Liothorax plagiatus (Linné, 1767)

(Figs. 42–48)

Scarabaeus plagiatus: Linné 1767: 559

Psammodius elongatus: Stephens 1830: 209, Dellacasa 1983: 435 ( Aphodius plagiatus ab. elongatus)

Aphodius longulus: Ménétriés 1847: 44, Harold 1871: 264 (as a synonym of A. plagiatus)

Aphodius plagiatus: Erichson 1848: 835

Liothorax plagiatus: Motschulsky 1859: 157, Ádám 1994: 14, Dellacasa et al. 2001a: 169

Aphodius (Nialus) plagiatus: Mulsant & Rey, 1870: 462, Reitter 1892: 204, Schmidt 1913: 168

Aphodius plagiatus ab. bivittatus: Everts 1903: 27 (unavailable name), Dellacasa 1995: 167 (as a synonym of A. plagiatus)

Aphodius (Liothorax) plagatus: Bedel 1911: 75 (incorrect subsequent spelling)

Aphodius (Nialus) jakutorum: Balthasar 1938: 213, Balthasar 1964: 422 (as a synonym of A. plagiatus)

Aphodius plagiatus ab. parvomaculatus: Schmidt 1938: 43 (unavailable name)

Aphodius (Nialus) plagiatus hungaricus: Endrödi 1955: 48

Aphodius (Liothorax) plagiatus: Dellacasa 1983: 282, Dellacasa et al. 2001a: 8

Type locality: Europa (for Liothorax plagiatus).

Type depository: Probably in the Linnean Society collection, London (for Liothorax plagiatus).

Redescription: Length 3.0–4.0 mm; body elongate, subcylindrical, convex, glabrous; shiny, sometimes with metallic shine. Color black; clypeal margin and sides of pronotum vaguely brown; elytra with longitudinal elongate red spot; antennal club black; legs piceous with paler tarsi (Fig. 46); some individuals have elytra with small and short longitudinal red stripe (Fig. 47); some individuals have elytra entirely black with metallic tinge (Fig. 48). Head rather large; anteriorly at middle gibbose, with regular and dense punctures on disc, punctation rugose and coarse laterally. Clypeus weakly sinuate medially, rounded laterally; genae rounded, protruding beyond eyes; frontal suture almost faint. Pronotum moderately convex, with dual and irregular punctures, large punctures two times larger than small; lateral margins with thin border; hind angles obtusely rounded; base usually with border interrupted medially, rarely basal border of pronotum extremely thin but entire. Scutellum narrow, microreticulate, with sparse punctures. Elytra suboval; striae fine, with superficial punctures, not crenulate; interstriae flat, with sparse and superficial punctures. First tarsomere of hind tarsi weakly widened apically. Hind tibiae with superior apical spur as long as first tarsomere; first tarsomere longer than following three combined. Male head with medial gibbosity more distinct and pronotum on disc with more sparse punctures than in female; metasternal plate concave and finely pubescent. Female metasternal plate flat and glabrous.

Distribution: Central and Southern Europe (except Italy); Tunisia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Russia, Siberia, China.

Bionomy: This species is phytosaprophagous and probably eterotopic, in southern areas probably stenotopic. Adults can be found from spring to autumn but mainly in late spring. This species is found exclusively in swampy open habitats and larvae often occur near salty coastal swamps.