APHODIINAE

Peck, Stewart B., 2011, The beetles of Martinique, Lesser Antilles (Insecta: Coleoptera); diversity and distributions, Insecta Mundi 2011 (178), pp. 1-57 : 13-15

SUBFAMILY APHODIINAE

TRIBE APHODIINI

Labarrus lividus (Olivier) 1789: 86 ( Scarabaeus ); Arrow 1903 502 (as Aphodius ); Chapin 1940: 6; Paulian 1947a: 36 ( Nialus ); Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 794; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 7; Chalumeau 1983a: 57 (as Aphodius ( Nialus )); Valentine and Ivie 2005: 276; generic synonymy in Gordon and Skelley 2007: 262; Skelley et al. 2007: 5. Distribution. Cuba, Désirade, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guana, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Croix; perhaps on practically all West Indian islands. Nearly cosmopolitan; probably from USA to Mexico to Argentina; native to the Old World and introduced to the New World; introduced to Lesser Antilles. Notes. This species has commonly been confused with Labarrus pseudolividus and all island records listed above (mostly from Chapin 1940: 6) need confirmation ( Gordon and Skelley 2007: 263). Common in cow dung and other excrement.

Labarrus pseudolividus (Balthasar) 1941: 148 ( Aphodius ); Marquet and Roguet 2003: 11; Gordon and Skelley 2007: 263; Skelley et al. 2007: 5; Ivie et al. 2008b: 244 ( Aphodius ); Turnbow and Thomas 2008: 49. Distribution. Bahamas, Martinique; Montserrat; introduced to Lesser Antilles. Introduced to and now widespread in the New World; probably on most of the islands listed for L. lividus above, with which it has been commonly confused. Notes. Material must be reexamined to accurately delimit the distribution of this species; keys to separate the two are in Gordon and Skelley (2007).

Nialaphodius nigrita (Fabricius) 1801: 73 ( Aphodius ); Gordon and Skelley 2007: 265; Ivie et al. 2008b: 244 ( Aphodius ). = A. cuniculus Chevrolat 1864: 411 , Chapin 1940: 7; Ramos 1946: 41; Wolcott 1950: 248 of Puerto Rico, of Mona, of Vieques; synonymy in Bordat 1990: 62; Paulian 1947a: 37 ( Nialus ); Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 795; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 8; Chalumeau 1983a: 58; Bennett and Alam 1985: 22; Woodruff et al. 1998: 32 (all as Aphodius ( Nialus )); Valentine and Ivie 2005: 276; generic synonymy in Skelley et al. 2007; Turnbow and Thomas 2008: 49. = A. granarius variety guadeloupensis Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 395 . Distribution. Antigua, Barbados, Carriacou, Cuba, Désirade, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guana, Hispaniola, Les Saintes, Jamaica, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Mona, Montserrat, Mustique, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. John, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Vincent, Tortola, Vieques. Widespread southern USA, Mexico to widespread South America , Tobago; introduced to Lesser Antilles. Introduced to New World from Afro-tropical region; worldwide in tropics and subtropics. Notes. Common in cow dung.

TRIBE EUPARIINI

Ataenius brevicollis (Wollaston) 1854: 229 ( Oxyomus ); Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 807; Chalumeau 1978: 42, 1983a: 77; Stebnicka 2007a: 58, 2007b: 63; Ivie et al. 2008b: 244; Turnbow and Thomas 2008: 48. = Ataenius sulcatulus Chevrolat 1864: 413 of Cuba; Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 397 and Paulian 1947a: 42 of Guadeloupe. = Ataenius lherminieri Paulian 1947a: 43 of Guadeloupe; Chalumeau 1983a: 77. Distribution. Bahamas, Cuba, Désirade, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Les Saintes, Martinique, Montserrat. USA (FL, MS, TX); widespread Antilles and North and/or Central America . Introduced to Madeira, Canary Islands, Portugal; anthropophilic. Notes. The synonymy of A. lherminieri is in doubt, and the species has not been seen again (F. Chalumeau, pers. comm., December, 2010).

Ataenius carinator Harold 1874: 20 ; Stebnicka 2007b: 76; Turnbow and Thomas 2008: 48. = Ataenius vincentiae Arrow 1903: 513 ; Chapin 1940: 19; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 801; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 11; Chalumeau 1983a: 65; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 11; Ivie et al. 2008b: 244. Distribution. Bahamas, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent. USA (FL), Mexico to Costa Rica, Venezuela to Bolivia, Brazil, Peru; widespread New World. Notes. Adults attracted to lights; found in cow dung. F. Chalumeau (pers. comm., December, 2010) does not agree with Stebnicka’s placement of A. vincentiae as a junior synonym, but views it as a distinct species.

