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Issue: Vol. 5846 No. 1: 8 Jul. 2026
Type: Monograph
Published: 2026-07-08
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5846.1.1
Page range: 1-89
Abstract views: 46
PDF downloaded: 7

A revision of the genus Plociopterus Kraatz (Staphylinidae: Xanthopygina) and the evolution of spectacular secondary sexual structures

Department of Biology; Geology and Environmental Science; Dept. 2653; University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; 615 McCallie Avenue; Chattanooga; Tennessee 37403; U.S.A.
Department of Botany; Heinrich Plett Strasse 40; 34132 Kassel; Germany.
Coleoptera Staphylinini Staphylininae taxonomy Neotropical new species

Abstract

We revise the Neotropical xanthopygine rove beetle genus Plociopterus and provide illustrated keys, distribution maps and illustration of morphological features for all 34 species. We designate two species groups, the fetialis and the venustus species groups, and we discuss the evolution of elaborate secondary sexual structures in the venustus species group. We describe 12 species as new: P. ashei Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, Plociopterus atrypos Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. campbelli Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. dactylos Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. dichalotos Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. diploportokalis Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. kolasmenos Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. mesanychtos Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. polychromos Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. portokalenios Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. syngenevon Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species, P. triploportokalis Chatzimanolis & Swenson new species. Plociopterus dimidiatus Sharp is placed into synonymy with Staphylinus scenicus Erichson, new synonymy; P. forsteri Scheerpeltz is placed into synonymy with P. zischkai Scheerpeltz, new synonymy; P. mollis Sharp is placed into synonymy with P. lugubris Sharp, new synonymy; P. miriventris Bernhauer is placed into synonymy with P. laetus Sharp, new synonymy; P. traili Sharp is placed into synonymy with P. ventralis Sharp, new synonymy; and P. virgineus Sharp is placed into synonymy with S. venustus Erichson, new synonymy. We designate neotypes for P. brasilianus Bernhauer, P. chlorocephalus Bernhauer, and P. jelskii Solsky. We designate lectotypes for P. collaris Sharp, P. columbinus Bernhauer, P. forsteri Scheerpeltz, P. histrio Sharp, P. laetus Sharp, P. lugubris Sharp, P. mirandus Sharp, P. tricolor Sharp, P. varipes, P. ventralis, P. zischkai Scheerpeltz, S. comptus Erichson, S. fetialis Erichson, S. ornatus Erichson, S. scenicus, and S. venustus Erichson.

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How to Cite

Chatzimanolis, S. & Swenson, S.J. (2026) A revision of the genus Plociopterus Kraatz (Staphylinidae: Xanthopygina) and the evolution of spectacular secondary sexual structures. Zootaxa, 5846 (1), 1–89. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5846.1.1