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          Brachypronomaea Sawada. Four species in this genus have been described, one from Japan and three from Madagascar. They are small, pale insects which can be distinguished most easily by the unusual elytra with lateral fin-like projections the outer edge of which is coarsely serrate.

 

          Myllaena Erichson. This is a fairly large genus (over 50 species) of small dark insects whose abdomen is pointed and the anterior margin of the head is produced forward in the form of a beak. The senior author has collected a large number of specimens of an unidentified species from a marine mud flat at La Salina, Baja California Norte, Mexico.

 

          Actocharis Fauvel. This genus is represented by a single species, A. marina Fauvel, from Europe. It is said to be very rare under seaweed below high water mark (Fowler, 1888). It is reddish testaceous and about 1.5 mm long. Its systematic position has been much disputed, some students placing it in the Oxytelinae.

 

          Bryothinusa Casey. Nine species have been described in this genus. They are all small, slender, pale, parallel sided insects which live below high tide mark. One species from California moves much more rapidly when exposed to daylight than other reef dwelling staphylinids which are usually sluggish. The other eight species are known from Japan and Hong Kong. The genus was reviewed by Moore et al. (1973).

 

          Halorhadinus Sawada. The two described species of this genus, from Japan, are very similar to members of Bryothinusa but differ mainly in the longer ligula.

 

Tribe Diglottini

Diglotta Chapion. This is the only genus in the tribe. Nine species are known from Europe, California, the Red Sea, Singapore and Celebes, all confined to the seabeach. The maxillary palpi and labial palpi are exceptionally elongate. The head is large, the pronotum is rapidly narrowed to the base and the elytra are quite small, each wider than long, giving the insect its characteristic appearance.

 

Tribe Bolitocharini

This is a large tribe characterized by the tarsal formula, 4-4-5, with some of the marine species variable in this regard. There are 13 marine genera but only 11 have been included in the following key.

 

KEY TO GENERA OF MARINE BOLITOCHARINI

 

I.  Middle coxae separate ................................................. .................................................2

 

   Middle coxae contiguous ................................................. ..............................................3

 

2.  Body sparsely pubescent. .............................................................................Halmaeusa

 

    Body densely pubescent................................................. .................................... Corallis

 

3.  Anterior and middle tibiae spinose. ................................................. ...............................4

 

    Anterior and middle tibiae not spinose. ............................................................................5

 

4.  Fifth tergite impressed at base; ligula simple................. .....................................Phytosus

 

     Fifth tergite not impressed; ligula bifid. ................. ...............................................Thinusa

 

5.  Tergites not impressed at base. ................. ............................... ................. .................6

 

     At least three tergites impressed at base. ................. ....................................................7

 

6.  Mandibles without or with one internal tooth. ................. .......................... Liparocephalus

 

     Mandibles with numerous internal teeth. ................. ..................................... Baeostethus

 

7.  Fifth tergite impressed at base ................. ....................................................Amblopusa

 

     Fifth tergite not impressed................. ............................... .......... ............................... 8

 

8.  Fourth tergite impressed at base ................. ................................. ...............................9

 

     Fourth tergite not impressed at base................. ............................... ................. .........10

 

9.  Head longitudinally impressed. ................. ............................... ................. .....Bryobiota

 

     Head not longitudinally impressed. ................. ............................... ................. ..Heterota

 

10.  Metasternum long, hind and middle coxae distant; ligula bifid........................Cameronium

 

      Metasternum short, hind and middle coxae approximate; ligula simple...................Diaulota