Ataenius cribrithorax Bates 1887: 95 ; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 14; Stebnicka 2007b: 16. Distribution. Cuba, Dominica, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Thomas. Mexico to Panama; widespread Antilles and North and/or Central America . Notes. Adults attracted to lights; found in cow dung. The possibility needs to be checked that this is a synonym of A. nugator (F. Chalumeau, pers. comm., December, 2010).

Ataenius gracilis (Melsheimer) 1845: 137 ( Oxyomus ); Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 397; Chapin 1940: 25; Paulian 1947a: 44; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 806; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 12; Chalumeau 1978: 44, 1983a: 74; Bennett and Alam 1985: 22; Woodruff et al. 1998: 33; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 11; Stebnicka 2007b: 79; Ivie et al. 2008b: 244; Turnbow and Thomas 2008: 48. = A. chilensis Solier 1851: 72 of Barbados in Woodruff et al. 1998: 33. Distribution. Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Vincent, Vieques. Canada, United States; throughout the Neotropics (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Galapagos Islands); widespread New World. Notes. Adults attracted to lights; found in cow dung.

Ataenius luteomargo Chapin 1940: 36 ; Paulian 1947a: 41; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 811; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 12; Chalumeau 1983a: 84; Bennett and Alam 1985: 22; Woodruff et al. 1998: 33; Stebnicka 2002: 270, 2007b: 22. = A. terminalis Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 396 ; Uyttenboogaart 1902: 116 of Barbados; Arrow 1903: 512 (not Chevrolat). = A. versicolor Hinton 1937: 183 (not Schmidt) of Barbados. Distribution. Antigua, Barbados, Désirade, Dominica (type locality), Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, St. Lucia; not Jamaica. Panama, Surinam, Venezuela; widespread Antilles and Latin America . Notes. Adults attracted to lights, found in cow dung.

Ataenius morator Harold 1869: 103 , Stebnicka 2003: 243, 2007b: 32. = A. picipes Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 397 , Paulian 1947a: 43; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 804; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 13; Chalumeau 1978: 44, 1983a: 71 (synonymy). = A. tenebrosus Arrow 1903: 512 ; Chapin 1940: 23; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 804 (as synonym of A. picipes ). Distribution. Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Vieques. Trinidad, Venezuela south to Argentina; widespread Antilles and Latin America . Notes. In rotting materials, especially dung; frequent in light traps. Fortuné Chalumeau (pers. comm., December, 2010) does not agree with Stebnicka’s placement of A. tenebrosus as a junior synonym, but views it as a distinct species.

A. nugator Harold 1880: 41 ; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 812; Chalumeau 1983a: 83; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 11; Stebnicka 2007b: 15. Distribution. Cuba, Dominica, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Thomas. Mexico to Panama, Colombia and Venezuela to Brazil, Bolivia, Peru; widespread Antilles and Latin America . Notes. Adults attracted to lights; found in cow dung.

[ Ataenius platensis (Blanchard) 1837 -1846: 185 ( Oxyomus ); Hinton 1937: 177; Stebnicka 2005: 124, 2007b: 50; Turnbow and Thomas 2008: 48. Distribution. Bahamas, Mexico to Venezuela to Chile and Argentina; widespread Antilles (but not present in the Lesser Antilles). Not Martinique (erroneous record in Hinton 1937: 177, questioned by Chalumeau 1983a: 215).]

Ataenius picinus Harold 1867: 281 ; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 810; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 14; Chalumeau 1978: 44, 1983a: 80; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 11; Stebnicka 2004: 224, 2007b: 42. = A. elongatus Palisot de Beauvois 1811: 104 , Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 397 of Guadeloupe. = A. darlingtoni Hinton 1937: 179 ; Chapin 1940: 30; Ramos 1946: 41; Paulian 1947a: 40. Distribution. Antigua, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Mona, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Vincent. Widespread New World; nearly cosmopolitan; United States, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay; Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, New Zealand. The most widely distributed species in the genus, and undoubtedly on all islands of the Lesser Antilles. Notes. Adults attracted to lights; found in cow dung.

