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Army ants provide nourishment to a large variety of animals. This includes birds that feed on animals flushed out by army ant raids, symbiotic arthropods that consume the ants' prey or their brood, and other arthropods that scavenge on army ant refuse deposits. The latter have not received much attention, and the few published studies lack detailed species identifications. Here we provide a first systematic inventory of the beetle fauna associated with refuse deposits of Eciton army ants, with a focus on Eciton burchellii. We collected 8364 adult beetles, 511 larvae, and 24 eggs from 34 deposits at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. We used a combination of DNA barcoding and morphology to identify a subset of 436 specimens to species level. The samples included several new species, and we here formally describe two water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae). Refuse deposits harbored a diverse beetle fauna. The identified subset consisted of 91 beetle species from 12 families, with rove beetles being the most abundant and diverse visitors. Of the 85 species found with E. burchellii, 50 species were collected from only one or two refuse deposits. Conversely, seven species were found in 10 or more refuse deposits, indicating a certain level of habitat specialization. We matched adults and immatures for 22 beetle species via DNA barcodes, demonstrating that army ant middens also serve as a beetle nursery. The present survey highlights the significant ecological function of army ants as promoters of biodiversity and their status as keystone species in tropical rainforests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dalmatian toadflax, Linaria dalmatica (L.) Mill., and yellow toadflax, Linaria vulgaris Mill. (Plantaginaceae), are exotic forbs that have become widespread in North America, including California. Both species have accumulated several exotic insects from accidental and intentional introductions. Until recently, Mecinus janthiniformis Toševski & Caldara, 2011 was known to occur at only one location in southern California. Recent surveys of L. dalmatica in northern California recovered M. janthiniformis and a second weevil, Rhinusa neta (Germar, 1821), the latter a new California record. From 2010-2015, M. janthiniformis was recovered at 24 of 27 sites in Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties. After 2014, four locations in Trinity County and one in Sierra County were monitored annually through 2020, but no M. janthiniformis have been recovered to date suggesting this species has not extended its range since 2014. In 2018, R. neta was discovered in L. dalmatica seed capsules in Trinity and Sierra Counties. Later surveys found R. neta infesting L. dalmatica at five locations in four counties and Sairocarpus virga (A. Gray) D. A. Sutton (= Antirrhinum virga A. Gray) (Plantaginaceae), a native species, at one location in Colusa County. The intensity of attack of R. neta on L. dalmatica ranged from 9-70% of seed capsules infested. Being found 300 km south of the Oregon border suggests that R. neta spreads more readily than M. janthiniformis, which has only spread 190 km south of the Oregon border but no further since 2014. Repeated annual sampling at uninfested sites found R. neta to have spread 42 km in one year, an unusually high dispersal rate for exotic Coleoptera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Phelister haemorrhous species group is established here, revising the seventeen included species, four of which are described as new. This group is named for and contains the type species of Phelister, so represents a core around which a modern concept of the dumping-ground genus Phelister may be developed. The group includes several