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Jubogaster
There is a single species in this myrmecophilous genus of Staphylinidae beetle.
| Genus and species | Author and Year | Ant Host | Distribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jubogaster towai | Parker & Maruyama, 2013 | Pheidole xanthogaster | Peru |
The new taxon is amongst the largest pselaphine species known. Its transverse head implies an affinity with Trogastrini (Pselaphinae: Euplectitae), but J. towai lacks typical characters diagnostic for trogastrines and possesses others, such as a Jubini-like pronotum and equally-sized tarsal claws, that obscure its systematic relationships. To place J. towai phylogenetically, we sequenced a fragment of 28s rDNA for the new species and a range of other pselaphines, including members of Trogastrini and other tribes of Euplectitae. The topology produced by this analysis supports the inclusion of Jubogaster in Trogastrini, thereby indicating that morphology within this tribe can be more malleable than previously thought. Many of the largest pselaphine taxa are guests of social insect colonies.
REFERENCES
- Parker, Joseph & Munetoshi, Maruyama. (2013). Jubogaster towai, a new Neotropical genus and species of Trogastrini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) exhibiting myrmecophily and extreme body enlargement. Zootaxa. 3630. 369-378. 10.11646/zootaxa.3630.2.11