Ataenius scabrellus Schmidt 1909: 118 ; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 807; Stebnicka 2003: 227, 2007b: 27; Ivie et al. 2008b: 244; Turnbow and Thomas 2008: 48. = A. havanensis Balthasar 1938: 56 ; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 807; Chalumeau 1983a: 75. = A. miamii Chapin 1940: 41 ; Ramos 1946: 41; Bennett and Alam 1985: 22; Tucker 1952: 342 of Barbados; Miskimen and Bond 1970: 97 of St. Croix; a valid species and it is not known from the Lesser Antilles ( Stebnicka 2007b: 27). = A. fleutiauxi Paulian 1947a: 42 of Guadeloupe. Distribution. Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Bahamas, Désirade, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Les Saintes, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mona, Montserrat, St. Croix, St. Kitts. USA (FL); Venezuela, Guyana; widespread Antilles and Latin America . Notes. Fortuné Chalumeau (pers. comm., December, 2010) indicates that Stebnicka’s placement of A. havanensis as a synonym is wrong and that it is a valid species.

Ataenius scutellaris Harold 1867: 82 ; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 803; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 14; Chalumeau 1978: 44, 1983a: 69; Bennett and Alam 1985: 22; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 11; Valentine and Ivie 2005: 276; Stebnicka 2007a: 48, 2007b: 59; Ivie et al. 2008b: 244. = Ataenius frater Arrow 1903: 512 of St. Vincent; Chapin 1940: 32; Woodruff et al. 1998: 33 of Grenada. = A. elongatus Beauvois 1811: 104 ; Fleutiaux and Sallé 1890: 397 of Guadeloupe. Distribution. Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guana, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. Vincent, Tortola. Mexico to Bolivia and Brazil, Trinidad; widespread Antilles and Latin America ; introduced to Vanuatu (New Hebrides), Seychelles, Mascarenes, Malaya. Notes. Adults attracted to lights; found in cow dung.

Ataenius strigicaudus Bates 1887: 96 ; Chapin 1940: 32; Paulian 1947a: 40; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 810; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 13; Chalumeau 1983a: 81; Bennett and Alam 1985: 22; Woodruff et al. 1998: 33; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 11; Stebnicka 2004: 214, 2007b: 40. Distribution. Bahamas, Barbados, Bequia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Vincent. Mexico to Trinidad, Chile and Argentina; widespread Antilles and Latin America . Notes. Adults attracted to lights; found in cow dung.

TRIBE PSAMMODIINI

Platytomus parvulus (Chevrolat) 1864: 415 ( Psammodius ); Paulian 1947a: 47; Chapin 1940: 8; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 815; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 15; Chalumeau 1983a: 91 (all Diastictus ); Woodruff et al. 1998: 34; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 12 ( Platytomus ). Distribution. Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Croix, St. Vincent. Colombia, Trinidad; widespread Antilles and Latin America . Notes. A humus feeder in soil, flying at dusk and attracted to lights.

Rhyparus spilmani Cartwright and Chalumeau in Chalumeau 1977a: 76; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 8; Chalumeau 1983a: 93; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 12; Touroult 2005: 83. Distribution. Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique; Lesser Antilles endemic. Notes. Collected at light traps and by sifting plant debris.

Saprosites dufaui Paulian 1947a: 46 ; Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 815; Chalumeau 1983a: 88; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 12; Stebnicka 2009: 46. Distribution. Guadeloupe, Martinique; Lesser Antilles endemic. Notes. Found under bark at 600 m. The Martinique record needs confirmation. Saprosites species live under the bark of dead branches and are rarely collected. More material is needed for a revision of the West Indian fauna.

Saprosites exaratus (Fleutiaux and Sallé) 1890: 397 ( Ataenius ); Chalumeau and Gruner 1974: 815; Chalumeau 1983a: 89; Touroult 2005: 84; Stebnicka 2009: 46. Distribution. Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique; Lesser Antilles endemic.

Saprosites grenadensis Arrow 1903: 574 ; Chapin 1940: 11; Stebnicka 2009: 47. = Saprosites wirthi Cartwright and Chalumeau in Chalumeau 1977a: 72; Cartwright and Chalumeau 1978: 16; Chalumeau 1983a: 90; Marquet and Roguet 2003: 12; Stebnicka 2009: 46 (synonymy). Distribution. Grenada, Martinique. Trinidad, Venezuela; Lesser Antilles and Latin America . Notes. Adults and immatures taken in decaying heart of Euterpe palm.