common and well-known species in the Americas, including some of the only Phelister to exhibit distinctive coloration. Several of these are typically found in cattle dung, and have likely expanded beyond their native ranges as cattle spread throughout the Americas. The group contains the following species: Phelister haemorrhous Marseul, 1854, Phelister affinis J.E. LeConte, 1859, Phelister parallelisternus Schmidt, 1893, Phelister mobilensis Casey, 1916, Phelister brevistriatus Casey, 1916, Phelister sonorae sp. nov., Phelister warneri sp. nov., Phelister puncticollis Hinton, 1935, Phelister subrotundus (Say, 1825), Phelister rouzeti (Fairmaire, 1850), Phelister rufinotus Marseul, 1861, Phelister thiemei Schmidt, 1889, Phelister parecis sp. nov., Phelister bryanti sp. nov., Phelister vernus (Say, 1825), Phelister chilicola Marseul, 1870, and Phelister bruchi Bickhardt, 1920. We also designate the following new synonymies: Phelister haemorrhous Marseul (= Phelister rubicundus Marseul, 1889, syn. nov.); Phelister subrotundus (= Phelister contractus Casey, 1916, syn nov.); Phelister rouzeti (Fairmaire) (= Phelister fairmairei Marseul 1861; syn. nov., = Phelister wickhami Casey, 1916, syn. nov.); Phelister rufinotus Marseul, 1861 (= Epierus marseulii Kirsch, 1873, syn. nov.); and Phelister thiemei Schmidt, 1889 (= Phelister stercoricola Bickhardt, 1909, syn. nov.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formely monotypic Neotropical genus Megalocraerus Lewis is revised to include five species, known from southeastern Brazil to Costa Rica: M. rubricatus Lewis, M. mandibularis sp. n., M. chico sp. n., M. madrededios sp. n., and M. tiputini sp. n. We describe the species, map their distributions, and provide a key for their identification. Their subcylindrical body form and emarginate mesosternum have previously hindered placement to tribe, although their curent assignment to Exosternini now appears well supported by morphological evidence. Nothing is known of the natural history of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosternini are a very species-rich group of Histeridae, occurring nearly worldwide, with particular concentrations in the Neotropical and Afrotropical regions. In the New World, the group comprises over 400 described species, in 12 genera, with approximately 250 additional species awaiting description. Generic limits in this group are poorly defined. A phylogenetic analysis of all known New World species, described and undescribed, with over 50 outgroup taxa from other genera and tribes of Histerinae was undertaken, based on 259 morphological characters, adding 18S, 28S and cytochrome oxidase I sequences for a subset of 150 taxa. The genera Hypobletus Schmidt, Yarmister Wenzel, Kaszabister Mazur, Mecistostethus Marseul and Megalocraerus Lewis were each supported as monophyletic. Baconia Lewis was rendered paraphyletic by the inclusion of Strigister Caterino et al. The bulk of Operclipygus Marseul was monophyletic, although the O. plicicollis group was not always included. The genus Phelister Marseul was paraphyletic many times over, with members of Operclipygus, Mecistostethus, Kaszabister, Pseudister Bickhardt, Conchita Mazur and Nunbergia Mazur nested within, indicating that Phelister is in need of significant revision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the genus Eremosaprinus Ross, 1939, E. warneri, is described from southeastern Arizona, USA, and incorporated into the identification key for the genus. Description of the new species is supplemented with SEM micrographs and drawings of sensory structures of the antenna and male genitalia. New distribution data on four species, E. distinctus Lundgren, 1992, E. hubbardi (Wenzel, 1939), E. minimus Tishechkin & Lackner, 2012, and E. unguiculatus (Ross, 