Onthophilinae

Introduction

Onthophilinae is a relatively small group of histerids, and its members are by and large poorly known. The mainly Holarctic Onthophilus contains the bulk of the described species, with 37. Most of these have been recently treated, at least over limited areas (North America: Helava, 1978; Japan: Ohara, 1986; China: Zhou & Lou, 2001). Peploglyptus contains a couple of American species (Kanaar, 1981), and one in Malaysia (Caterino, 2004). But the remaining genera are largely restricted to the Old World Tropics. (Although Glymma was described from Belgium the genus is almost certainly native to Africa.) Epiechinus is relatively widespread from Africa through southeast Asia to Australia, and may prove more diverse than Onthophilus.

Onthophilus is highly varied biologically, with some species generally attracted to decaying materials from dung to compost, while others are found only associated with fungus or with the nests of specific vertebrates. Epiechinus biologies are less well known although a similar range appears likely. The species of Peploglyptus all possess trichomes and are probably myrmecophilous.

Characteristics

Although they are quite varied in detailed morphology, most Onthophilinae share exaggerated body sculpturing, with the elytra and often the pronotum strongly carinate.

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

Relationships among genera of Onthophilinae are not clear. The longstanding notion that the group is closely related to Tribalinae has been reexamined by Kovarik (1994), who concluded that some genera in both subfamilies belonged in the other. However, these data continue to be analyzed, and specific phylogenetic conclusions remain to be reached.

References

Caterino, M. S., and A. P. Vogler. 2002. The phylogeny of the Histeroidea. Cladistics 18(4):394-415.

Caterino, M. S. 2004. Description of the first Old World Peploglyptus LeConte. Coleopterists Bulletin 58:603-609.

Helava, J. V. T. 1978. A revision of the Nearctic species of the genus Onthophilus (Histeridae). Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 15:1-43.

Kanaar, P. 1981. Two new neotropical Histeridae, with a redescription of Peploglyptus belfragei Leconte. Acta Zoologica Lilloana 36:45-51.

Kovarik, P. W. 1994. Phylogeny, chaetotaxy, and ecology of the Onthophilinae and Tribalinae. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation. Dept. of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus. 339 pages.

Ohara, M., and T. Nakane. 1986. On the genus Onthophilus from Japan. Insecta Mastumurana (N.S.) 35:1-15.

Ohara, M. 1994. A revision of the superfamily Histeroidea of Japan. Insecta Mastumurana (N.S.) 51:1-283.

Slipinski, S. A., and S. Mazur. 1999. Epuraeosoma, a new genus of Histerinae and phylogeny of the family Histeridae. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa) 49:209-230.

Zhou, H.-Z., and T.-H. Lou. 2001. On the genus Onthophilus Leach from China. Coleopterists Bulletin 55:507-514.

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