Hypocacculus (Nessus), Reichardt, 1932

Lackner, Tomáš, 2010, Review of the Palaearctic genera of Saprininae (Coleoptera: Histeridae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 50, pp. 1-254 : 134

Subgenus Nessus Reichardt, 1932

Nessus Reichardt, 1932: 32 . Nessus : REICHARDT (1941): 293; KRYZHANOVSKIJ & REICHARDT (1976): 202, 207; VIENNA (1980): 171, 178; MAZUR & KASZAB (1980): 45; MAZUR (1984): 86; MAZUR (1997): 252; YÉLAMOS (2002): 308, 318; MAZUR (2004): 93.

Type species: Saprinus rubripes Erichson, 1834 , original designation.

Diagnosis. The subgenus Nessus differs from the subgenera Hypocacculus and Colpellus by densely and usually coarsely punctated frontal disc, often with shallow irregular rugae (frontal disc occasionally coarsely granulate, especially in several species from the Afrotropical Region); frontal stria usually well impressed, curved or straight, in most cases interrupted behind eyes; supraorbital stria usually absent.

Biology. As it is common with this genus, members of this subgenus are mostly found on carrion and in dung, excrements, etc. Several species are apparently psammophilous (e.g. Hypocacculus (Nessus) eremobius Reichardt, 1932 ).

Distribution. This subgenus includes the bulk (about 54 species) of representatives of the genus Hypocacculus , and is especially species-rich in the Afrotropical Region. Several species occur as far east as India and Sri Lanka. Hypocacculus (Nessus) interpunctatus has been introduced into Australia ( MAZUR 1997).

Species examined. Hypocacculus (Nessus) ascendens Reichardt, 1932 , H. (N.) balux Reichardt, 1932 , H. (N.) baudii ( Schmidt, 1890) , H. (N.) controversus G. Müller, 1937 , H. (N.) eremobius Reichardt, 1932 , H. (N.) grosclaudei ( Normand, 1935) , H. (N.) hosseinus ( Théry, 1921) , H. (N.) interpunctatus ( Schmidt, 1885a) , H. (N.) kiseritzkyi Reichardt, 1932 , H. (N.) occator Reichardt, 1932 , H. (N.) orbus Reichardt, 1932 , H. (N.) oxytropis Reichardt, 1932 , H. (N.) rubripes ( Erichson, 1834) , H. (N.) rufipes ( Kugelann, 1792) , H. (N.) tigris araxis Reichardt, 1932 , H. (N.) tigris tigris ( Marseul, 1862) , H. (N.) vethi ( Bickhardt, 1912) , H. (N.) vlasovi Kryzhanovskij, 1966 .

Notes on the taxonomic status of Hypocacculus (Nessus) grosclaudei . Hypocacculus (N.) grosclaudei has been originally described in the genus Exaesiopus . However, PEYERIMHOFF (1936) proposed to include it in the genus Hypocacculus , subgenus Nessus . Although KRYZHA- NOVSKIJ & REICHARDT (1976) likewise objected placing it in Exaesiopus, MAZUR (1984, 1997 ) left its taxonomic status unchanged. After examining several specimens of this species (one of them has been compared with the type species by Peyerimhoff (MNHN )) the opinion of PEYERIMHOFF (1936) is upheld in this work.