-17-Subfamily
Oxytelinae
Members of this subfamily are
distinguished from all other staphylinids by the presence of a complete second
sternite so that seven, rather than six, segments can be counted on the under
side of the abdomen. The eyes are coarsely faceted. There are seven genera
with marine members. KEY TO GENERA OF MARINE OXYTELINAE 1. Elytra with rounded inner apical angles............................................................................2 Elytra with rectangular inner apical
angles. . .........................
......................... ...............5 2. Tarsus 2-segmented
............................................................. ..........................Thinobius Tarsus of more than 2 segments......................... .........................
......................... ........3 3. Tarsus 4-segmented ............................. ........................
......................... ...........Bledius Tarsus 5-segmented......................... .........................
......................... ........................ 4 4. Pronotal lateral bead present......................... .........................
..............Psamathobledius Pronotal lateral bead absent. ......................... .........................
..................Microbledius 5. Tarsus 5-segmented
....................................... .................................................Sartallus Tarsus 3-segmented ......................... .........................
......................... ...................... 6 6. Middle coxae contiguous. ......................... ......................... ..........................Carpelimus Middle coxae separate
..................................... .........................
.....................Oxytelus Thinobius
Kiesenwetter. More than 100 species have been described in this genus. These tiny
insects are often taken near water, in decaying organic material and at
light. They are dark slender insects, more or less parallel-sided and from
under one to about two mm long. They resemble members of the subfamily
Aleocharinae but are easily distinguished by their coarsely faceted eyes and
the fact that the elytra have the inner apical angles rounded. Two species
are recorded from salt marshes in North America, one from each coast, and one
species from seaweed from Singapore. Bledius Leach. More
than 350 species are placed in Bledius. They are
sub-cylindrical with the anterior tibiae fossorial. The inner apical angles
of the elytra are rounded. Members of this genus are usually found in
galleries in sand or mud often at the banks of streams or in salt marshes,
either inland or marine. Usually larvae and adults are found together. They
are often attracted to lights in large numbers. At least 18 species are
recorded from the marine habitat, mostly from salt marshes. On the Pacific
coast of North America, besides several salt marsh species, one species, B.
ornatus LeConte, is found abundantly in sand bars separating a lagoon
from the ocean, and two species, B. fenyesi Bernhauer and
Schubert and B. monstratus Casey are found in
wrack. The ranges of the latter two species do not overlap being separated by
Point Conception, California. |