tribes of Staphylininae by implementing tree inference methods that su...

The distribution of functional abdominal spiracles in pupae of Coleoptera is reviewed based on published descriptions and original observations. Aquatic Coleoptera typically have strong modifications, generally including dramatic reductions in the number of functional spiracles and often their modification into either spiracular gills or snorkels,...

This paper presents an updated catalog of all taxa of Leiodidae (s.lat.) reported from the Neotropical Region. Keys are presented for the identification of all subfamilies, tribes, and 62 described genera. Three undescribed genera are included in the keys. A total of 600 valid named species are listed, with type localities, type depositories, synon...

Staphylinoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) is one of the most species-rich groups in animals, but its huge diversity can hardly be explained by the popular hypothesis (co-radiation with angiosperms) that applies to phytophagous beetles. We estimated the evolutionary mode of staphylinoid beetles and investigated the relationship between the evolutionary m...

Staphylininae is the third largest subfamily of the enormous family Staphylinidae. Monophyly of Staphylininae and its sister relationship to the subfamily Paederinae have been broadly accepted according to both conventional morphology- and molecular-based phylogenies until the last three years. Recent molecular phylogenies rejected monophyly of Sta...

Triassic fossils are rare but crucial for understanding the early evolution of large insect clades including beetles (Coleoptera). Their phylogenetic assignment is problematic because of fragmentary preservation, yet crucial for the correct use of the information they provide. Here an analysis is presented of the phylogenetic position of Leehermani...

The ant-like stone beetle supertribe Mastigitae (Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) comprises nine extant and five extinct genera that exhibit unusual morphological specializations and ecological adaptions. Recent discoveries of mastigite fossils from Upper Cretaceous–middle Eocene deposits have significantly improved our knowledge of the evolutionary hi...

The origin and early evolutionary history of polyphagan beetles have been largely based on evidence from the derived and diverse ‘core Polyphaga’, whereas little is known about the species-poor basal polyphagan lineages, which include Scirtoidea (Clambidae, Decliniidae, Eucinetidae, and Scirtidae) and Derodontidae. Here, we report two new species A...

Two-hundred and nine taxa (171 identified to species level), in 111 genera, of staphylinid beetles were documented during a 21-year field survey of a national park site (George Washington Memorial Parkway) that spans parts of Fairfax and Arlington counties in Virginia. Fifty-two species, plus five additional genera, documented from the Parkway are...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Athetini Casey are provided. A review of the species of Acrotona C.G. Thomson (6 spp.), Alevonota C.G. Thomson (1 sp.), Aloconota C.G. Thomson (2 spp.), Amischa C.G. Thomson (1 sp.), Atheta C.G. Thomson (71 spp.), Boreophilia Benick (5 spp.), Boreostiba Lohse (4 spp.), Callicerus Casey (2 spp.), Clusiota Case...

A checklist of eastern Canadian species of Aleocharinae is provided. The fauna currently accounts for 407 verified recorded species (including one new record) in 96 genera, and 16 tribes. The taxonomic arrangement reflects the latest knowledge of the classification of this group of beetles. Tribes are arranged in taxonomic order; genera are either...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Oxypodini C.G. Thomson are provided. A review of the species of Alisalia Casey (3 spp.), Apimela Mulsant and Rey (2 spp.), Blepharhymenus Solier (1 sp.), Calodera Mannerheim (2 spp.), Cratarea C.G. Thomson (1 spp.), Devia Blackwelder (1 sp.), Dexiogyia C.G. Thomson (1 sp.), Gennadota Casey (1 sp.), Gnathusa F...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Aleocharini Fleming are provided. A review of the 35 species of Aleochara Gravenhorst and four species of Amarochara C.G. Thomson recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, k...

The larva of Lepicerus inaequalis Motschulsky was described by Lawrence et al. (2013) based on several early instars and one late instar collected among wet leaves and debris near Gamboa, Panama. The identification was based on collection of an adult Lepicerus in a similar habitat nearby and a combination of characters found in other myxophagan imm...

A checklist of all described species of Philonthina, a subtribe of the staphylinid tribe Staphylinini, known to occur in Central and South America (CASA) is presented. Included for each species, and for synonyms known from CASA, is a reference to the original description, type locality and type depository, and for each species the known distributio...

