Megalopinus cephalotes (ERICHSON, 1840)

Puthz, V., 2012, Über die neuweltlichen Megalopinus-Arten (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) (24. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Megalopsidiinen), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 613-834 : 682

Key to the species of the cephalotes -group

1 Elytra without impressions..................................................................................................2

- Elytra with impressions.......................................................................................................4

2 Elytra black.: E short, median lobe without distinctly delimited, strongly sclerotized structures, apical tip small, asymmetrical, parameres slender. 3.0-3.6mm. Brasilien, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama............................... glabripennis (L. BENICK)

- Elytra not black...................................................................................................................3

3 Elytra mainly reddish yellow.: E long, median lobe without distinctly delimited, strongly sclerotized structures, apical tip asymmetrical, parameres slender. 3.3-3.6mm. St. Vincent............................................................................................... smithi (CAMERON)

- Elytra with two humeral and two posteromedial reddish spots.: E slender, median lobe without distinctly delimited, strongly sclerotized structures, apical tip almost symmetrical, parameres slender. 3.1-3.6mm. Ecuador....................... levigatipennis nov.sp.

4 Each elytron with more than one longitudinal impression..................................................5

- Each elytron with only one longitudinal impression...........................................................6

5 Elytra with two deep and narrow longitudinal impressions (fig. 85). 3.5-4.0mm. Mexico.............................................................................................. bisulcatus (L. BENICK)

- Elytra in the interior half wrinkled longitudinally (fig. 84). 3.5mm. Costa Rica.................. .......................................................................................................... ruginosipennis nov.sp.

6 Elytra unicolorous, black to brownish.................................................................................7

- Elytra with a posteromedial spot.: E about as in fig. 181, parameres broad. 3.5- 4.0mm. Argentina................................................................................. vianai (BERNHAUER)

7 Elytra near the longitudinal impression umbonate (fig. 83).: Aedeagus slender, median lobe with a short, curved, stronger sclerotized tube, apical tip slightly asymmetrical; parameres slender. 3.4-3.8mm. Costa Rica...................... callipennis nov.sp.

- Elytra without a bumplike raised area.................................................................................8

8 Longitudinal impression of elytra shorter, sometimes scarcely distinct, at most one third as long as one elytron. Frons nearly flat with a few punctures.: E (fig. 181), parameres broad. 2.7-3.7mm. Colombia, Brasilien, Argentina, Paraguay, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Mexico.......................................................................... cephalotes (ERICHSON)

- Longitudinal impression of elytra longer, longer than one third of one elytron. Frons less flat with a distinct stamp-like raised area and with numerous punctures.....................9

9: E short, median lobe without distinctly delimited, strongly sclerotized structures, apical tip small, symmetrical, parameres moderately slender. 3.0-3.6mm. Colombia, Brasilien, Argentina............................................................................. muellerianus nov.sp.

- Frons and pronotum coarsely and sparsely punctate, smooth areas are larger than punctate areas. 3.0-4.3mm: E: parameres slender. Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brasilien, Paraguay, Argentina.......... spinosus (SHARP)