Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 98. (Budapest 2006)

Makranczy, Gy.: Systematics and phylogenetic relationships of the genera in the Carpelimus group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae)

LARVAE OF THE CARPELIMUS GROUP Although immatures of certain genera (e.g. Bledius) are frequently encountered, descriptions of larval stages of Oxytelinae are sparse in the literature. There are only a few works devoted to the immatures of this subfamily (e.g. STANIEC 2001). Descriptions of the larvae of the most important genera can be found in POTOTSKAYA 1967, KASULE 1968, BOURNE 1975, GlLDENKOV 1996 and STANIEC 1997, 1999. The larvae of Staphylinidae are distinguished from other Coleoptera by the (1) urogomphi on tergum IX, (2) mandibles without contiguous molar lobes at bases, (3) maxilla with a simple, undevided inner lobe (fixed or articulated). In most situations the larvae of Staphylinidae can be found together with those of Carabidae (riparian habitats) and Hydrophilidae (dung). They are distinguished from Carabidae by ( 1 ) articulated urogomphi, (2) having only a single segment without claws (tarsungulus) beyond the tibia of the legs. They are distinguished from Hydrophilidae by articulated appendage at the apex of the stipes of the maxilla, rather than on the first apparent palpal segment. Larvae of the subfamily Oxytelinae (Figs 106-107) are characterized by (1) left and right mandibles (rather wide at apex) approximately symmetrical (with similar number of subapical teeth), (2) penultimate segment of maxillary palp as long or shorter than preceding segment or urogomphus falciform, (3) urogomphus one-segmented, (4) four or less stemma, (5) ligula transverse, truncate. Within Oxytelinae, the larvae of Deleasterini ( 1 ) have more than one stemmata (4 or 3) in a curve and (2) urogomphi clubbed. The larvae of Coprophilini are distinguished by their (1) stemma absent and (2) urogomphi strongly falcate. For the tribe Planeustomini, there are no larvae known (NEWTON, pers. comm.). For Blediini, larvae are known only for Bledius (NEWTON, pers. comm.); since the life habits of these are rather similar to adults and they frequently appear together with them in large numbers (MAKRANCZY, pers. obs.), their collection and association to adults is relatively easy (does not require rearing or special collecting techniques) and descriptions are many. Although earlier literature mentioned a "brush" of stiff setae at the apex of the maxillary mala, this does not appear consistently throughout the genus. The larvae of Oxytelini are characterized by (1) stemmata one to three in a curve, (2) urogomphus (frequently) concavely pointed at apex. All the known larvae of the Carpelimus group have distinctive dark stretch marks in abdominal intersegmental membranes (Fig. 101). Most other Oxytelinae lack this feature (Fig. 100). Although the larvae of the genera Blediotrogus, Pareiobledius and Teropalpus were not studied personally by the author, the occurrence of these dark stretch marks in Blediotrogus and Teropalpus were confirmed by NEWTON (pers. comm.) and in Pareiobledius implied in a letter (2000) from HAMMOND (pers. comm.), who col-