Creophilus

Abstract: Many studies have examined the phylogenetic utility of different kinds of molecular data, and have often compared these with morphology. However, relatively few studies have phylogenetically evaluated different morphological character systems. Using the Creophilus complex, the phylogenetic utility of external structural characters, male genitalia, female genitalia, and chaetotaxy of adults is examined for the first time in the megadiverse beetle family Staphylinidae. A data set of 121 phylogenetically informative characters of 24 terminal taxa was analysed separately and simultaneously using parsimony and the phylogenetic utility of each partition was compared with widely used statistics and support measures. External structures had the least homoplasy, resolved the most nodes separately, and largely determined the topology of the simultaneous analysis. Male and female genitalia contributed phylogenetic signal mostly congruent with external characters. Despite extensive homoplasy, chaetotaxy contributed the majority of hidden support, and was critical for resolving several terminal nodes in the simultaneous analysis. All character systems were informative throughout the tree, and when combined provided the best-supported hypothesis. However, there is a need to distinguish hidden support from dispersion of homoplasy when combining data sets of varying quality. The Creophilus complex, Creophilus Leach, Liusus Sharp, and the Creophilus erythrocephalus (Fabricius) and C. maxillosus (Linnaeus) species-groups are each strongly supported monophyletic groups. Hadrotes Maklin is not monophyletic and Hadrotes wakefieldi Cameron is the sister-species of the rest of the Creophilus complex, but included within it. Creophilus is revised to include 12 species, including Creophilus galapagensis sp. nov. and C. rekohuensis sp. nov.Creophilus huttoni (Broun) is removed from synonymy with C. oculatus (Fabricius), and C. insularis (Fauvel), C. villipennis Kraatz, and C. violaceus (Fauvel) are synonymized under C. flavipennis (Hope) comb. et stat. nov. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 163, 723–812.

Abstract: The Genera herein considered contain the largest members of the Staphylinidae . The larvae are extremely large, heavily chitinized and usually dark brown in color. The head is well separated from the thorax; clypeo-labral margin dentate except at the close of the instar when the dentation becomes worn and obscure; legs of medium length, heavily armed; pseudopode long, cylindrical and used in locomotion; urogomphus usually more than twice as long as pseudopode, hair-like spines on the urogomphus are extremely long and usually are arranged in modified whorls.

Abstract: We have shown that the extrachromosomal DNA body present in the oocyte nucleus of Creophilus maxillosus contains amplified copies of ribosomal DNA and that multiple nucleoli associated with extrachromosomal DNA body contain ribosomal RNA. In addition, we assessed the level of rDNA amplification in Creophilus oocytes. The amount of DNA in single extra DNA body corresponds to 86% of total nuclear DNA content or 617% of chromosomal DNA content. In Creophilus, there are two phases of transcriptional activity of extrachromosomal rDNA, first in oogonia, and second in growing oocytes, separated by a short period of transcriptional quiescence in the ovary of newly hatched imago. We have described the organization and activity of extra DNA body in RNA synthesis and production of multiple nucleoli in previtellogenic stages of oocyte growth in imaginal ovariole of Creophilus.

Abstract: A new genus of Xanthopygina is described here as Terataki gen. n. and includes the following species: Te. badiipennis comb. n., Te. caterinoi sp. n., Te. erithracus comb. n. and Te. liliputanum comb. n. Lectotypes are designated for Creophilus badiipennis Nordmann, C. chloris Nordmann, C. erithracus Nordmann and Polyphematiana liliputana Bernhauer. Creophilus chloris is shown to be a junior synonym of C. erithracus and Trigonopselaphus nobilis Wendeler a junior synonym of C. badiipennis. A key and illustrations of structural features are provided for the identification of specimens.

Abstract: Of the four staphylinid groups (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), the Staphylinine group is studied in this paper. A total of 56 species from 27 genera (including, Oxyporus Fabricius, Stenus Latreille, Astenus Stephens, Leptobium Casey, Achenium Leach, Lathrobium Gravenhorst, Micrillus Raffray, Tetartopeus Czwalina, Medon Stephens, Sunius Stephens, Paederus Fabricius, Scopaeus Erichson, Rugilus Leach, Procirrus Latreille, Othius Stephens, Gabrius Stephens, Neobisnus Ganglbauer, Philonthus Stephens, Remus Holme, Quedius Stephens, Creophilus Leach, Ocypus Leach, Staphylinus Linnaeus, Tasgius Stephens, Gyrohypnus Leach, Leptacinus Erichson, Xantholinus Dejean) and 4 subfamilies (i.e. Oxyporinae, Steninae, Paederinae, Staphylininae) are listed in this paper.