# Silpha

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***Silpha*** is the type [genus](/source/Genus) of the [carrion beetles](/source/Carrion_beetles). These were formerly considered a distinct [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) but are now included in the [Staphylinidae](/source/Staphylinidae) as [subfamily](/source/Subfamily) Silphinae. This genus is native to the [Old World](/source/Old_World), with one species introduced to [Canada](/source/Canada).[1][2]

## Species

Most of the genus' historically recognized diversity occurs in Europe, with many proposed species having eventually been synonymized with the widespread *S.carinata*. For much of the 20th century, the genus was little studied taxonomically. However, starting with the work of [Wolfgang Schawaller](/source/Wolfgang_Schawaller), a number of distinct species were newly described or revalidated in recent decades from eastern Asia and Africa, so it may well be that additional unrecognized species exist. As of 2025, the described species are:[1]

- *[Silpha alpestris](/source/Silpha_alpestris)* Kraatz, 1876
- *[Silpha businskyorum](/source/Silpha_businskyorum)* Háva, J.Schneider & Růžička, 1999
- *[Silpha capicola](/source/Silpha_capicola)* Péringuey, 1888 (= *S.peringueyi, S.punctulata*)
- *[Silpha carinata](/source/Silpha_carinata)* Herbst, 1783 (= *S.armeniaca, S.atropurpurea, S.austriaca, S.bilineata, S.blattiformis, S.carpathica, S.croatica, S.griesbachiana, S.italica, S.jeanneli, S.recta, S.rufocincta, S.tatrica, S.trilineata*)
- *[Silpha chelinda](/source/Silpha_chelinda)* Sommer, Růžička & Barclay, 2025
- *[Silpha francoisi](/source/Silpha_francoisi)* Dierkens, 2020
- *[Silpha khumbuensis](/source/Silpha_khumbuensis)* Schawaller, 1982
- *[Silpha koreana](/source/Silpha_koreana)* Cho & Kwon, 1999
- *[Silpha lata](/source/Silpha_lata)* Portevin, 1920
- *[Silpha longicornis](/source/Silpha_longicornis)* Portevin, 1926 (= *S.imitator, S.yamatona*)
- *[Silpha martensi](/source/Silpha_martensi)* Emetz & Schawaller, 1975
- *[Silpha melanura](/source/Silpha_melanura)* Hope, 1831 (= *S.nakanei*)
- *[Silpha nepalica](/source/Silpha_nepalica)* Emetz & Schawaller, 1975
- *[Silpha obscura](/source/Silpha_obscura)* Linnaeus, 1758 (= *S.orientalis, S.validior*)
- *[Silpha olivieri](/source/Silpha_olivieri)* Bedel, 1887
- *[Silpha perforata](/source/Silpha_perforata)* Gebler, 1832
- *[Silpha puncticollis](/source/Silpha_puncticollis)* Lucas, 1846
- *[Silpha punctulata](/source/Silpha_punctulata)* Gmelin, 1790
- *[Silpha qinlinga](/source/Silpha_qinlinga)* Schawaller, 1996
- *[Silpha schawalleri](/source/Silpha_schawalleri)* Háva, J.Schneider & Růžička, 1999
- *[Silpha tristis](/source/Silpha_tristis)* Illiger, 1798
- *[Silpha tyrolensis](/source/Silpha_tyrolensis)* Laicharting, 1781

The Black Snail Beetle *[Phosphuga atrata](/source/Phosphuga_atrata)* was initially included in the present genus, and the supposed species *S.fusca, S.nitida, S.paedemontana, S.punctata* and *S.shakotana* are assigned to it today.

As *Silpha* is the type genus of its [tribe](/source/Tribe_(biology)) [Silphini](/source/Silphini) and the entire [carrion beetle](/source/Carrion_beetle) [subfamily](/source/Subfamily) Silphinae, other related beetles were occasionally placed here, e.g. *[Ablattaria laevigata](/source/Ablattaria_laevigata)*. Even the [darkling beetle](/source/Darkling_beetle) *[Asida](/source/Asida_(beetle)) [maura](/source/Asida_maura)*, *[Glischrochilus quadripunctatus](/source/Glischrochilus_quadripunctatus)* (a [sap beetle](/source/Sap_beetle), family Nitidulidae), *[Kateretes pedicularius](/source/Kateretes_pedicularius)* (a short-winged flower beetle, family [Kateretidae](/source/Kateretidae)), *[Peltis ferruginea](/source/Peltis_ferruginea)* of family [Peltidae](/source/Peltidae), or *[Megalodacne](/source/Megalodacne) [indica](/source/Megalodacne_indica)* and *[Triplax russica](/source/Triplax_russica)* of the [Erotylidae](/source/Erotylidae) (pleasing fungus beetles), were at first placed in *Silpha*, although they all properly belong to the [Cucujiformia](/source/Cucujiformia), an entirely distinct [infraorder](/source/Infraorder) than the carrion beetles.

In addition, some prehistoric *Silpha* species have been named from fossil remains. The genus is attested as much as 25 million years ago at the end of the [Oligocene](/source/Oligocene), while an even older record around 35 million years ago is of more uncertain affiliations. The fossil species, sorted by decreasing age, are:[1]

- †*Silpha beutenmuelleri* Wickham, 1914 (disputed) – [Priabonian](/source/Priabonian)
- †*Silpha stratuum* Germar, 1837 – [Chattian](/source/Chattian)
- †*Silpha obsoleta* Heer, 1847 – [Serravallian](/source/Serravallian)
- †*Silpha tricostata* Heer, 1862 – Serravallian

Living species are attested by remains from the mid-[Pleistocene](/source/Pleistocene) onwards.[1]

## References

1. [\[1\]](https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id5335/) Genus *Silpha* - Biolib.cz

1. [\[2\]](https://bugguide.net/node/view/590646) *Silpha tristis* - BugGuide.net

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Silpha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silpha) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silpha?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.