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          Hyponygrus Tottenham. This is a fairly large genus of worldwide distribution.  A single species, H. tricolor Fabricius, was reported by Fowler (1888) from 'vegetable refuse, decaying seaweed, etc.' from the British Islands.

 

Subfamily Quediinae

Among those staphylinids with a distinct neck, members of this subfamily are recognized in having the anterior angles of the prothorax produced ahead of the anterior angles of the prosternum. The hypomera is not visible from the side and is without a beaded margin internally.

 

          Heterothops Mannerheim. A moderate sized genus whose members are usually found in leaf mold, etc. One species, H. binotata Erichson has been reported by Fowler (1888) 'in decaying seaweed on the shore' in Great Britain. Members of this genus have the last segment of the maxillary palpus much narrower than the preceding segment. The pronotum is strongly narrowed in front, highly polished and with only three punctures arranged in a triangle on the disc on each side in front.

 

Subfamily Paederinae

Only two genera of this large subfamily are associated with the marine habitat. They are usually linear insects with a distinct neck and with the last segment of the maxillary palpus narrower than the preceding.

 

          Chetocephalus Cameron. This genus, characterized by coarse umbilicate puctures on the head and pronotum, was established for a single species, C. maritimus Cameron, from seaweed from the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

 

          Medon Stephens, with very fine umbilicate punctures on the head and pronotum, contains about 200 species, but only 3 are marine. Two are from the British Isles and one from Mauritius. These medium-sized linear insects are usually brown in color.

 

Subfamily Xanthopyginae

Members of this subfamily have the lateral carinae of the prothorax widely separated at the anterior angle. They are generally large linear or stout insects best developed in tropic regions.

 

 

KEY TO GENERA OF MARINE XANTHOPYGINAE

 

1.  Elytral suture overlapping................................................................. ..............Thinopinus

 

     Elytral suture not overlapping ........................................................................................ 2

 

2.  Middle coxae separate ..................................................................................Hadropinus

 

     Middle coxae contiguous. . ................................................................................Hadrotes