A REVISION OF THE NEW WORLD MICROPEPLINAE (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE) WITH A REARRANGEMENT OF THE WORLD SPECIES

Abstract

The New World species of the staphylinid subfamily Micropeplinae are revised. Three genera are recognized: Kalissus Leconte with 1 species, Micropeplus Latreille with 11 species, and Peplomicrus Bernhauer with 3 species. Of the three previously recognized subgenera of Micropeplus, Arrhenopeplus Koch is placed in synonymy with Micropeplus, and Peplomicrus is elevated to generic status. New species are: M. durangoensis from Mexico, M. neotomae from California and Oregon, M. browni from eastern Canada and the United States, M. robustus from California and Oregon, M. lecontei from southern California, and P. dybasi from Costa Rica and Panama. Micropeplus obliquus Leconte is placed in synonymy with M. sculptus Leconte, and M. oregonensis Hatch is placed in synonymy with M. punctatus Leconte. The genus Micropeplus is divided into six species groups based on an examination of both Old and New World species. A checklist of the species of Micropeplinae places all the described species in the proposed classification. Two African species, M. africanus Cameron and M. carayoni Jarrige, and one Central American species, M. acumen Sharp, are transferred to the genus Peplomicrus.