Staphylinid Subfamily Research Articles

Large carrion and burying beetles evolved from Staphylinidae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Silphinae): a review of the evidence.

Large carrion beetles (Silphidae) are the focus of ongoing behavioral ecology, forensic, ecological, conservation, evolutionary, systematic, and other research, and were recently reclassified as a subfamily of Staphylinidae. Twenty-three analyses in 21 publications spanning the years 1927-2023 that are relevant to the question of the evolutionary origin and taxonomic classification of Silphidae are reviewed. Most of these analyses (20) found Silphidae nested inside Staphylinidae (an average of 4.38 branches deep), two found Silphidae in an ambiguous position, and one found Silphidae outside Staphylinidae, as sister to Hydrophilidae. There is strong evidence supporting the hypothesis that large carrion beetles evolved from within Staphylinidae and good justification for their classification as the subfamily Silphinae of the megadiverse, and apparently now monophyletic, Staphylinidae. Considerable uncertainty remains regarding the interrelationships and monophyly of many staphylinid subfamilies. Nonetheless, the subfamily Tachyporinae was found to be the sister of Silphinae in more analyses (7) than any other subfamily.

The oldest fossil record of Pseudopsinae from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pseudopsinae)

The Cretaceous witnessed a radiation of rove beetles (Staphylinidae), the most species-rich beetle family. Although most staphylinid subfamilies have been documented from Cretaceous strata over the world, there has been no fossil record of the subfamily Pseudopsinae until a recently reported fossil from the 99-Ma-old Myanmar amber. Here we describe a new compression fossil from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China. It is described as Cretaceonanobius fossilis. gen. et sp. nov. and assigned to the extant subfamily Pseudopsinae, based on the well-preserved carinae on the pronotum, a carina on ventrites II and III, and distinctly separated mesocoxae. The discovery of Cretaceonanobius fossilis gen. et sp. nov. backdates the earliest fossils record of Pseudopsinae to 125 Ma in the Northern Hemisphere and sheds new lights on the evolution history and paleobiogeography of this subfamily.

Two new species and additional records of Pseudopsis Newman from China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pseudopsinae)

ABSTRACT Two new Chinese species of the rare staphylinid subfamily Pseudopsinae, Pseudopsis pengi sp. nov. from Shanxi and Pseudopsis serrata sp. nov. from Yunnan, are described primarily based on the diagnostic structures of their aedeagi. Additional records are given for P. gansuensis Zerche, 1998, P. gonggaensis Zerche, 1998 and P. suchi Herman, 1983, with the latter species reported from China for the first time. An unidentified species from Sichuan is listed, of which only four female specimens are available. A key to the Chinese species, as well as distributional maps of the 20 Asian species, are provided.

The Pselaphini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) of the Subantarctic and Chatham Islands of New Zealand; Description of Five Species and One Genus

AbstractThe staphylinid subfamily Pselaphinae is generally depauperate at high latitudes. We examine one exception, the tribe Pselaphini, at the southern extreme of its global distribution, the New Zealand subantarctic islands and the Chatham Islands, an archipelago farther north. Currently, only two species are known from remote Campbell Island (Pselaphotheseus hippolytae Park and P. ihupuku Carlton and Leschen). A new genus, Pselaphopluteum gen. nov. (type species, Pselaphopluteum motumaha sp. nov.) and two new species, Pselaphopluteum motumaha sp. nov. and Pselaphaulax dracophyllum sp. nov., from the Auckland Islands, are added to the subantarctic fauna. Pselaphophus atriventris Westwood, introduced from Australia, is currently the only species known from the Chatham Islands, although several unidentified species were noted by Emberson (Emberson, R. M. 2002. The beetle (Coleoptera) fauna of the Chatham Islands: additions and corrections. N.Z. Entomol. 25: 69–77.). Three new species are described from the Chatham islands: Pselaphaulax caeruleus sp. nov., Pselaphaulax flavus sp. nov., and Pselaphaulax traversi sp. nov. Potential biogeographic implications of these new taxa are discussed within the context of the overall New Zealand fauna of Pselaphini, which is the subject of ongoing study.

