Creophilus erythrocephalus

Clarke, Dave J., 2011, Testing the phylogenetic utility of morphological character systems, with a revision of Creophilus Leach (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 163 (3), pp. 723-812 : 778

CREOPHILUS ERYTHROCEPHALUS SPECIES- GROUP

This species group was originally proposed by Newton (1985) for the austral species. With removal of one species from synonymy and description of one new species, seven species are included here.

Diagnosis: Head at least partly orange-red or yellowish-brown ( Fig. 1A–E), dorsally with black spot variable in size and shape ( Fig. 7 ); antennomere 2 subequal in length to 3 or longer; antennomere 11 with apical setae close together anterior to antennal axis (e.g. Fig. 25C ); right mandible with T3 proximal to T2 and base of mandibular blade, mostly to fully visible dorsally (e.g. Fig. 25B ); anterior pronotal angles converging ( Fig. 25A ); abdominal tergites III–V with secondary transverse basal ridge ( Fig. 2L, sbr); marginal fringe of tergites III–VI and body vestiture uniformly black (or golden-brown in most C. huttoni specimens); median lobe of aedeagus continuously sclerotized ventrally ( Fig. 3A). Large males with apical portion of mandibles less than or equal to 0.9 times length of basal portion (ML1/ML2 range of all males = 0.58–0.90); with ventrolateral carina of head ( Figs 2A, 31B , vl); pronotum widest slightly anterior to middle (e.g. Fig. 25A ); base of profemur without spine-like apophysis; superior pronotal marginal line not deflected beneath pronotum basally, basolateral denticle absent ( Fig. 25A ).

Figures

Figure 7. Heads of some species of the Creophilus erythrocephalus species-group (antennal flagella omitted). A, C. erythrocephalus; B, C. lanio; C, C. oculatus; D, C. imitator; E, C. albertisi. A–D, large males; E, small female. Scale bars = 5 mm.

Figure 25. Creophilus erythrocephalus, details of morphology (setae of mandibles, antenna, and pronotum omitted). A, pronotum (large male); B, mandibles, dorsal (bases omitted); C, right antenna, dorsal (only apical setae shown); D, paramere, dorsal. Abbreviations: T2, T3, mandibular teeth. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 31. Creophilus albertisi, details of morphology (setae of head, mandibles, antenna, and pronotum omitted). A, head (large male), dorsal; B, same, ventral; C, mandibles, dorsal (bases omitted); D, apex of median lobe with fully everted internal sac, right lateral; E, aedeagus with details of inverted internal sac, right lateral (parameral setae omitted) – arrow indicates dorsoapical projection of median lobe; F, pronotum (large male); G, right antenna, dorsal (only apical setae shown); H, ventral sclerite of internal sac, ventral; I, female internal genitalia, ventral – arrow indicates thin medial sclerite of vaginal fold; J, paramere, dorsal. Abbreviations: T2, T3, mandibular teeth; lr, lateral spiculose region; pgr, postgenal ridge; vl, ventrolateral carina. Additional abbreviations as in Figure 3 (male) and Figure 5 (female). Scale bars: H = 0.1 mm; rest = 1 mm.