Determination of species and instars of the larvae of the Afrotropical species of Thanatophilus Leach, 1817 (Coleoptera, Silphidae)

By

Daniel, Claire A.
Midgley, John M.
Villet, M. H. (Martin Herrer)

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2017-5-17

Original Publication

African invertebrates : a journal of biodiversity research

Volume

58

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

1--10

Subjects

Africa , Forensic entomology , Silpha , Silphidae , Taxonomic key , Thanatophilus

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa Council of the Natal Museum 2001-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.58.12966

 

Abstract

Thanatophilus micans and T. mutilatus have significance for forensic entomology. Their larvae are therefore described and a key is provided for identifying the larvae of Afrotropical Silphidae based on morphological characters. It is shown that seven common species of Thanatophilus can be distinguished by a 360 bp mtDNA sequence from the cytochrome oxidase I gene.