Visitor or vector? The extent of rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) pollination and floral interactions

Beetles (Coleoptera) are a diverse group of overlooked pollinators, considered particularly important in tropical ecosystems. The role of the most diverse beetle family, Staphylinidae, as pollinators is generally considered minor, yet their relationships with plants are mostly unknown. Although often referred to as opportunistic visitors, it is arguable that the true extent of rove beetle pollination is underestimated given their frequency of visitation to flowers. This review comprehensively analysed the plant–pollinator or visitor interactions of the Staphylinidae and uncovered 108 well-described staphylinid–flower interactions across 27 seed plant families. Of these interactions, Staphylinidae were considered either potential or conclusive pollinators for 56 plant species, having either a primary or secondary role in pollination. Conversely, Staphylinidae were visitors to 40 plant species with a negligible role in pollination. For the remaining 12 interactions and additional anecdotal reports, the role of staphylinids as pollinators was unresolved. Staphylinid–flower interactions were most prevalent in the monocots and magnoliids (families: Araceae, Annonaceae, Arecaceae, and Magnoliaceae) involving predominantly generalist pollination systems, and interactions were limited to six staphylinid subfamilies (Omaliinae, Tachyporinae, Aleocharinae, Oxytelinae, Paederinae, and Staphylininae). Trends in the involvement of staphylinid subfamilies with particular plant lineages were identified, associated with differences in insect habit and floral rewards. Overall this review indicates that the role of Staphylinidae as pollinators, and Coleoptera as a whole, is underestimated. Caution, however, must be given to inferring the role of staphylinids in pollination because rove beetles commonly function as inadvertent secondary pollinators or antagonists there to fulfil other ecological roles.

Loeblibatrus Yin, a New Genus of Myrmecophilous Pselaphinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from Southern China

A new southern Chinese genus and species, Loeblibatrus yunnanus Yin, new genus and new species, of the staphylinid subfamily Pselaphinae is described and illustrated. Most individuals were collected from colonies of Ectomomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) beneath stones. Adults of L. yunnanus exhibit a strong reduction of external features (e.g., foveae, carinae, sulci) that are typical of myrmecophilous pselaphines. Loeblibatrus is assigned to the supertribe Batrisitae: tribe Batrisini based on the presence of four short, thickened setae at the anterior margin of the labrum, a probable synapomorphy for the supertribe. Within Batrisini, L. yunnanus externally resembles members of the Oriental genera Batrisopsis Raffray and Ophelius Raffray, and, surprisingly, Batriscydmaenus tishechkini Parker and Owens from Central America, which is described in a companion paper. This similarity in general habitus may represent morphological convergence resulting from these beetles' shared symbiotic lifestyles with ants.

Beetle with long ‘nose’—A bizarre stem scydmaenine in amber from Myanmar (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

The staphylinid subfamily Scydmaeninae is a diverse assemblage of small predaceous beetles, represented by some 5360 extant and 51 extinct species. Recent explorations of Mesozoic scydmaenine fauna in Burmese, Canadian, French, and Spanish ambers have shed intriguing light on the early evolution, systematics, and particular aspects of predator-prey relationship among this group. However, in contrast to extant diversity, well-preserved fossils allowing for sufficient morphological studies and ecological reconstructions are extremely rare. Here we report a highly advanced glandulariine scydmaenine, Nuegua elongata Yin, Cai & Newton, gen. et sp. nov., based on a large series of fifteen exquisitely preserved specimens entombed in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new genus strikingly displays an extremely prolonged preocular region that accounts for over half of the head length—a structure unknown among all known living and extinct scydmaenines, but analogous to that of certain groups of the modern Laemophloeidae, Curculionoidea, Salpingidae, and Staphylinidae. We provide a formal description of the new genus, compare it with the most probably related taxa, and discuss possible functions of this bizarre head elongation. The discovery highlights the morphological disparity and palaeodiversity of the subfamily Scydmaeninae in late Mesozoic.

