A systematic revision of Baconia Lewis (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini)

Abstract

Here we present a complete revision of the species of Baconia. Up until now there have been 27 species assigned to the genus (Mazur, 2011), in two subgenera (Binhister Cooman and Baconia s. str.), with species in the Neotropical, Nearctic, Palaearctic, and Oriental regions. We recognize all these species as valid and correctly assigned to the genus, and redescribe all of them. We synonymize Binhister, previously used for a polyphyletic assemblage of species with varied relationships in the genus. We move four species into Baconia from other genera, and describe 85 species as new, bringing the total for the genus to 116 species. We divide these into 12 informal species groups, leaving 13 species unplaced to group. We present keys and diagnoses for all species, as well as habitus photos and illustrations of male genitalia for nearly all. The genus now contains the following species and species groups: Baconia loricata group [B. loricata Lewis, 1885, B. patula Lewis, 1885, B. gounellei (Marseul, 1887a), B. jubaris (Lewis, 1901), B. festiva (Lewis, 1891), B. foliosoma sp. n., B. sapphirina sp. n., B. furtiva sp. n., B. pernix sp. n., B. applanatis sp. n., B. disciformis sp. n., B. nebulosa sp. n., B. brunnea sp. n.], B. godmani group [B. godmani (Lewis, 1888), B. venusta (J. E. LeConte, 1845), B. riehli (Marseul, 1862), comb. n., B. scintillans sp. n., B. isthmia sp. n., B. rossi sp. n., B. navarretei sp. n., B. maculata sp. n., B. deliberata sp. n., B. excelsa sp. n., B. violacea (Marseul, 1853), B. varicolor (Marseul, 1887b), B. dives (Marseul, 1862), B. eximia (Lewis, 1888), B. splendida sp. n., B. jacinta sp. n., B. prasina sp. n., B. opulenta sp. n., B. illustris (Lewis, 1900), B. choaspites (Lewis, 1901), B. lewisi Mazur, 1984], B. salobrus group [B. salobrus (Marseul, 1887b), B. turgifrons sp. n., B. crassa sp. n., B. anthracina sp. n., B. emarginata sp. n., B. obsoleta sp. n.], B. ruficauda group [B. ruficauda sp. n., B. repens sp. n.], B. angusta group [B. angusta Schmidt, 1893a, B. incognita sp. n., B. guartela sp. n., B. bullifrons sp. n., B. cavei sp. n., B. subtilis sp. n., B. dentipes sp. n., B. rubripennis sp. n., B. lunatifrons sp. n.], B. aeneomicans group [B. aeneomicans (Horn, 1873), B. pulchella sp. n., B. quercea sp. n., B. stephani sp. n., B. irinae sp. n., B. fornix sp. n., B. slipinskii Mazur, 1981, B. submetallica sp. n., B. diminua sp. n., B. rufescens sp. n., B. punctiventer sp. n., B. aulaea sp. n., B. mustax sp. n., B. plebeia sp. n., B. castanea sp. n., B. lescheni sp. n., B. oblonga sp. n., B. animata sp. n., B. teredina sp. n., B. chujoi (Cooman, 1941), B. barbarus (Cooman, 1934), B. reposita sp. n., B. kubani sp. n., B. wallacea sp. n., B. bigemina sp. n., B. adebratti sp. n., B. silvestris sp. n.], B. cylindrica group [B. cylindrica sp. n., B. chatzimanolisi sp. n.], B. gibbifer group [B. gibbifer sp. n., B. piluliformis sp. n., B. maquipucunae sp. n., B. tenuipes sp. n., B. tuberculifer sp. n., B. globosa sp. n.], B. insolita group [B. insolita (Schmidt, 1893a), comb. n., B. burmeisteri (Marseul, 1870), B. tricolor sp. n., B. pilicauda sp. n.], B. riouka group [B. riouka (Marseul, 1861), B. azuripennis sp. n.], B. famelica group [B. famelica sp. n., B. grossii sp. n., B. redemptor sp. n., B. fortis sp. n., B. longipes sp. n., B. katieae sp. n., B. cavifrons (Lewis, 1893), comb. n., B. haeterioides sp. n.], B. micans group [B. micans (Schmidt, 1889a), B. carinifrons sp. n., B. fulgida (Schmidt, 1889c)], Baconia incertae sedis [B. chilense (Redtenbacher, 1867), B. glauca (Marseul, 1884), B. coerulea (Bickhardt, 1917), B. angulifrons sp. n., B. sanguinea sp. n., B. viridimicans (Schmidt, 1893b), B. nayarita sp. n., B. viridis sp. n., B. purpurata sp. n., B. aenea sp. n., B. clemens sp. n., B. leivasi sp. n., B. atricolor sp. n.]. We designate lectotypes for the following species: Baconia loricata Lewis, 1885, Phelister gounellei Marseul, 1887, Baconia jubaris Lewis, 1901, Baconia festiva Lewis, 1891, Platysoma venustum J.E. Leconte, 1845, Phelister riehli Marseul, 1862, Phelister violaceus Marseul, 1853, Phelister varicolor Marseul, 1887b, Phelister illustris Lewis, 1900, Baconia choaspites Lewis, 1901, Epierus festivus Lewis, 1898, Phelister salobrus Marseul, 1887, Baconia angusta Schmidt, 1893a, Phelister insolitus Schmidt, 1893a, Pachycraerus burmeisteri Marseul, 1870, Phelister riouka Marseul, 1861, Homalopygus cavifrons Lewis, 1893, Phelister micans Schmidt, 1889a, Phelister coeruleus Bickhardt, 1917, and Phelister viridimicans Schmidt, 1893b. We designate neotypes for Baconia patula Lewis, 1885 and Hister aeneomicans Horn, 1873, whose type specimens are lost.