Lathrobium

Distinguished from the related genus Sinlathrobium by: head less transverse with even dorsal surface and less dense punctation; eyes smaller and less bulging; mesoventrite slightly less oblong; pronotum less stout; elytral coloration different; male sternite VII with convex median projection on anterior margin (vs. truncate in Sinlathrobium); aedeagus with distinct internal structures (vs. simple internal sac); female sternite VIII with micropubescence on posterior portion (vs. without). Sexual characters including aedeagus and male abdominal sternite VIII are primary identification tools; female sternite VIII occurs in two shapes (conical with convex sides or oblong with concave apical sides); female tergite IX either divided entire length or continuous in basal portion.

Cryophilic microhabitats including mountains, caves, and deep soil layers. In the southern Appalachian Mountains, species occupy the rare bryophyte mat microhabitat in endangered red spruce-Fraser fir (Picea rubens and Abies fraseri) forests. Flightless species are restricted to montane 'sky-islands' as short-range endemics. Microphthalmous and generally subterranean species are placed in subgenera Abletobium and Glyptomerus.

Widely distributed across the Nearctic region north of Mexico and inferred Palearctic distribution (Denmark, Norway, Sweden based on occurrence records). Nearctic flightless species are endemic to southern Appalachian Mountains with specific localities including Big Cataloochee Mountain, Clingmans Dome, Grandfather Mountain, Mount LeConte, Mount Rogers, Roan High Knob, and other high-elevation sites.

Larvae have been described for some species; larval body length measured from anterior margin of nasale to posterior edge of last abdominal segment excluding urogomphi.

Many Nearctic species are flightless with short-range endemism restricted to cryophilic microhabitats. Three high-elevation Appalachian lineages exhibit cryptic speciation with allopatric morphotypes indistinguishable externally but differing in genitalic morphology.

• SinthalathrobiumAllied genus sharing similar general habitus including mouthpart morphology, broad neck, absence of supramarginal line of elytra, punctation patterns, ventral aspect of head/thorax/abdomen, and sexual dimorphism of tergites IX and X. Distinguished by more transverse head, larger bulging eyes, more oblong mesoventrite, stouter pronotum, truncate male sternite VII, simple aedeagal internal sac, and female sternite VIII without micropubescence.
• PseudolathraTwo species formerly placed in Lathrobium have been transferred to this genus based on taxonomic revision.

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Two new species and additional records of Sinlathrobium Assing (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae) from southern China.
• A review of Nearctic Lathrobium (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), with revision and descriptions of new flightless species from the mountains of the southeastern U.S.