Creophilus maxillosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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 : 759

CREOPHILUS MAXILLOSUS SPECIES- GROUP

This species group was originally proposed by Newton (1985) for the Holarctic and Oriental species. With recognition of three new synonyms and description of one new species, five species are included here.

Diagnosis: Head black or brownish-black; antennomere 2 subequal in length to 3 or shorter; antennomere 11 with apical pairs of setae situated on either side of antennal axis (e.g. Fig. 13F ); right mandible with T3 directly ventral to T2 and mandibular blade, mostly (in C. incanus entirely) hidden from dorsal view beneath mandibular blade ( Fig. 13A ); anterior pronotal angles produced laterally ( Figs 2G, 13E ); abdominal tergites III–V without secondary transverse basal ridge; apical fringe of tergites III–VI with at least paired groups of white or golden setae medially, rest of body with variably black, brown, whitish-grey, or golden-brown vestiture ( Fig. 1F–J); median lobe of aedeagus completely divided ventrally by membranous strip ( Fig. 3C, arrow). Large males with: apical portion of mandibles exceeding 0.9 times length of basal portion (ML1/ML2 range of all males = 0.60–1.09); without ventrolateral carina of head; pronotum widest at anterior angles; base of profemur with spine-like apophysis ( Fig. 9D, arrow); superior pronotal marginal line abruptly deflected beneath disc of pronotum at point of basolateral denticle ( Fig. 2G, bpd).

Figures

Figure 13. Creophilus maxillosus, details of morphology (setae of mandibles, antenna, and pronotum omitted). C. m. maxillosus (A–G); C. m. villosus (H). A, mandibles, dorsal (bases omitted); B, right elytron (only whitish setae shown) C, paramere, dorsal; D, aedeagus with details of inverted internal sac, right lateral (parameral setae omitted); E, pronotum (small male); F, right antenna, dorsal (only apical setae shown); G, female internal genitalia, ventral H, ventral sclerite of internal sac, ventral (lower) and apical (upper). Abbreviations: T1, T2, T3, mandibular teeth. Additional abbreviations as in Figure 3 (male) and Figure 5 (female). Scale bars: H = 0.1 mm; rest = 1 mm.