A new stem bythinine in Cretaceous Burmese amber and early evolution of specialized predatory behaviour in pselaphine rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Comprising more than 10,000 valid species, the staphylinid subfamily Pselaphinae is a major element of epigean habitats, and among the most diverse groups of rove beetles. Pselaphinae is split basally into two principal clades: the small supertribe Faronitae, and its sister group, the hyper-diverse ‘higher Pselaphinae’ containing the remaining five supertribes. Deducing the origins and divergence times of major higher Pselaphinae clades requires direct fossil evidence. Here we describe a new pselaphine rove beetle, Cretobythus excavatus Yin, Parker & Cai gen. et sp. nov., based on a well-preserved individual embedded in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Cenomanian, c. 99 Ma). Cretobythus does not obviously belong to any Recent tribe, but Bayesian phylogenetic placement using morphological characters supports a position within the stem-group of the tribe Bythinini, sister to Boreotethys Parker, a genus also recently described from Burmese amber. Together, Cretobythus + Boreotethys comprise the sister group of modern Bythinini. Despite some external similarities to Recent Bythinini, Cretobythus exhibits several plesiomorphic traits, including a generally flattened body plan, and metacoxae that are positioned close to the ventral midline. The resemblance in form of the enlarged maxillary palpi of Cretobythus to extant bythinines implies a similar function in prey capture, indicating that the unusual employment of the maxillary palps to trap moving prey in Bythinini had probably evolved by the mid-Cretaceous, at the latest.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9FEB523F-76A7-4502-AF02-FCC0FAAB262A

Ninety million years of chasing mites by ant-like stone beetles

Among insects, the largest group of the Animal Kingdom, rove beetles (Staphylinidae) have undergone an enormous adaptive radiation that resulted in over 62,000 extant species showing diverse body forms, structures and feeding specializations combining predaceous, mycophagous, saprophagous and phytophagous habits in one family. The morphology of extinct and extant species is well studied, but the evolutionary history of such a broad range of adaptations is scarcely documented in the fossil record, and therefore poorly understood. One of the most puzzling specializations is that of predaceous ant-like stone beetles (Scydmaeninae), a staphylinid subfamily whose members choose not a soft-bodied prey, but the most heavily sclerotized, well-protected armoured mites. Scydmaenines have evolved a unique prey capturing apparatus with adhesive suckers to capture their prey, and the feeding process is remarkably long, often exceeding 30h. The mouthparts with paired suckers cannot be used to catch any other kind of prey, and therefore finding such a device in extinct taxa implies specialized acarophagy. For the first time, we demonstrate that this very narrow specialization has ancient origins, and the Mesozoic (Turonian) Hyperstenichnus vendeanus Jałoszyński & Perrichot, gen. et sp. nov. from Vendean (French) amber was already an advanced, specialized mite killer. Surprisingly, the mouthpart modifications of the new species are more advanced than those in its extant relatives, suggesting that its (possibly too) narrowly specialized lineage has gone extinct. A long stasis of morphological structures is well known among Staphylinidae, and now also antiquity of narrow feeding specializations in rove beetles can be postulated, with unique habits remaining unchanged for over 90millionyears.

Deep-Time Convergence in Rove Beetle Symbionts of Army Ants

Recent adaptive radiations provide striking examples of convergence [1-4], but the predictability of evolution over much deeper timescales is controversial, with a scarcity of ancient clades exhibiting repetitive patterns of phenotypic evolution [5, 6]. Army ants areecologically dominant arthropod predators of theworld's tropics, with large nomadic colonies housing diverse communities of socially parasitic myrmecophiles [7]. Remarkable among these are many speciesof rove beetle (Staphylinidae) that exhibit ant-mimicking "myrmecoid" body forms and are behaviorally accepted into their aggressive hosts' societies: emigrating with colonies and inhabiting temporary nest bivouacs, grooming and feeding with workers, but also consuming the brood [8-11]. Here, we demonstrate that myrmecoid rove beetles are strongly polyphyletic, with this adaptive morphological and behavioral syndrome having evolved at least12 times during the evolution of a single staphylinid subfamily, Aleocharinae. Each independent myrmecoid clade is restricted to one zoogeographic region and highly host specific on a single army ant genus. Dating estimates reveal that myrmecoid cladesare separated by substantial phylogenetic distances-as much as 105 million years. All such groups arose in parallel during the Cenozoic, when army ants diversified into modern genera [12] and rose to ecological dominance [13, 14]. This work uncovers arare example of an ancient system of complex morphological and behavioral convergence, with replicate beetle lineages following a predictable phenotypic trajectory during their parasitic adaptation to host colonies.

Discovery of the oxyporine rove beetle in the Mesozoic amber and its evolutionary implications for mycophagy (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Oxyporinae is a distinct staphylinid subfamily characterized by a large body, remarkably long and projecting mandibles, and large, crescent-shaped terminal labial palpomeres. Previously, only three compression fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in China were known for the subfamily from the Mesozoic Era. This study describes a remarkable new species, Oxyporus cretaceous sp. nov., based on a single specimen in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. This finding is the earliest record of Oxyporinae preserved as amber inclusion. The well preserved mouthparts suggest that mycophagous feeding habits had already been acquired by the mid-Cretaceous.