1939), are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the following 8 new genera and 23 new species of Neotropical Exosternini. Conocassis gen. n. (Conocassis minor sp. n. [type species], Conocassis dromedaria sp. n., Conocassis trisulcata sp. n., and Conocassis invaginata sp. n.), Enkyosoma gen. n. (Enkyosoma rockwelli sp. n.), Pluricosta gen. n. (Pluricosta onthophiloides sp. n.), Pyxister gen. n. (Pyxister devorator sp. n. [type species] and Pyxister labralis sp. n.), Chapischema gen. n. (Chapischema doppelganger sp. n.), Scaptorus gen. n. (Scaptorus pyramus sp. n.), Lacrimorpha gen. n. (Lacrimorpha glabra sp. n. [type species], Lacrimorpha balbina sp. n., Lacrimorpha subdepressa sp. n., and Lacrimorpha acuminata sp. n.), Crenulister gen. n. (Crenulister grossus sp. n. [type species], Crenulister explanatus sp. n., Crenulister dentatus sp. n., Crenulister impar sp. n., Crenulister umbrosus sp. n., Crenulister simplex sp. n., Crenulister paucitans sp. n., Crenulister spinipes sp. n., and Crenulister seriatus sp. n.) These all represent highly distinctive and phylogenetically isolated forms, almost invariably known from very few specimens. All but one species have been collected only by passive flight intercept traps, and nothing significant is known about the biology of any of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present a complete revision of the species of Baconia. Up until now there have been 27 species assigned to the genus (Mazur 2011), in two subgenera (Binhister Cooman and Baconia s. str.), with species in the Neotropical, Nearctic, Palaearctic, and Oriental regions. We recognize all these species as valid and correctly assigned to the genus, and redescribe all of them. We synonymize Binhister, previously used for a polyphyletic assemblage of species with varied relationships in the genus. We move four species into Baconia from other genera, and describe 85 species as new, bringing the total for the genus to 116 species. We divide these into 12 informal species groups, leaving 13 species unplaced to group. We present keys and diagnoses for all species, as well as habitus photos and illustrations of male genitalia for nearly all. The genus now contains the following species and species groups: Baconia loricata group [B. loricata Lewis, 1885, B. patula Lewis, 1885, B. gounellei (Marseul, 1887a), B. jubaris (Lewis, 1901), B. festiva (Lewis, 1891), B. foliosoma sp. n., B. sapphirina sp. n., B. furtiva sp. n., B. pernix sp. n., B. applanatis sp. n., B. disciformis sp. n., B. nebulosa sp. n., B. brunnea sp. n.], B. godmani group [B. godmani (Lewis, 1888), B. venusta (J. E. LeConte, 1845), B. riehli (Marseul, 1862), comb. n., B. scintillans sp. n., B. isthmia sp. n., B. rossi sp. n., B. navarretei sp. n., B. maculata sp. n., B. deliberata sp. n., B. excelsa sp. n., B. violacea (Marseul, 1853), B. varicolor (Marseul, 1887b), B. dives (Marseul, 1862), B. eximia (Lewis, 1888), B. splendida sp. n., B. jacinta sp. n., B. prasina sp. n., B. opulenta sp. n., B. illustris (Lewis, 1900), B. choaspites (Lewis, 1901), B. lewisi Mazur, 1984], B. salobrus group [B. salobrus (Marseul, 1887b), B. turgifrons sp. n., B. crassa sp. n., B. anthracina sp. n., B. emarginata sp. n., B. obsoleta sp. n.], B. ruficauda group [B. ruficauda sp. n., B. repens sp. n.], B. angusta group [B. angusta Schmidt, 1893a, B. incognita sp. n., B. guartela sp. n., B. bullifrons sp. n., B. cavei sp. n., B. subtilis sp. n., B. dentipes sp. n., B. rubripennis sp. n., B. lunatifrons sp. n.], B. aeneomicans group [B. aeneomicans (Horn, 1873), B. pulchella sp. n., B. quercea sp. n., B. stephani sp. n., B. irinae sp. n., B. fornix sp. n., B. slipinskii Mazur, 1981, B. submetallica sp. n., B. diminua sp. n., B. rufescens sp. n., B. punctiventer sp. n., B. aulaea sp. n., B. mustax sp. n., B. plebeia