Cafius gigas, Lea, 1929

Shaw, Josh Jenkins & Solodovnikov, Alexey, 2016, Systematic and biogeographic review of the Staphylinini rove beetles of Lord Howe Island with description of new species and taxonomic changes (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 638, pp. 1-25 : 15

' Cafius ' gigas Lea, 1929

Cafius gigas Lea, 1929

Taxon discussion.

This large, wingless rove beetle is only known from the type series collected from Mount Lidgbird. Although the exact location on Mt. Lidgbird or the habitat where specimens were collected is unknown, Lea (1929) states that they were 'not taken from sea beaches’. Cafius gigas is now presumed to be extinct from Lord Howe Island due to predation by introduced rats early in the 20th century ( Cassis et al. 2003; Priddel et al. 2003). The species is only represented by a handful of earlier collected specimens which are 130 years old. Based on our examination of morphology, Cafius gigas does not belong to Cafius , or even the broader ' Cafius - complex’ sensu Jeon et al (2012). It seems to be a member of the Australian Hesperus - Actinus - Leucitus lineage of Philonthina where it may be sister or closely related to Hesperus dolichoderes (Lea, 1925), a peculiar species also endemic for Lord Howe Island (see below). The fact that Cafius gigas was collected from a non-coastal location (while all true Cafius are known exclusively from the sea shores) supports the morphology-based suggestion regarding its misplacement in that genus. A phylogenetic study where we are also attempting to extract DNA from Cafius gigas , and where the formal transfer of that species to the proper genus will be implemented is currently in preparation.