Vituratella Reitter, 1908

Leschen, Richard A. B. & Löbl, Ivan, 2005, Phylogeny And Classification Of Scaphisomatini Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae With Notes On Mycophagy, Termitophily, And Functional Morphology, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 3) 59, pp. 1-63 : 33-36

Vituratella Reitter, 1908

( Fig. 50 )

Vituratella Reitter, 1908: 35 . Type species: Vituratella eichelbaumi Reitter, 1908 (by monotypy).

Trichoscaphella Reitter, 1908: 34 . Type species: Trichoscaphella suturisulcata Reitter, 1908 ; by monotypy. New Synonymy.

Antongilium Pic, 1920: 22 . Type species: Antongilium nitidum Pic, 1920 (by monotypy). First synonymized by Achard, 1924.

Mysthrix Champion, 1927: 278 . Type species: Mysthrix termitophilum Champion, 1927 (original designation). New Synonymy.

Termitoxidium Pic, 1928 b: 38 . Type species: Termitoxidium longicolle Pic, 1928 ; by monotypy. New Synonymy.

Mystrix Löbl, 1992: 577 (incorrect subsequent spelling).

Comments. Vituratella , Antongilium , Mysthrix, Termitotoxidium , and Trichoscaphella share many features in common and in all of the most-parsimonious trees these taxa fall together consistently. Three unambiguous characters support this relationship: edge of the mentum expanded anteriorly (18-1), scutellum concealed (78-1, reverses in Mysthrix ), two primary setae present at disc of ventrite 1 (88-0, reverses in Antongilium and Mysthrix ). These characters vary among the Baeoceridium group, and while we were

45) type IV; 46) type V; 47 ) type VI; 48) type VII .

constructing the key of the genera based on all of the available material including types, we discovered that there were very few external characters that could be used to separate these taxa. The only consistent character perhaps of use for generic separation among the 5 genera was the presence of a bilobed tarsal segment 3 in Vituratella , and retaining this genus separate from the remaining members would make the group paraphyletic. The similarity among the species of all genera in this group is the basis of the formal synonymy resulting in 29 new combinations, supported at least by the previous synonymy of Antongilium with Vituratella (Pic 1924) . Verification of the synonymy of these genera is based on types maintained in MHNG, NHML, and NHMW.

New Combinations. From Trichoscaphella : V. suturisulcata (Reitter, 1908) . From Antongilium : V. angustatum (Pic, 1948) , V. atrum (Pic, 1928) , V. bipartitum (Pic, 1955) , V. bisbinotatum (Pic, 1954) , V. burgeoni (Pic, 1928) , V. cinctipenne (Pic, 1954) , V. collarti (Pic, 1928) , V. elongatior (Pic, 1955) , V. humerale (Pic, 1931) , V. inapicale (Pic, 1928) , V. innotatum (Pic, 1946) , V. laterale (Pic, 1946) , V. luteonotatum (Pic, 1955) V. luteosignatum (Pic, 1954) , V. minutum (Pic, 1928) , V. nigrosignatum (Pic, 1954) , V. nitidum (Pic, 1920) , V. noeli (Pic, 1948) , V. notatipenne (Pic, 1933) , V. notatum (Pic, 1948) , V. pauliani (Pic, 1948) , V. punctatum (Pic, 1928) , V. subelongatum (Pic, 1928) , V. testaceiventre (Pic, 1954) , V. vitipenne (Pic, 1937) . From Mysthrix : V. kistneri (Löbl, 1979) , V. termitophilum ( Champion, 1927) . From Termitoxidium : V. longicolle (Pic, 1928) .

Figures

Figs. 49–54. Body shots of Scaphisomatini. 49) Bironium sp. (New Guinea), left lateral view; 50) Vituratella sp. (Tanzania), left lateral view; 51) Scaphicoma sp. (Sulawesi), left lateral view; 52) Baeoceridium sp. (Angola), left lateral view; 53) Scaphicoma sp. (Sulawesi), posterior view; 54) Baeoceridium sp. (Angola), posterior view.