Saprinodes Lewis, 1891

Lackner, Tomas & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2017, A monograph of the Australopacific Saprininae (Coleoptera, Histeridae), ZooKeys 689, pp. 1-263 : 59-60

Saprinodes Lewis, 1891 Figs 263, 264-269, 270-278, 279, 280-288, 289-291, 292-300, 759

Saprinodes Lewis, 1891: 396. Type species Saprinodes falcifer Lewis, 1891, by monotypy.

Diagnosis.

Cuticle light to dark brown with faint bronze metallic tinge, entire dorsal surface (with the exception of vaguely delimited ‘mirrors’ on pronotal disc and elytra) rugulose-lacunose; labral pits and setae absent; pronotal depressions absent; prosternal foveae absent; bases of lateral prosternal striae with distinctive projection; protibia without teeth or denticles, very slender and elongate; protarsal groove very deep; protibial spur large; spiculum gastrale not expanded basally.

Biology.

Unknown, most of the specimens have been collected using pitfall traps.

Distribution.

Endemic to Australia: Queensland and New South Wales (Fig. 759).

Remarks.

Saprinodes is the only Australopacific saprinine with the protibia devoid of teeth or denticles on its outer margin. Furthermore, its protibia is apically narrowed, terminating in a large protibial tooth. The peculiarly-shaped protibia of Saprinodes is not found in any other currently known Saprininae genus. The absence of labral pits and setae and the distinctive prosternal projection near the bases of lateral prosternal striae are also autapomorphies. In the morphology-based performed phylogenetic analysis published by the senior author ( Lackner 2014d), the type species of the genus, S. falcifer Lewis, 1891 was recovered sister to Iridoprinus myrmecophilus with one ‘strong’ and two ‘weaker’ synapomorphies supporting their relationship (see also remarks section of Iridoprinus ).

Key to the species of the genus Saprinodes Lewis, 1891