The earliest oxyteline rove beetle in amber and its systematic implications (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae)

A new genus and species, Prajna tianmiaoae gen. & sp. nov., is described and figured based on a well-preserved individual in Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar. Prajna is definitely placed in the extant tribe Thinobiini Sahlberg of the staphylinid subfamily Oxytelinae Fleming based on its mostly convergent gular sutures, distinctly delimited and constricted neck, subulate maxillary palpi 4, stylus-bearing sternite IX in females, closely situated mesocoxae, spineless tibiae, 3-3-3 tarsal formula with strongly compressed basal two tarsomeres and with lobes on tarsomere 2, and typical Thinobiini-like pubescence. Prajna is separated from other allied genera by the depressions on the head, complete epistomal suture, slender maxillary palpomere 3, subulate palpomere 4, and tri-sulcate pronotum. The new genus combines some key characters of both Oxytelini and Thinobiini, indicating the close relatedness of the two tribes.

The first fossil of dasycerine rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber: Phylogenetic implications for the omaliine group subfamilies

The enigmatic staphylinid subfamily Dasycerinae consists of only 17 species within a single extant genus Dasycerus, but it is easily distinguished from other rove beetles by overall, latridiid beetle-like body and extremely slender, verticillate antennae. Direct fossil evidence is lacking for this group. Here, I describe the first fossil of this peculiar subfamily, Protodasycerus aenigmaticus gen. and sp. n., from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. Despite considerable external similarities to extant dasycerine species, this new genus possesses several important morphological differences: a much smaller body size (ca. 1.1 mm), narrowly elongate antennomeres 1 and 2, not strongly transverse metaventrite, elytra striate but not tricostate, and truncate posterior margin of the elytra exposing four abdominal tergites dorsally. The new finding of a Cretaceous representative of the Dasycerinae helps elucidate the origin and early evolution of the omaliine group subfamilies, implying rather close similarities between the Dasycerinae and the monobasic subfamily Neophoninae. Discovery of P. aenigmaticus suggests a rather ancient origin of the subfamily by the Upper Cretaceous.

Checklist and type designations of New Zealand Aleocharinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).

A checklist of all identified species of the staphylinid subfamily Aleocharinae known to occur in New Zealand and associated outer islands (including the Kermadec, Chatham and Auckland Islands) is presented. Included for each species, and for synonyms known from New Zealand, is a reference to the original description, type locality and type depository, and for each species the known distribution within and outside New Zealand. Type material was sought and is summarized for all indigenous New Zealand species, with lectotypes designated for 55 names and confirmation of holotypes and prior designation of lectotypes when necessary. One nomenclatural change is implemented: the preoccupied generic name Gyronotus Cameron is replaced by Marecon Blackwelder. Other taxonomic changes are not made, pending further study and revision that is badly needed. Of the 169 currently known species of Aleocharinae reported from New Zealand, at least 26 are believed to be adventive from elsewhere, two may occur naturally elsewhere, and 141 (83%) are evidently endemic to this region. Of the 65 genera represented by these described species, 27 (42%) are also endemic to the New Zealand region; an additional five genera represented in New Zealand only by unidentified or undescribed species are also noted. Ten genera are adventive. However, the actual aleocharine fauna of New Zealand will undoubtedly be much larger, and the generic composition highly modified, when the fauna is fully explored and studied in a world context.

The oldest micropepline beetle from Cretaceous Burmese amber and its phylogenetic implications (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).

The staphylinid subfamily Micropeplinae includes small strongly sclerotized beetles with truncate elytra leaving the most part of abdomen exposed. Fossil micropeplines are rare and confined to Cenozoic representatives of extant genera. Here, we describe the oldest micropepline, Protopeplus cretaceus gen. and sp. n., from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. Fluorescence microscope and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were both used to reveal diagnostic features of Micropeplinae and some primitive traits that place Protopeplus very basally within Micropeplinae.

