Macrocheles merdarius (Berlese)

(Figures 8–11)

Holostaspis merdarius Berlese, 1889: 1 .

Macrocheles merdarius .— Sellnick, 1940: 86; Evans & Browning, 1956: 21; Filipponi & Pegazzano, 1963: 83; Axtell, 1963: 628; Krantz & Filipponi, 1964: 36; Karg, 1971: 134; Emberson, 1973: 120; Bregetova, 1977: 353; Takaku & Hartini, 2001: 326; Hartini & Takaku, 2003: 1265; Hartini et al., 2003: 309; Hartini et al., 2005: 204; Hartini & Takaku, 2006: 32.

Material examined. 15 females—Cuba, north of Matanzas Province, on Ataenius terminalis (Chevrolat) ( Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

Remarks. Macrocheles merdarius is a common cosmopolitan species that has been collected from many species of dung beetles around the world. It is easily recognised by its small size, the simple and needle-like dorsal shield setae (Figure 8), except J5 slightly pilose, genu IV with six setae, anterior section of sternal shield with linea arcuata connected by transverse lines (Figure 10), and ventral shields ornamented with very faint sculptural pattern and punctations (Figure 11).