New Records of Philonthini from the Circum-Caribbean Region (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Abstract

The only species of Gabronthus previously reported from the New World was G. thermarum (Aube). Re-examination of specimens on which Circum-Caribbean records were based, together with additional specimens, showed that 2 Gabronthus species actually occur there. Gabronthus thermarum occurs in Florida (U.S.A.), Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Kitts, Guadeloupe, and Costa Rica. Gabronthus mgogoricus Tottenham, previously reported only from Africa, occurs in Florida, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, and seems to be the more abundant of the 2 species, at least in Florida and possibly throughout the Greater Antilles. Hesperus baltimorensis (Gravenhorst), H. apicialis (Say), and Laetulonthus laetulus (Say) are newly reported from Florida. The following new records are reported for Philonthus species: P. discoideus (Gravenhorst) from Costa Rica, P. lomatus Erichson from Haiti, P. ventralis (Gravenhorst) from Haiti, Costa Rica, and Florida. Diagnostic features are given of the adult head of the 2 Gabronthus species and of the aedeagus of all 8 species. Typically, H. apicialis adults have dark elytra, but in southeastern Florida there exist adults with red elytra as in H. baltimorensis. Spread of the 4 Old World species (G. mgogoricus, G. thermarum, P. discoideus, P. ventralis) probably is due to human agency in providing transport and/or in rearing animals (cows, horses, goats, etc.) whose dung seems to be a preferred habitat. In contrast, H. baltimorensis, H. apicialis and L. laetulus are likely to become rarer by human destruction of the moist, hardwood forest in eastern North America where they exist.