Diverse oxyporine rove beetles from the Early Cretaceous of China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

AbstractTwo new genera and species, Protoxyporus grandis gen. et sp.n. and Cretoxyporus extraneus gen. et sp.n., are described and figured on the basis of two well‐preserved impression fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China. The two genera display a combination of traits that are diagnostic of the extant staphylinid subfamily Oxyporinae: large and prominent mandibles, distinctly separated mesocoxae, abdominal tergites III–VII each with a pair of basolateral ridges, and abdominal intersegmental membranes with ‘brick‐wall’ pattern. Protoxyporus differs from extant Oxyporus in retaining the following plesiomorphic features: an elongate intercoxal process (or longitudinal carina) between metacoxae, relatively narrowly separated mesocoxae, less developed metaventral anterior process, and long infraorbital ridges. Cretoxyporus is morphologically very similar to Oxyporus, but retains distinct elongate infraorbital ridges. The discovery of two new oxyporine genera suggests that the early oxyporines were more diverse and their evolutionary history more complicated than previously documented.This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:11503976‐D577‐45D2‐ACCB‐8226782EF817.

First rove beetles from the Jurassic Talbragar Fish Bed of Australia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

The first two rove beetle fossils discovered from the Late Jurassic Talbragar Fish Bed in New South Wales, Australia are described and illustrated.Juroglypholoma talbragarensen. sp. is the second fossil record for one of the smallest and latest recognized staphylinid subfamily Glypholomatinae. The other staphylinid,Protachinus minorn. gen. n. sp., is an unusual member of extant subfamily Tachyporinae (tribe Tachyporini). It significantly retains several distinct features, including entire epistomal suture, and abdominal tergites III–VI each with a pair of basolateral ridges. The discovery of a new glypholomatine in Australia, together with recently reported one from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou biota of China, suggests the subfamily Glypholomatinae was probably much more widespread in the Jurassic than previously thought.

Molecular phylogeny of the beetle tribe Oxypodini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae)

AbstractThis is the first study to comprehensively address the phylogeny of the tribe Oxypodini Thomson and its phylogenetic relationships to other tribes within the staphylinid subfamily Aleocharinae. Using the hitherto largest molecular dataset of Aleocharinae comprising of 4599 bp for representatives of 22 tribes, the Oxypodini are recovered as non‐monophyletic. Members of the tribe belong to three distantly related lineages within the Aleocharinae: (i) the Amarochara group as sister clade to the tribe Aleocharini, (ii) the subtribe Tachyusina within a clade that also includes the tribes Athetini and Hygronomini, (iii) all other Oxypodini in a clade that also includes the tribes Placusini, Hoplandriini and Liparocephalini. Based on the inferred phylogeny, five subtribes of the Oxypodini are recognized: Dinardina Mulsant & Rey, Meoticina Seevers, Microglottina Fenyes, Oxypodina Thomson and Phloeoporina Thomson. The following changes in the classification of the Aleocharinae are proposed: (i) Amarochara Thomson is removed from the Oxypodini and placed in the tribe Aleocharini; (ii) the subtribe Taxicerina Lohse of the Athetini is reinstated as tribe Taxicerini to include Discerota Mulsant & Rey, Halobrecta Thomson (both removed from the Oxypodini) and Taxicera Mulsant & Rey; (iii) the subtribe Tachyusina Thomson is excluded from the Oxypodini and provisionally treated as tribe Tachyusini; (iv) the oxypodine subtribe name Blepharhymenina Klimaszewski & Peck is placed in synonymy with the subtribe name Dinardina Mulsant & Rey.

A basal oxyteline rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from the Early Cretaceous of China: Oldest record for the tribe Euphaniini

A remarkable new rove beetle, Protodeleaster glaber gen. et sp. nov, is described and illustrated based on two well-preserved specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China. The new genus is placed in the extant staphylinid subfamily Oxytelinae, and recent tribe Euphaniini, based on several characteristic features (e.g. a single pair of wide paratergites on abdominal segments; open procoxal fissures; contiguous mesocoxae; abdominal sternite II short and poorly sclerotized). This find from the Early Cretaceous documents the oldest fossil representative of the tribe Euphaniini. Morphologically, it resembles most closely the recent genus Platydeleaster Schülke, 2003, an unusual member of the extant Oxytelinae. According to the currently accepted hypothesis of the phylogenetic position of Euphaniini and the prior discovery of other taxa from the Late Jurassic, we suggest the tribe might have first appeared at least as early as the Late Jurassic.

