Sepedophilus opicus
(Say, 1832)
Sepedophilus opicus is a rove beetle in the Staphylinidae, Tachyporinae. The was originally described as Tachyporus opicus by Say in 1832. A neotype 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 beetles commonly associated with moist, decaying organic matter.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Sepedophilus opicus: /sɛˌpɛdoʊˈfaɪləs ˈoʊpɪkəs/
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Identification
Diagnostic characters include male and female eighth abdominal sternites and tergites, and male genitalia 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.
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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 genitalia and abdominal sternites/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 neotype was designated by Campbell (1976) due to the loss or destruction of the original type material. The generic placement has been revised multiple times, with the species previously placed in Conurus Stephens and related before the current acceptance of Sepedophilus Gistel.
Species group placement
Campbell (1976) divided the North American 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.