. Annals of the South African Museum = Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum. Natural history. SOUTH AFRICAN ARTHROPODS 319 Various rove-beetles have been observed in decaying kelp on the beaches, particularly Cafius xantholoma (Gravenhorst), which is widespread in Europe (Bernhauer & Schubert 1914) and regarded by Backlund (1945) as eucoenic. Morley (1907) suggests that it may even be omnivorous and will feed on mam- mal carcasses if necessary. During the present study it was found on carcasses of marine mammals on a few occasions, but appeared to feed on dipterous maggots under these cir

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. Annals of the South African Museum = Annale van die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum. Natural history. SOUTH AFRICAN ARTHROPODS 319 Various rove-beetles have been observed in decaying kelp on the beaches, particularly Cafius xantholoma (Gravenhorst), which is widespread in Europe (Bernhauer & Schubert 1914) and regarded by Backlund (1945) as eucoenic. Morley (1907) suggests that it may even be omnivorous and will feed on mam- mal carcasses if necessary. During the present study it was found on carcasses of marine mammals on a few occasions, but appeared to feed on dipterous maggots under these circumstances. Species of Aleochara, including the previously mentioned A. salsipotens (Fig. 8A), are some of the most numerous of all the Staphylinidae associated with kelp, together with species of Omalium, Xantholinus and Bledius, particu- larly B. alutellus Bernhauer. Most of them were found all along the coast as well as further inland in the survey area. A tiny, brown, Omalium-MkQ Phyllodrepa hessei Bernhauer, (about 1, 9 mm long) occurred only along the western part of the Cape Peninsula in kelp where the larger species were absent. The large black Staphylinus hottentotus Nordman (Fig. 8C), which is distributed through- out South Africa (Scheerpeltz 1973), was as numerous in kelp banks and flakes as in semi-fresh cow-dung and other decaying organic matter such as carcasses of marine and land animals. The immature stages of Aleochara spp., Bledius spp., and Staphylinus hot- tentotus were never found in kelp during the surveys and their breeding habits are therefore unknown. However, the larvae and pupae of an unidentified Aleo-. Fig. 8. Family Staphylinidae. A. Aleochara salsipotens. B. Leucoparyphus variipes. C. Staphylinus hottentotus.. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.. South African Museum