Flohria

{{Short description|Species of insect}} {{Speciesbox | image = Flohria subcoerulea.jpg | image_caption = | display_parents = 4 | genus = Flohria | parent_authority = Sharp, 1884 | species = subcoerulea | authority = (J. L. LeConte, 1863) | synonyms = *''Trigonophorus subcoeruleus'' <small>LeConte, 1863</small> *''Flohria laticornis'' <small>Sharp, 1884</small> }}

'''''Flohria subcoerulea''''' is a species in the family of the rove beetles, the Staphylinidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus '''''Flohria'''''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.catalogueoflife.org/data/taxon/6J9TX | title = Flohria subcoerulea (LeConte, J. L., 1863) | date = December 12, 2025 | website = catalogueoflife.org | publisher = Catalogue of Life | access-date = January 1, 2026 }}</ref>

==Description==

''Flohria subcoerulea'' is distinguished from other species in the subtribe Philonthina largely by obscure technical features. However, here are some easy to see features of this species:<ref name="x">{{cite journal | last = Chani-Posse | first = Mariana | last2 = Newton | first2 = Alfred F. | title = ''Flohria'' Sharp - a Relictual Genus of the Subtribe Philonthina from the Americas (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) | journal = Annals of the Entomological Society of America | volume = 108 | issue = 3 | pages = 372-382 | publisher = Oxford University Press | date = 2015 | url = https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfred-Newton/publication/276542370_Flohria_Sharp--a_Relictual_Genus_of_the_Subtribe_Philonthina_from_the_Americas_Coleoptera_Staphylinidae_Staphylininae/links/55f09ef408aedecb68ffb95c/Flohria-Sharp--a-Relictual-Genus-of-the-Subtribe-Philonthina-from-the-Americas-Coleoptera-Staphylinidae-Staphylininae.pdf | doi = 10.1093/aesa/sav015 | access-date = January 2, 2026}}</ref>

*Its body is unusually exelongate and cylindrical, with an especially long abdomen longer than the combined head, top part of the prothorax and the elytra. *The top part of the prothorax is somewhat longer than wide. *Its body is up to 15.2mm long (~{{frac|5|8}} inch). *The antennae are relatively short and thick. *The head shape, wider than long and narrower than the top part of the prothorax, is unusual. *The body is all black except for the elytra, which are metallic blue. *Mandibles are somewhat prominent and stout, with 2-3 teeth on the inner edges in addition to the apex.

==Distribution==

''Flohria subcoerulea'' occurs from south-central Texas south through Mexico to northern Costa Rica in Central America.<ref name="x" />

==Habitat==

''Flohria subcoerulea'' is considered a rare species, though it has been captured in an exceptionally broad range of elevations, climates and habitats, from tropical and subtopical forests near sea level to temperate forests of volcanic peaks at nearly 3000 meters in elevation (~9850 ft); also it's been found in a suburban garden.<ref name="x" /> The image of an individual shown on this page was taken on a narrow trail through an area of scrub and ranchland, at an elevation of ~1900 meters (~6200 ft).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/309251291 | title = ''Flohria subcoerulea'' Research Grade | date = August 25, 2025 | website = inaturalist.org | publisher = iNaturalist | access-date = January 3, 2026 }}</ref>

==Taxonomy==

''Flohria subcoerulea'' belongs to the species-rich subtribe Staphylininae, which comprises 70 genera worldwide. In 1884 the single species in the concurrently erected genus ''Flohria'' was first described by David Sharp and named ''Flohria laticornis''. So it remained until the year 2000 when ''Gastrisus subcoeruleus'', which had been described in 1863, was transferred into ''Flohria'', becoming ''Flohria subcoeruleus'', the second species in the genus. In 2002, ''Flohria laticornis'' was determined to be the same taxon as ''Flohria subcoeruleus.'' Since ''Flohria subcoeruleus'', as ''Gastrisus subcoeruleus'', had been described before ''Flohria subcoerulea'', the two taxa were lumped under the name ''Flohria subcoerulea'', and the genus ''Flohria'' returned to having a single species.<ref name="x" />

The name ''Flohria laticornis'' is considered a "subjective junior synonym" of ''Flohria subcoerulea''.<ref name="x" /> That term is used when, in a manner based on a personal opinion and not external facts or evidence, one published name is chosen over another because it's older.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://code.iczn.org/glossary/?frame=1 | title = Glosary | website = International Code of Zoological Nomenclature | publisher = The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature 1999 | location = London, United Kingdom | access-date = January 3, 2026 }}</ref> Apparently, this term is used because the oldest description for the taxon, under the name ''Gastrisus subcoeruleus'', was based on a certain type specimen, while the author's preferred name, ''Flohria subcoerulea'', was based on another type specimen, which had been described at a later date.

As of 2015, there were few studies including ''Flohria'', but enough information, including phylogenetic studies of the Staphylininae, had been gathered to consider the hypothesis that the genus occupied a basal position within the Philonthina -- that it was sister to the remaining genera of the substribe, thus perhaps somewhat of a relict species.<ref name="x" />

The type collection was said to have been taken in "Almolonga, Jalcomulco, Uruapan, Mexico" by Julius Flohr.<ref name="s">{{cite book | last = Sharp | first = David | chapter=Stphylinidae | title = Biologia Centrali-Americana | publisher = Taylor & Francis | series = Insecta Coleoptera | volume = 1 | edition = 2 | date = May 1883 | location = London, United Kingdom | pages = 313-392 | url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/577444}}</ref>

==Etymology==

In 1884, David Sharp named the genus ''Flohria'' in honor of Julius Flohr, who discovered and collected many new insect species in Mexico, especially beetles.<ref name="s" />

In the species name, ''subcoerulea'', the ''sub'' is from Latin with various meanings such as under, below, secretly and, in our case "near".<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sub | title = sub prefix | website = merriam-webster.com | publisher = Merriam-Webster | access-date = January 3, 2025 }}</ref> The ''-coerulea'' is from the Latin ''caeruleus'', meaning "blue" or "bluish".<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cnah.org/taxon.aspx?taxon=Elgaria_coerulea. | title = Northern Alligator Lizard ''Elgaria coerulea'' (Wiegmann, 1828) | website = cnah.org | publisher = The Center for North American Herpetology | location = Fort Hays State University, Colorado, USA | access-date = January 3, 2026 }}</ref> Thus ''''Flohria subcoerulea'' is somewhat blue because of its metallic blue elytra.

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Staphylinidae Category:Monotypic Staphylinidae genera