A review of the small carrion beetle genus Dissochaetus Reitter (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae) of Central America

Abstract

Descriptions or diagnoses, a key to species, new records, and distribution maps are presented for 28 species of Dissochaetus Reitter, 1884 from the countries of Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama). An additional previously recorded species (D. monilis (Murray)) was not recognized. Eight new species are described: D. ancyclostylus Peck and Cook n. sp. of Panama and Costa Rica; D. barrahonda Peck and Cook n. sp. of Costa Rica; D. carinatus Peck and Cook n. sp. of Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama; D. cerroverde Peck and Cook n. sp. of El Salvador; D. chelatus Peck and Cook n. sp. of Honduras, Costa Rica and Mexico; D. dendrodes Peck and Cook n. sp. of Guatemala; D. multisetus Peck and Cook of El Salvador and Guatemala; and D. platyformis Peck and Cook n. sp. of Panama and Costa Rica. New records are given for Dissochaetus ovalis (Kirsch) in Panama; D. hetschkoi Reitter in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama; D. fimbriatus (Matthews) in Costa Rica and Panama; D. obscurus Portevin in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica; D. latitarsis Jeannel in Costa Rica; D. mexicanus Jeannel in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; D. angustilis Salgado-Costas in Costa Rica and Panama; D. confusus Salgado-Costas in Costa Rica and Panama; D. costaricensis Salgado-Costas in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica; D. forticornis Salgado-Costas in Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama; D. solisi Salgado-Costas in Costa Rica; D. unidentatus Salgado-Costas in Costa Rica; D. chiapensis Peck and Cook in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama; D. claviformis Peck and Cook in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras; D. lobatus Peck and Cook in El Salvador and Honduras; D. newtoni Peck and Cook in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama; and D. reniformis Peck and Cook in Honduras. All the species are carrion and dung scavengers in semi-arid to wet forests, from near sea-level to 2600 m in elevation, and some are known as troglophilic scavengers on bat guano in caves or in burrows of Orthogeomys Merriam (Geomyidae) rodents, and debris piles of Eciton Latreille Army ant bivouacs.