Taxonomic revision of genus Ablattaria Reitter (Coleoptera, Silphidae) using geometric morphometricsAuthorQubaiova, JarinAuthorRuzicka, JanAuthorSipkova, HanatextZooKeys201547779142http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.477.8446journal articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.477.84461313-2970-477-7912860BDADD3B49EBA5D42F3065822C11Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera SilphidaeAblattaria Reitter, 1884AblattariaReitter 1884
: 75.
Type species.Silpha laevigata
Fabricius, 1775 (subsequently designated by
Hatch (1928
: 120)).
Diagnostic description.Body, in general, dull-black (brown to dark brown in subteneral specimens), total body length 9-19 mm.Head flattened with dense but fine puncturing, extra prolonged (used for the invasion of snail shells during feeding; Fig. 20). Eyes large, prominent, emerge to the sides. Antennae clavate, club formed by the antennomeres 9-11 (Fig. 22). Antennomere 1 longer than antennomeres 2 and 3 combined. Antennomere 2 slightly longer than antennomere 3. Frons broad, mandibles large and sickle-shaped, typical to snail eaters, maxilla densely haired outwards (Fig. 20).
Pronotum with continuous margins, semielliptical (Figs 12, 13, 15) (conical in
Ablattaria subtriangula
, Fig. 14), with distinct punctures covering its dorsal surface (Figs 13-15) (only very superficial medially in
Ablattaria arenaria
, Fig. 12), rarely with a fine line in the middle.
Scutellar shield small in size, cordiform in shape and with distinct punctation.Elytra regularly vaulted, densely and regularly punctured (Figs 16-19), without vestigial ribs, rarely with two very fine, longitudinal lines that are occasionally more visible (Fig. 21). Elytral epipleural ridge is incomplete; extends along the elytron but not to its subapical part (Figs 9-11). Punctures homogenously distributed, of similar size (Figs 18, 19) or varying in size, fine punctures intermixed with larger ones, predominantly in medial part (Figs 16, 17).Legs strong with fine spines, femur of hind legs broad, tibia ends with an apical spine stretching out (Figs 5, 6). Tarsi with robust tarsal claws. Males with laterally expanding tarsomeres, females with cylindrical and more slender tarsomeres (e.g., as show in Figs 4 and 5).
Figures 20-22. Morphological details in dorsal view: 20
Ablattaria subtriangula
, elongated head (female, Spain: Cameros) 21
Ablattaria laevigata
, variable left elytron with traces of two lines (male, Greece: Alistrati) 22
Ablattaria laevigata
, right antenna (female, Hungary: Budapest).
Phylogenetic position.Ablattaria
is classified preliminarily as a sister lineage to
Phosphuga
Leach, 1817 and
Silpha
Linnaeus, 1758, based on 2.1 kB sequence of cytochrome oxidase subunits I and II (
Dobler and
Mueller
2000
,
Sikes et al. 2005
), sometimes treated also as a subgenus of
Silpha
(
Sikes et al. 2005
).
Key
to the
Ablattaria
species