sp. n., B. castanea sp. n., B. lescheni sp. n., B. oblonga sp. n., B. animata sp. n., B. teredina sp. n., B. chujoi (Cooman, 1941), B. barbarus (Cooman, 1934), B. reposita sp. n., B. kubani sp. n., B. wallacea sp. n., B. bigemina sp. n., B. adebratti sp. n., B. silvestris sp. n.], B. cylindrica group [B. cylindrica sp. n., B. chatzimanolisi sp. n.], B. gibbifer group [B. gibbifer sp. n., B. piluliformis sp. n., B. maquipucunae sp. n., B. tenuipes sp. n., B. tuberculifer sp. n., B. globosa sp. n.], B. insolita group [B. insolita (Schmidt, 1893a), comb. n., B. burmeisteri (Marseul, 1870), B. tricolor sp. n., B. pilicauda sp. n.], B. riouka group [B. riouka (Marseul, 1861), B. azuripennis sp. n.], B. famelica group [B. famelica sp. n., B. grossii sp. n., B. redemptor sp. n., B. fortis sp. n., B. longipes sp. n., B. katieae sp. n., B. cavifrons (Lewis, 1893), comb. n., B. haeterioides sp. n.], B. micans group [B. micans (Schmidt, 1889a), B. carinifrons sp. n., B. fulgida (Schmidt, 1889c)], Baconia incertae sedis [B. chilense (Redtenbacher, 1867), B. glauca (Marseul, 1884), B. coerulea (Bickhardt, 1917), B. angulifrons sp. n., B. sanguinea sp. n., B. viridimicans (Schmidt, 1893b), B. nayarita sp. n., B. viridis sp. n., B. purpurata sp. n., B. aenea sp. n., B. clemens sp. n., B. leivasi sp. n., B. atricolor sp. n.]. We designate lectotypes for the following species: Baconia loricata Lewis, 1885, Phelister gounellei Marseul, 1887, Baconia jubaris Lewis, 1901, Baconia festiva Lewis, 1891, Platysoma venustum J.E. Le- Conte, 1845, Phelister riehli Marseul, 1862, Phelister violaceus Marseul, 1853, Phelister varicolor Marseul, 1887b, Phelister illustris Lewis, 1900, Baconia choaspites Lewis, 1901, Epierus festivus Lewis, 1898, Phelister salobrus Marseul, 1887, Baconia angusta Schmidt, 1893a, Phelister insolitus Schmidt, 1893a, Pachycraerus burmeisteri Marseul, 1870, Phelister riouka Marseul, 1861, Homalopygus cavifrons Lewis, 1893, Phelister micans Schmidt, 1889a, Phelister coeruleus Bickhardt, 1917, and Phelister viridimicans Schmidt, 1893b. We designate neotypes for Baconia patula Lewis, 1885 and Hister aeneomicans Horn, 1873, whose type specimens are lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We revise the large Neotropical genus Operclipygus Marseul, in the histerid tribe Exosternini (Histeridae: Histerinae). We synonymize 3 species, move 14 species from other genera, sink the genus Tribalister Horn into Operclipygus, and describe 138 species as new, bringing the total to 177 species of Operclipygus. Keys are provided for the identification of all species, and the majority of the species are illustrated by habitus and male genitalia illustrations. The species are diverse throughout tropical South and Central America, with only a few species extending into the temperate parts of North America. The majority of species can be recognized by the presence of a distinct stria or sulcus along the apical margin of the pygidium, though it is not exclusive to the genus. Natural history details for species of Operclipygus are scant, as most specimens have been collected through the use of passive flight interception traps. Many are probably generally associated with decaying vegetation and leaf litter, where they prey on small arthropods. But a small proportion are known inquilines, with social insects such as ants and termites, and also with some burrowing mammals, such as Ctenomys Blainville. The genus now includes the following species groups and species: Operclipygus sulcistrius group [O. lucanoides sp. n., O. schmidti sp. n., O. simplistrius sp. n., O. sulcistrius Marseul, 1870], O. mirabilis group [O. mirabilis (Wenzel & Dybas, 1941) comb. n., O. pustulifer sp. n., O. plaumanni sp. n., O. sinuatus sp. n., O. mutuca sp. n., O. carinistrius (Lewis, 1908) comb. n., O. parensis