A NEW SPECIES OF CHAROXUS (COLEOPTERA, STAPHYLINIDAE) FROM NATIVE FIGS (FICUS SPP) IN FLORIDA

Adults of Charoxus spinifer Frank, from Florida, USA are described and illustrated. They brine to six the number of species in this Neotropi cal genus which is here transferred to the tribe Athetini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Alcocharinae). Adults of C. spinifer were collected at ultraviolet light at night, in Right before dusk, rind in syconia (fr uits) of Ficus aurea Nuttall and F. laevigata Vahl (F. citrifolia P. M iller sensu De Wolf 1960), two fig species native to Florida, before t he fruits ripened and fell from the trees. They are associated in fig syconia with adults of fig-pollinating wasps (Agaonidae) and other hym enopterous inhabitants and have been observed to prey on the wasps.