A revision of the genus Mecistostethus Marseul (Histeridae, Histerinae, Exosternini)

By

Caterino, Michael S. (Michael Stephen), 1969-
Tishechkin, Alexey
Dégallier, Nicolas

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2012

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

213

Pages

63-78

Subjects

Exosternini , Histeridae , Mecistostethus , myrmecophily , Neotropical region

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.213.3552

 

Abstract

We revise the genus Mecistostethus Marseul, sinking the monotypic genus Tarsilister Bruch as a junior synonym. Mecistostethus contains six valid species: M. pilifer Marseul, M. loretoensis (Bruch), comb. n., M. seagorum sp. n., M. carltoni sp. n., M. marseuli sp. n., and M. flechtmanni sp. n. The few existing records show the genus to be widespread in tropical and subtropical South America, from northern Argentina to western Amazonian Ecuador and French Guiana. Only a single host record associates one species with the ant Pachycondyla striata Smith (Formicidae: Ponerinae), but it is possible that related ants host all the species.