sp. n., O. schlingeri sp. n.], O. kerga group [O. kerga (Marseul, 1870), O. planifrons sp. n., O. punctistrius sp. n.], O. conquisitus group [O. bicolor sp. n., O. conquisitus (Lewis, 1902), O. friburgius (Marseul, 1864)], O. impuncticollis group [O. bickhardti sp. n., O. britannicus sp. n., O. impuncticollis (Hinton, 1935)], O. panamensis group [O. crenatus (Lewis, 1888), O. panamensis (Wenzel & Dybas, 1941)], O. sejunctus group [O. depressus (Hinton, 1935), O. itoupe sp. n., O. juninensis sp. n., O. pecki sp. n., O. punctiventer sp. n., O. sejunctus (Schmidt, 1896) comb. n., O. setiventris sp. n.], O. mortavis group [O. ecitonis sp. n., O. mortavis sp. n., O. paraguensis sp. n.], O. dytiscoides group [O. carinisternus sp. n., O. crenulatus sp. n., O. dytiscoides sp. n., O. quadratus sp. n.], O. dubitabilis group [O. dubitabilis (Marseul, 1889), O. yasuni sp. n.], O. angulifer group [O. angulifer sp. n., O. impressifrons sp. n.], O. dubius group [O. andinus sp. n., O. dubius (Lewis, 1888), O. extraneus sp. n., O. intermissus sp. n., O. lunulus sp. n., O. occultus sp. n., O. perplexus sp. n., O. remotus sp. n., O. validus sp. n., O. variabilis sp. n.], O. hospes group [O. assimilis sp. n., O. belemensis sp. n., O. bulbistoma sp. n., O. callifrons sp. n., O. colombicus sp. n., O. communis sp. n., O. confertus sp. n., O. confluens sp. n., O. curtistrius sp. n., O. diffluens sp. n., O. fusistrius sp. n., O. gratus sp. n., O. hospes (Lewis, 1902), O. ibiscus sp. n., O. ignifer sp. n., O. impositus sp. n., O. incisus sp. n., O. innocuus sp. n., O. inquilinus sp. n., O. minutus sp. n., O. novateutoniae sp. n., O. praecinctus sp. n., O. prominens sp. n., O. rileyi sp. n., O. subterraneus sp. n., O. tenuis sp. n., O. tiputinus sp. n.], O. farctus group [O. atlanticus sp. n., O. bidessois (Marseul, 1889), O. distinctus (Hinton, 1935), O. distractus (Schmidt, 1896) comb. n., O. farctissimus sp. n., O. farctus (Marseul, 1864), O. gilli sp. n., O. impressistrius sp. n., O. inflatus sp. n., O. latemarginatus (Bickhardt, 1920) comb. n., O. petrovi sp. n., O. plicatus (Hinton, 1935) comb. n., O. prolixus sp. n., O. punctifrons sp. n., O. proximus sp. n., O. subrufus sp. n.], O. hirsutipes group [O. guianensis sp. n., O. hirsutipes sp. n.], O. hamistrius group [O. arquus sp. n., O. campbelli sp. n., O. chiapensis sp. n., O. dybasi sp. n., O. geometricus (Casey, 1893) comb. n., O. hamistrius (Schmidt, 1893) comb. n., O. impressicollis sp. n., O. intersectus sp. n., O. montanus sp. n., O. nubosus sp. n., O. pichinchensis sp. n., O. propinquus sp. n., O. quinquestriatus sp. n., O. rubidus (Hinton, 1935) comb. n., O. rufescens sp. n., O. troglodytes sp. n.], O. plicicollis group [O. cephalicus sp. n., O. longidens sp. n., O. plicicollis (Schmidt, 1893)], O. fossipygus group [O. disconnectus sp. n., O. fossipygus (Wenzel, 1944), O. foveipygus (Bickhardt, 1918), O. fungicolus (Wenzel & Dybas, 1941), O. gibbulus (Schmidt, 1889) comb. n., O. olivensis sp. n., O. simplicipygus sp. n., O. subdepressus (Schmidt, 1889), O. therondi (Wenzel, 1976)], O. impunctipennis group [O. chamelensis sp. n., O. foveiventris sp. n., O. granulipectus sp. n., O. impunctipennis (Hinton, 1935) comb. n., O. latifoveatus sp. n., O. lissipygus sp. n., O. maesi sp. n., O. mangiferus sp. n., O. marginipennis sp. n., O. nicodemus sp. n., O. nitidus sp. n., O. pacificus sp. n., O. pauperculus sp. n., O. punctissipygus sp. n., O. subviridis sp. n., O. tripartitus sp. n., O. vorax sp. n.], O. marginellus group [O. ashei sp. n., O. baylessae sp. n., O. dentatus sp. n., O. formicatus sp. n., O. hintoni sp. n., O. marginellus (J.E. LeConte, 1860) comb. n., O. orchidophilus sp. n., O. selvorum sp. n., O. striatellus (Fall, 1917) comb. n.], incertae sedis: O. teapensis (Marseul, 1853) comb. n., O. punctulatus