A Revision of the Genussepedophilusgistel (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of America North of Mexico

The species of the genusSepedophilus(Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae) of America north of Mexico are revised. Thirty species are recognized. Thirteen new species are described:wickhamifrom the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada;brachypterus,frosti,micans,ctenidialis, andkiteleyifrom eastern North America;beckerifrom the southcentral United States; andhermani,smetanai,stephani,arizonensis,coronadensis, andveloxfrom the southwestern United States. The following species names are placed in synonymy:knoxiiLeConte andcarissimusHatch (=littoreusLinnaeus);imbricatusCasey,limuloidesCasey, andelongatusBlatchley (=testaceusFabricius);corticolaCasey (=cinctulusErichson);virginiaeCasey (=velocipesCasey); andsubtilisCasey (=debilisCasey). The speciescinctulusErichson andbisignatusHorn, formerly considered as synonyms ofopicusSay andbipustulatusFabricius respectively are recognized as valid species. The Palearctic speciesmarshamiStephens is reported for the first time from the Nearctic region. The usage of the generic group namesSepedophilusGistel,ConurusStephens,ConosomaKraatz, andConosomusMotschulsky is discussed. The North American species are divided into 12 species groups based on an examination of the Nearctic, Neotropical, and Palearctic faunas. The distribution of each species is mapped, and the male and female eighth abdominal sternites and tergites, the male genitalia and other diagnostic characters, are illustrated. A neotype is designated forTachyporus opicusSay, and lectotypes are designated when necessary for all the North American species ofSepedophilusdescribed by Gravenhorst, Erichson, LeConte, Horn, and Casey. A diagnostic key for all the species exceptS.heathiWasmann is given. A brief discussion of the nomenclatural history of the genus, of collecting techniques, and of the major diagnostic characters is included.