Review of the Palaearctic genera of Saprininae (Coleoptera: Histeridae)
Author
Lackner, Tomáš
text
Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae
2010
suppl.
2010-10-20
50
1
254
journal article
9574
10.5281/zenodo.4272127
724cb358-6f18-4816-afc7-bb42cb9b6942
0374-1036
4272127
Exaesiopus
Reichardt, 1926
Exaesiopus
Reichardt, 1926: 14
.
Exaesiopus
:
REICHARDT (1941)
: 156
, 329;
PEYERIMHOFF (1936)
: 226
;
KRYZHANOVSKIJ & REICHARDT (1976)
: 112
, 232;
MAZUR & KASZAB (1980)
: 7
, 61;
VIENNA
(1980)
: 117
, 195;
MAZUR (1984)
: 101
;
MAZUR (1997)
: 263
;
YÉLAMOS (2002)
: 245
, 338;
MAZUR (2004)
: 92
.
Type
species:
Saprinus grossipes
Marseul, 1855
, original designation.
Diagnosis.
Frontal stria carinate; frontal disc impunctate, with irregular deeply impressed longitudinal rugae (as in several species of
Hypocaccus
); pronotum rounded laterally; pronotal hypomeron setose; elytral epipleuron glabrous; metepisternum, lateral disc of metaventrite and lateral parts of all visible abdominal sternites setose, setae on abdominal sternites very short; protibia on outer margin with several low teeth, topped by rounded denticle, followed by three to four short denticles; meso- and metatibiae thickened and dilated, metafemora conspicuously thickened.
When composing the diagnosis of this genus the morphological characters of the species
Exaesiopus grosclaudei
Normand, 1935
have not been taken into account since this species belongs to genus
Hypocacculus
(
Nessus
)
(see also the diagnosis of this subgenus).
Differential diagnosis.
Exaesiopus
is superficially strikingly similar to the genus
Hypocaccus
, differing from it chiefly by the setose lateral disc of metaventrite, lateral parts of all visible abdominal sternites (as well as setose pronotal hypomeron) and dilated and thickened meso- and metatibiae. Several species of
Hypocaccus
have also underside of their bodies with short setae (e.g.
Hypocaccus
(
Hypocaccus
)
crassipes
(
Erichson, 1834
))
, but their pronotal hypomeron is always asetose, whereas it is setose in
Exaesiopus
.
Biology.
Although the species of the genus
Exaesiopus
are mostly collected on beaches, they are, unlike most members of the similar genus
Hypocaccus
, found also further inland. Their biology is generally poorly understood. Species
Exaesiopus atrovirens
Reichardt, 1926
and
E. torvus
Reichardt, 1926
from Central Asia are occasionally found under
Tamarix
spp.
Distribution.
Exaesiopus
is predominantly a Palaearctic genus, occurring on the sandy soils from the Canary Islands throughout northern Africa, southern Europe and southern parts of Central Europe (reaching the northernmost point of its distribution in southern
Slovakia
) eastwards through
Turkey
and Caucasus as far as Central Asia (up to
Afghanistan
). One species,
Exaesiopus laevis
Thérond, 1964
has been described from
Somalia
.
Species examined.
Exaesiopus atrovirens
Reichardt, 1926
,
E. grossipes berberus
Peyerimhoff, 1936
,
E. grossipes grossipes
(
Marseul, 1855
)
,
E. henoni
(
Schmidt, 1896
)
,
E. torvus
Reichardt, 1926
.
Discussion.
This taxon is most likely not monophyletic and its relationship with the genus
Hypocaccus
should be the focus of the future studies. It is supported by only a few weak synapomorphies, e.g. shape of the protibia, thickened meso- and metatibiae or vestiture of the underside of body, but these may be simply results of the convergent evolution and do not present valuable taxonomic characters. Revision of the species of
Exaesiopus
is in progress.