The genus Ontholestes Ganglbauer includes 35 species distributed mainly in Eurasia, with a few additional species in Africa and North and South America (Herman, 2001; Yang & Zhou, 2012; Smetana & Shavrin, 2013; Rougemont, 2016). According to Asenjo et al. (2013), the South American record of the Palearctic species Ontholestes murinus (Linnaeus, 175...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Falagrini Mulsant and Rey are provided. A review of the species of Aleodorus Say (2 spp.), Borboropora Kraatz (1 sp.); Cordalia Jacobs (1 sp.), Falagria Leach (2 spp.), Myrmecocephalus MacLeay (3 spp.), and Myrmecopora Saulcy (1 sp.) recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for each...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Lomechusini Fleming are provided. A review of Drusilla Leach (1 sp.), Myrmedonota Cameron (1 sp.), Myrmoecia Mulsant and Rey (1 sp.), Pella Stephens (6 spp.), Platyusa Casey [removed from fauna of Canada], Zyras Stephens (2 spp.), and Xenodusa Wasmann (2 spp.) recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The foll...

The Aleocharinae fauna of eastern Canada is analyzed for geographic affiliation. Only 4.9–5.9% of the fauna is Holarctic but 11.3% of species are adventive and are of Palaearctic origin. The number of species remaining to be discovered in eastern Canada as a whole and in each of its jurisdictions was estimated using simple calculations. At least 70...

Information is presented on format, abbreviations, diagnostic features including external body structures and genital structures important for identification (e.g. aedeagus, parameres, spermatheca, and terminal segments of abdomen), microdissection and preparation of genital structures for examination and diagnostics, image production, DNA barcodin...

One species of Diglotta Champion of the tribe Diglottini Jakobson, is treated herein. The following is provided for the species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genitalia (median lobe of the aedeagus, spermat...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Tachyusini C.G. Thomson are provided. A review of the species of Brachyusa Mulsant and Rey (1 sp.), Gnypeta Thomson (10 spp.), and Tachyusa Erichson (4 spp.) recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Hypocyphtini Laporte are provided. A review of one species of Cypha Leach and five species of Oligota Mannerheim recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, co...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Hoplandriini Casey are provided. A review of the four species of Hoplandria Kraatz and one species of Platandria Casey recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key referenc...

One species of Halobrecta C.G. Thomson, of the tribe Taxicerini Lohse is treated herein. The following is provided: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genitalia (median lobe of the aedeagus, spermatheca) and ter...

A first comprehensive synopsis of all aleocharine rove beetle species (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) recorded from eastern Canada, from Ontario to the Maritime Provinces inclusively, is presented. Four hundred and seven species in 96 genera, and 16 tribes are presented and discussed.Tribes and subtribes are arranged in presumably phylogenetic order as...

One species of the tribe Boreocyphini Klimaszewski and Langor recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for the species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genitalia (median lobe of the...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Placusini Mulsant and Rey are provided. A review of one species of Euvira Sharp and seven species of Placusa Erichson recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key reference...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Homalotini Heer are provided. A review of the species of Agaricochara Kraatz (1 sp.); Agaricomorpha Ashe (1 sp.), Anomognathus Solier (1 sp.), Cyphea Fenyes (1 sp.), Eumicrota Casey (2 spp.), Gyrophaena Mannerheim (32 spp.), Homalota Mannerheim (1 sp.), Leptusa Kraatz (9 spp.), Neotobia Casey (1 sp.), Phanero...

Progress on the study of aleocharine beetles in eastern Canada during the 26 years since the first Canadian checklist was published is discussed and the accumulation of recorded species during this period is graphically illustrated. The fauna of New Brunswick has gone from nearly unknown (19 species) in 1991 to the most diverse in Canada with 299 s...

One species, Autalia rivularis (Gravenhorst), of the tribe Autaliini C.G. Thomson, is treated herein. The following is provided for the species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of the habitus, and black and white images of the genitalia (median lobe of the a...

Keys to genera and species of the tribe Gymnusini Heer are provided. A review of the seven species of Gymnusa Gravenhorst and four species of Deinopsis Matthews recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key refere...

A diagnosis of the subfamily Aleocharinae is provided, as well as a key to the 16 tribes of eastern Canadian Aleocharinae.

A key to the species of Myllaena Erichson of the tribe Myllaenini Ganglbauer is provided. A review of nine species of Myllaena Erichson recorded in eastern Canada is presented. The following is provided for each species: a morphological diagnosis, distribution, information about habitat and methods of collection, key references, colour images of th...

