Track analysis of the species of Agrodes and Plochionocerus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

Abstract

The geographical distributions of 2 species of Agrodes and 13 species of Plochionocerus were analyzed using a panbiogeographic approach to identify their biogeographic patterns. Nine species have been recorded as being exclusively freom South America, 2 exclusively freom Central America, and 4 are shared between both areas. Two species of Agrodes and 3 of Plochionocerus are widely distributed in 2 or more subregions of the Neotropical region, and 6 species of Plochionocerus have more restricted distributions, basically ranging in a single subregion, and 4 species are restricted to a small number of localities. Three generalized tracks were identified in the Mesoamerican dominion of the Caribbean subregion, in the northwestern South American dominion of the Caribbean subregion, and in the Amazonian subregion. Species of other staphylinid genera provide additional support to these tracks.