Megalopinus Larvae

Leschen, Richard A. B. & Newton, Alfred F., 2003, Larval Description, Adult Feeding Behavior, and Phylogenetic Placement of Megalopinus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (4), pp. 469-493 : 470

Identification of Megalopinus Larvae

The life cycle of Megalopinus species is unknown and, to our knowledge, larvae of no species of this genus have been reared. The larvae here attributed to this genus (see Material at end of description below) were collected in the field as larvae, in some cases in association with adults of Megalopinus species , and in all other cases in regions and habitats where adults were known to occur. We attribute them to this genus for the following additional reasons: 1) The larvae have the general characteristics of Staphylinidae , but are very unusual in several respects (e.g., in the unique combination of a delimited neck and an articulated labrum, and uniquely shaped mandibles) and do not fit the concept of any known staphylinid subfamily or tribe (see Kasule 1966 – 1970 and Frank 1991 for general descriptions and keys to subfamilies of staphylinid larvae). 2) Megalopsidiinae are the only staphylinid higher taxon whose larvae are unknown that encompasses the known wide distribution of this larval type ( Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Australia and Madagascar). With the exception of Australia, Megalopsidiinae is also the only higher taxon with undescribed larvae known to occur in these countries. 3) Phylogenetic analysis suggests similar placement of these larvae and of Megalopinus adults in relation to other Staphylinidae (see Phylogenetic Analysis, below).