Many nomenclatural changes are implemented in the beetle families Georissidae, Histeridae, Hydraenidae, Hydrochidae, Hydrophilidae, Ptiliidae, Leiodidae and especially Staphylinidae, of the beetle series Staphyliniformia (Coleoptera), in preparation for making a world catalog of this group available online. Limited taxonomic changes are also made i...

The rove beetle subfamily Dasycerinae, having specialized latridiid-like body forms, are very distinctive among Staphylinidae. Fossil dasycerines are sparse, with only one species known from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. Here we describe a new and more typical staphylinid-looking Dasycerinae genus and species, Vetudasycerus burmiticus gen. et...

Many species currently placed in Sciacharis Broun were once included in Euconnus Thomson, and their taxonomic history is complicated due to diffuse and overlapping diagnoses of both genera applied by previous authors, numerous virtually unjustified transfers of species between them, and hundreds of species not assigned to any subgenus. Based on com...

In a recent Current Biology paper [1], we reported the oldest, morphologically specialized, and obligate termitophiles, Cretotrichopsenius burmiticus (Figure 1, left), from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, about 99 million years old. Cretotrichopsenius, belonging to the obligately termitophilous rove beetle tribe Trichopseniini, display the protective...

The tarsal setae in 97 species of Leiodidae and eight outgroups were examined using SEM imaging and dissections. Modified adhesive setae present in males are referred to as "male tenent setae" (MTS). In most cases, dilated tarsomeres were associated with MTS, which were always present on the protarsi and sometimes the mesotarsi. MTS are reported fo...

A list of the 646 described species of Staphylinidae in Korea is presented. The list is in taxonomic sequence by subfamily, tribe, and genus and includes 215 genera in 55 tribes and 18 subfamilies. We provide the page reference of the original description of every species and genus listed, of many synonyms and of all the Korean records. The list pr...

Presented is an annotated catalog of the 38 genera and 382 species of Leiodidae known to occur in the Nearctic Region of North America north of Mexico (the continental USA and Canada). Information on types, distributions, and biologies is included. Twelve of the species also or probably occur in Mexico, and 16 of the species also occur in Europe an...

Termitophiles, symbionts that live in termite nests, include a wide range of morphologically and behaviorally specialized organisms. Complex adaptive mechanisms permit these animals to integrate into societies and to exploit their controlled physical conditions and plentiful resources, as well as to garner protection inside termite nests. An unders...

The type specimens (all current categories) of Staphylinidae deposited in this Museum are listed; names are recorded, most of them represented by name-bearing types (primary types). The specific and subspecific names are alphabetically ordered in a single list, followed by the generic names (and subgeneric ones, if they were stated) spelled as they...

Anaballetus gen. nov., Anaballetus chilensis sp. nov. (tribe Sogdini) and Neohydnobius irregularis sp. nov. (tribe Pseudoliodini), both from Chile, are described and distinguished from related and similar taxa. A key for the identification of the described world genera of the tribe Sogdini is presented, and the placement of the new genus is discuss...

Insects and fungi have a long history of association in shared habitats. Fungus-feeding, or mycophagy, is remarkably widespread in beetles (Coleoptera) and appears to be a primitive feeding habit that preceded feeding on plant tissues. Numerous Mesozoic beetles belonging to extant fungus-associated families are known, but direct fossil evidence elu...

The first description of a larva and pupa of Platycholeus Horn, 1880; the only American representative of the otherwise Palaearctic tribe Leptodirini, is provided, illustrated and discussed in a systematic context. A combination of larval characters is consistent with the conclusion of recent molecular phylogenetic studies that have placed Platycho...

Fossil piestine staphylinids are extremely rare, with only two definite species known to date. A new rove beetle genus and species, Eopiestus groehni Cai & Lü gen. & sp. nov., is described and figured based on an exceptionally well-preserved adult in Eocene Baltic amber from Yantarny in the Kaliningrad region of Russia. The species is the first fos...

Odontalgus dongbaiensis Yin and Zhao, new species is described from the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. This represents the first record of the tribe Odontalgini Jeannel, 1949 in China. The habitus, foveal pattern, and major diagnostic characters of the new species are illustrated, and the new species is diagnosed and compared with related co...

A checklist of all identified species of the staphylinid subfamily Aleocharinae known to occur in New Zealand and associated outer islands (including the Kermadec, Chatham and Auckland Islands) is presented. Included for each species, and for synonyms known from New Zealand, is a reference to the original description, type locality and type deposit...