Scaphisoma Leach

Leschen, Richard A. B. & Löbl, Ivan, 2005, Phylogeny And Classification Of Scaphisomatini Staphylinidae: Scaphidiinae With Notes On Mycophagy, Termitophily, And Functional Morphology, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 3) 59, pp. 1-63 : 24-25

Scaphisoma Leach

Scaphisoma Leach, 1815: 89 . Type species: Silpha agaricina Linnaeus, 1758 , by monotypy.

Scaphosoma Agazzi, 1846: 332 . Unjustified emendation.

Caryoscapha Ganglbauer, 1899: 343 (as subgenus of Scaphosoma ). Type species: Scaphisoma limbatum Erichson, 1845 ; by monotypy. New Synonymy.

Scaphiomicrus Casey, 1900: 58 . Type species: Scaphisoma pusilla LeConte, 1860 , by original designation. Synonymy by Fall, 1910: 119.

Pseudoscaphosoma Pic, 1915: 31 . Type species: Pseudoscaphosoma testaceomaculatum Pic, 1915 ; by original designation. Synonymy by Löbl, 1975.

Scutoscaphosoma Pic, 1916: 3 (subgenus of Scaphosoma ). Type species: Scaphosoma (Scutoscaphosoma) rouyeri Pic, 1916 , by monotypy. Synonymy by Löbl, 1981.

Scaphella Achard, 1924: 29 . Type species: Scaphosoma antennatum Achard, 1919 ; by original designation. Synonymy by Löbl, 1970.

Macrobaeocera Pic, 1924: 195 . Type species: Scaphosoma phungi Pic, 1922 , by monotypy. Synonymy by Löbl, 1975.

Mimoscaphosoma Pic, 1928 a: 49 (subgenus). Type species: Scaphosoma [tabul.] ( Mimoscaphosoma ) bruchi Pic, 1928 a; by monotypy.

Macroscaphosoma Löbl, 1970:128 (subgenus Macroscaphosoma Pic, 1928 b: 33 , unavailiable). Type species: Macroscaphosoma collarti Löbl 1970 ; by original designation. New Synonymy.

Metalloscapha Löbl, 1975: 384 . Type species: Metalloscapha papua Löbl, 1975 ; by original designation. Synonymy by Löbl, 2002.

Comments. Caryoscapha , Macroscaphosoma , and Metalloscapha , share many features in common with Scaphisoma , and these are characters that are synapomorphies for the Scaphisoma group. We included Metalloscapha as a terminal in this analysis, even though the genus was considered recently as a synonym of Scaphisoma by Löbl (2002). We believe that this group of four genera form a basal grade of taxa, and while it may seem justifiable to remove Metalloscapha from synonymy, we reject this action and instead move to synonymize Caryoscapha and Macroscaphosoma with Scaphisoma and accept the status of Metalloscapha as a synonymn of Scaphisoma . Scaphisoma is the largest genus with almost 600 species world wide, and can be divided into several species groups (e.g., Löbl 1970, 1971, 1979), some of which are quite distinctive, like Metalloscapha papua which has an elongate third antennomere. But upon closer inspection of the genus by Löbl (2002), it was demonstrated that having an elongate third antennomere is variable in Scaphisoma , though rare, and the synonymy was justified based on this argument as well as similarities in the genitalia among taxa that are related to Metalloscapha papua .

Similarly, members of Caryoscapha differ from all other described Scaphisoma by a securiform and grooved apical maxillary palpus (Löbl 1987, character 6-2), but based on C. americana Löbl , it has larval and pupal characters that do not significantly differ from the generic concept of Scaphisoma ( Leschen 1988) . Not considering the palpal character, members of Caryoscapha would fall within the Scaphisoma subalpinum group, so Caryoscapha would make Scaphisoma paraphyletic. The securiform palpomere, like the elongate third antennomere, is a rather rare character in Scaphisoma , but is variable in the genus, with other species, including at least one undescribed Neotropical species having this feature.

Macroscaphosoma is distinctive from most Scaphisoma by having strong microsculpture covering its body surfaces. Many Scaphisoma have microsculpture, usually confined to certain body regions (like the ventrites), but in these species it isn’t as strongly impressed as it is in Macroscaphosoma . Based on other characters, Macroscaphosoma simply appears to be another modified Scaphisoma . Meanwhile, regarding the name Macroscaphosoma, Löbl (1970) using this name did not realize that Pic’s (1928 b) subgeneric name is unavailable, and making it available he became its author.

We believe that to test the question of Scaphisoma monophyly deserves a thorough study of the genus, and assume here that it is monophyletic by invoking a broader concept of the genus. Specimens examined of Scaphisoma to determine the synonymies recognised here are deposited in the MHNG.

New Combinations. From Caryoscapha : Scaphisoma americanum (Löbl, 1987) , S. limbatum Erichson, 1845 (as in original combination), S. monticola (Löbl, 1987) , S. seorsum (Löbl, 1965) . From Macroscaphosoma : S. collarti (Löbl, 1970) , S. feai (Löbl, 1970) .