Sepedophilus opicus
(Say, 1832)
Sepedophilus opicus is a in the , Tachyporinae. The was originally described as Tachyporus opicus by Say in 1832. A was designated for this species in a 1976 revision by Campbell, which also clarified its taxonomic status by recognizing Sepedophilus cinctulus and Sepedophilus bisignatus as valid species previously synonymized with opicus and bipustulatus respectively. The species belongs to a of small, agile commonly associated with moist, decaying matter.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Sepedophilus opicus: /sɛˌpɛdoʊˈfaɪləs ˈoʊpɪkəs/
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Identification
Diagnostic characters include male and female eighth abdominal and tergites, and male structure as illustrated in Campbell (1976). The can be distinguished from the similar Sepedophilus cinctulus, which was formerly treated as a synonym. Specific external morphological features for field identification are not detailed in available sources.
Images
Distribution
Eastern North America. Recorded from Canada (Ontario, Quebec) and the United States (Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia).
Similar Taxa
- Sepedophilus cinctulusFormerly synonymized with S. opicus but recognized as a valid in Campbell (1976); requires examination of and abdominal /tergites for separation.
- Sepedophilus bisignatusFormerly synonymized with S. bipustulatus rather than S. opicus, but part of the same group complex; historically confused with related species in this .
More Details
Nomenclatural history
The was originally described by Thomas Say in 1832 as Tachyporus opicus. A was designated by Campbell (1976) due to the loss or destruction of the original material. The generic placement has been revised multiple times, with the species previously placed in Conurus and related before the current acceptance of Sepedophilus Gistel.
Species group placement
Campbell (1976) divided the North of Sepedophilus into 12 species groups based on examination of Nearctic, Neotropical, and Palearctic faunas. The specific species group assignment for S. opicus is not stated in the available abstract but can be determined from the full revision.