Stephostethus

LeConte, 1878

minute brown scavenger beetles

Species Guides

4

Stephostethus is a of minute brown scavenger beetles in the Latridiidae, established by LeConte in 1878. The genus occurs in the Palaearctic realm with its southernmost boundary in Taiwan, and has been recorded from Korea, northern Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), and North America (Vermont, USA). Taiwanese inhabit mid-altitude areas in Central and Southern Taiwan. The genus is characterized by small body size and antennal clubs with three distinct segments.

Stephostethus liratus by (c) skitterbug, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by skitterbug. Used under a CC-BY license.Stephostethus liratus by (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon. Used under a CC-BY license.Stephostethus breviclavis by no rights reserved, uploaded by Nick Bédard. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Stephostethus: /stɛˌfɒsˈtiːθəs/

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Images

Habitat

Mid-altitude areas in Central Taiwan; specific microhabitat details not documented in available sources. The Latridiidae is generally associated with leaf litter, living vegetation, dead dry branches, rotten wood, and tree bark.

Distribution

Palaearctic realm including Taiwan (southernmost boundary), Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden; North America (Vermont, USA).

Ecological Role

Minute brown scavenger beetles; specific functions not documented for this .

More Details

Taxonomic history in Taiwan

First recorded from Taiwan in 2021, extending the known southern range of the . Previously known Taiwanese included S. chinensis (Palaearctic), S. taiwanus, and S. yuanfengensis (both ). Four additional species were described in 2025: S. tricarinatus, S. cornutus, S. truncatus, and S. longidens.

Molecular phylogenetics

COX1 and 28S sequences have been analyzed for several Taiwanese , recovering all species as a .

Sources and further reading