sp. n., O. lama Mazur, 1988, O. florifaunensis sp. n., O. bosquesecus sp. n., O. arnaudi Dégallier, 1982, O. subsphaericus sp. n., O. latipygus sp. n., O. elongatus sp. n., O. rupicolus sp. n., O. punctipleurus sp. n., O. falini sp. n., O. peregrinus sp. n., O. brooksi sp. n., O. profundipygus sp. n., O. punctatissimus sp. n., O. cavisternus sp. n., O. siluriformis sp. n., O. parallelus sp. n., O. abbreviatus sp. n., O. pygidialis (Lewis, 1908), O. faltistrius sp. n., O. limonensis sp. n., O. wenzeli sp. n., O. iheringi (Bickhardt, 1917), O. angustisternus (Wenzel, 1944), O. shorti sp. n. We establish the following synonymies: Phelisteroides miladae Wenzel & Dybas, 1941 and Pseudister propygidialis Hinton, 1935e = O. crenatus (Lewis, 1888); Phelister subplicatus Schmidt, 1893b = O. bidessois (Marseul, 1889). We designate lectotypes for Operclipygus sulcistrius Marseul, 1870, Phelister carinistrius Lewis, 1908, Phelister kerga Marseul, 1870, Phelister friburgius Marseul, 1864, Phelister impuncticollis Hinton, 1935, Phelister crenatus Lewis, 1888, Phelister sejunctus Schmidt, 1896, Pseudister depressus Hinton, 1935, Epierus dubius Lewis, 1888, Phelister hospes Lewis, 1902, Phelister farctus Marseul, 1864, Phelister bidessois Marseul, 1889, Phelister subplicatus Schmidt, 1893, Phelister plicatus Hinton, 1935, Phelister distinctus Hinton, 1935, Phelister distractus Schmidt, 1896, Pseudister latemarginatus Bickhardt, 1920, Phelister hamistrius Schmidt, 1893, Phelister plicicollis Schmidt, 1893, Phelister gibbulus Schmidt, 1889, Phelister subdepressus Schmidt, 1889, Phelister teapensis Marseul, 1853, Phelister pygidialis Lewis, 1908, Phelister iheringi Bickhardt, 1917, and Phelister marginellus J.E. LeConte 1860. We designate a neotype for O. conquisitus Lewis, replacing its lost type specimen [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Criocerine leaf beetles found in Nepal feeding on Dioscorea bulbifera (L.), an invasive weed of Asian origin, were identified as Lilioceris cheni Gressitt and Kimoto based on a synopsis of the Oriental Lilioceris species and review of the Lilioceris impressa species group. All the continental, Oriental species included in the group are diagnosed and illustrated, and a key for their identification is provided. Species status of Lilioceris thibetana Pic, 1916 is resurrected. The following new synonyms are proposed: L. coomani (Pic, 1928) = L. egena (Weise, 1922), and L. subcostata (Pic, 1921a), L. laticornis (Gressit, 1942), L. inflaticornis Gressit & Kimoto, 1961, and L. maai Gressit & Kimoto, 1961 = L. impressa (Fabricius, 1787). Lectotypes of the following species are designated: L. coomani Pic, 1928; L. impressa (Fabricius, 1787); L. laosensis (Pic, 1916); L. malabarica (Jacoby, 1904); L. ruficornis (Pic, 1921b); L. subcostata (Pic, 1921a); L. thibetana (Pic, 1916); and L. unicolor (Hope, 1831). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using DNA sequences of nuclear ribosomal (18S) and mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) genes (a modified DNA barcoding approach), we positively identify, for the first time, larvae of hetaeriine Histeridae. Species in this subfamily occur as obligate associates of social insect colonies, particularly those of neotropical army ants. Of several larval specimens collected from bivouacs of Eciton burchelli, we identify the two larval instars of Paratropinus scalptus, and discuss a quite different first instar larva near Euxenister. The larvae are described and illustrated, with attempts to homologize all chaetotaxy to other known histerid larvae. Phylogenetic trees for 18S and cytochrome oxidase I, for over twenty hetaeriine taxa, are compared with each other and with a previous hypothesis of relationships in the subfamily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]