Pinophilini
Nordmann, 1837
Genus Guides
4Pinophilini is a tribe of rove beetles in the Paederinae, Staphylinidae. The tribe is divided into two subtribes: Pinophilina and Procirrina. The subtribe Procirrina contains eight extant with approximately 764 . The oldest known fossil representative is †Cretoprocirrus trichotos from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (ca. 99 Ma), extending the fossil record of this tribe back from the previously known Cenozoic occurrences.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Pinophilini: //pɪnəˈfɪlɪni//
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Identification
Pinophilini is distinguished from other tribes in Paederinae by morphological characters that support its consistent recovery as monophyletic in phylogenetic analyses. The subtribe Procirrina is characterized by features that allow unambiguous placement of fossil specimens such as †Cretoprocirrus. Specific diagnostic characters for the tribe as a whole are not detailed in available sources.
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Habitat
Members of the subtribe Procirrina are found in leaf litter, on bushes and trees, and in caves. These associations apply to extant ; the paleohabitat of the Cretaceous fossil †Cretoprocirrus is inferred from amber preservation in forest environments.
Distribution
Predominantly tropical and subtropical distribution. The eight extant of Procirrina show disjunct Old World-New World distributions, particularly in the -rich genera Palaminus and Oedichirus. Fossil evidence includes Cenozoic compression fossils from the Green River Formation (50.3–46.2 Ma) and Miocene ambers from Dominican Republic (20.43–13.65 Ma) and Mexico (20–15 Ma), plus Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (ca. 99 Ma) for †Cretoprocirrus.
Similar Taxa
- Other Paederinae tribesPinophilini is one of four tribes in the Paederinae; distinguished by morphological synapomorphies that consistently support its monophyly in phylogenetic analyses.
More Details
Fossil record significance
†Cretoprocirrus trichotos represents the oldest known fossil of Pinophilini and the second of Paederinae described from Burmese amber, providing important insights into the evolutionary history of the .
Phylogenetic placement
Bayesian inference and maximum analyses of morphological data unambiguously place †Cretoprocirrus in the subtribe Procirrina.