REVIEW OF MYCOPHAGY, HOST RELATIONSHIPS AND BEHAVIOR IN THE NEW-WORLDOXYPORINAE (COLEOPTERA, STAPHYLINIDAE)

Members of the monogeneric staphylinid subfamily Oxyporinae are adapte d through various morphological and behavioral modifications for the e xploitation of an ephemeral, heterogeneous, and irregularly occurring mushroom habitat. The principal morphological adaptations of species o f Oxyporus involve modifications of the mandibles of adults and larvae ; labial palpi and labrum of adults; and maxillae of larvae. Species o f Oxyporus have a short developmental time to exploit this habitat. Pa rental care (subsociality) is displayed as an adaptation to avoid pred ation and/or parasitism on larvae thus increasing survival of the larv ae. Five patterns of host selection within the Oxyporinae are proposed : 1) overall host selection broad with a moderately broad subset of pr eference; 2) overall host selection moderately broad with a relatively narrow subset of preference; 3) overall host selection relatively nar row with a well defined subset of preference; 4) overall host selectio n relatively narrow with no defined subset of preference; and 5) host selection is species specific. Known fungal hosts for New World specie s of Oxyporus are given.