Corrigendum to: Cladistic analysis and revision of Piestus Gravenhorst with remarks on related genera (Coleoptera : Staphylinidae : Piestinae)

Rove beetles of the genus Piestus Gravenhorst, 1806 are commonly captured under the bark of or inside decaying logs from Neotropical forests. Piestus belongs to the subfamily Piestinae, historically an ill-defined dumping-ground for Staphylinidae defined by plesiomorphic characters, but which has gradually been restricted in concept and currently includes only six additional extant genera worldwide. Piestinae in this restricted sense has been considered a probably monophyletic subfamily, but its status and phylogenetic position, as a possible sister-group of Osoriinae within the recently proposed Oxyteline group of staphylinid subfamilies, are uncertain and need confirmation. The main aim of the present study was to provide a morphological cladistic analysis and complete taxonomic revision of Piestus, which, as the type and most speciose genus of Piestinae, is critical for future phylogenetic studies involving the subfamily. In our study, the monophyly of Piestus is established and phylogenetic relationships among its species are proposed based on 70 adult morphological characters. Piestus is supported by 11 synapomorphies and high branch support. All species of Piestus are revised and the genus is redefined. The genus contains 43 species, including 13 species described here for the first time. The previously proposed subgenera Antropiestus Bernhauer, 1917, Eccoptopiestus Scheerpeltz, 1952, Elytropiestus Scheerpeltz, 1952, Lissopiestus Scheerpeltz, 1952, Piestus s. str., Trachypiestus Scheerpeltz, 1952 and Zirophorus Dalman, 1821 have not been confirmed, as they were found to be poly- or paraphyletic, or are here removed from Piestus, and therefore subgenera are not used. The main taxonomic changes are as follows. Lissopiestus, syn. nov. is proposed as new synonym of Eleusis Laporte, 1835 and its species, E. interrupta (Erichson, 1840), comb. rest., is transferred again to that genus. Antropiestus, syn. nov. and Eccoptopiestus, syn. nov. are proposed as new synonyms of Hypotelus Erichson, 1839 and their species, H. laevis (Solsky, 1872), comb. nov. and H. andinus (Bernhauer, 1917), comb. nov., are transferred to Hypotelus. Fourteen new synonymies are proposed (valid species listed first): P. lacordairei Laporte, 1835 = Z. furcatus Sharp, 1887, syn. nov.; P. capricornis Laporte, 1835 = P. frontalis Sharp, 1876, syn. nov.; P. pennicornis Fauvel, 1864 = P. plagiatus Fauvel, 1864, syn. nov.; P. rectus Sharp, 1876, syn. nov.; P. pygialis Fauvel, 1902, syn. nov.; P. surinamensis Bernhauer, 1928, syn. nov.; P. minutus Erichson, 1840 = P. nigrator Fauvel, 1902, syn. nov.; P. sulcatus Gravenhorst, 1806 = P. sanctaecatharinae Bernhauer, 1906, syn. nov.; P. condei Wendeler, 1955, syn. nov.; P. gounellei Fauvel, 1902 = P. wasmanni Fauvel, 1902, syn. nov.; P. mexicanus Laporte, 1835 = P. alternans Sharp, 1887, syn. nov.; P. aper Sharp, 1876 = P. schadei Scheerpeltz, 1952, syn. nov.; P. angularis Fauvel, 1864 = P. crassicornis Sharp, 1887, syn. nov.; H. andinus (Bernhauer, 1917) = P. strigipennis Bernhauer, 1921, syn. nov. One species is revalidated: P. fronticornis (Dalman, 1821), stat. rev., and one synonym is restored: P. penicillatus (Dalman, 1821) = P. erythropus Erichson, 1840, syn. rest. Neotypes are designated for P. lacordairei Laporte, 1835 and Oxytelus bicornis Olivier, 1811, and lectotypes are designated for P. puncticollis Fauvel, 1902, P. capricornis variety muticus Fauvel, 1902, P. zischkai Scheerpeltz, 1951, P. pennicornis Fauvel, 1864, P. plagiatus Fauvel, 1864, P. pygmaeus Laporte, 1835, P. niger Fauvel 1864, P. minutus Erichson, 1840, P. nigratror Fauvel, 1902, P. sulcatus Gravenhorst, 1806, P. sanctaecatharinae Bernhauer, 1906, P. sulcipennis Scheerpeltz, 1952, P. aper Sharp, 1876, P. schadei Scheerpeltz, 1952 and P. andinus Bernhauer, 1917.