Scopaeus ovicollis

Assing, Volker, 2019, A revision of Palaearctic and Oriental Rugilus. VI. Two new species Irom China, a new synonymy, and additional records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (1), pp. 5-20 : 18

Scopaeus ovicollis (MACLEAY, 1873), recomb.

C o m m e n t: This Australian species was originally described in Stilicus BERTHOLD, 1827, today a synonym of Rugilus , and subsequently moved to Scopaeus ERICHSON, 1839. Recently, FRISCH (2016) moved it to Rugilus again, based merely on vague circumstantial evidence; the type material of S. ovicollis is lost. The original description does not contain conclusive information other than that the species is very small (body length 2.65 mm) and thus of similar size as numerous Scopaeus species. The Australian Rugilus fauna, which was reviewed by ROUGEMONT (1995), is remarkably poor and only includes two extremely widespread species. Both of them are of significantly greater size. Since, in consequence, the generic assignment proposed by FRISCH (2016) is undoubtedly erroneous, S. ovicollis is transferred to Scopaeus again.