Adam J. Brunke

New species and distributional records of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Ontario, Canada, with a checklist of recorded species

Abstract The Aleocharinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of Ontario were reviewed in the context of recently studied material, primarily from insect surveys conducted by the University of Guelph Insect Collection (Ontario, Canada). Aleochara daviesi Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Agaricomorpha websteri Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Atheta (Microdota) alesi Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Dinaraea backusensis Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., and Strigota obscurata Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n. are described as new to science. We also report 47 new Ontario records and 24 new Canadian records. Callicerus rigidicornis (Erichson) and Alevonota gracilenta (Erichson) are newly reported from North America as adventive species. A checklist, with Canadian distributions by province, of the 224 species of Aleocharinae known from Ontario is given. The following species are placed in subjective synonymy with Dexiogyia angustiventris (Casey): (Dexiogyia asperata (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia abscissa (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia tenuicauda (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia intenta (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia alticola (Casey) syn. n.). The following species are placed in subjective synonymy with Acrotona subpygmaea (Bernhauer): (Acrotona avia (Casey) syn. n., Acrotona puritana (Casey) syn. n.). Lectotypes are designated for Thiasophila angustiventris Casey, Thiasophila asperata Casey, Ischnoglossa intenta Casey, Oxypoda rubescans Casey, Chilopora americana Casey, Chilopora fuliginosa Casey, Coprothassa smithi Casey, Atheta subpygmaea Bernhauer, Colpodota puritana Casey, Strigota seducens Casey, Trichiusa compacta Casey, Trichiusa hirsuta Casey and Trichiusa robustula Casey.

Generalist Predators (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Staphylinidae) Associated with Millipede Populations in Sweet Potato and Carrot Fields and Implications for Millipede Management

ABSTRACT The predatory beetle assemblage of Ontario carrot and sweet potato fields was described and assessed to identify species of interest to the control of the emerging pest millipede Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus (Wood) (Diplopoda: Julidae). Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was identified as a dominant species, and seven other carabid species [Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger), Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer), Ophonus puncticeps (Stephens), H. erraticus Say, Bembidion quadrimaculatum oppositum Say, Poecilus chalcites (Say), Scarites subterraneus Fabricius, and Pterostichus permundus (Say)] were identified as common species on the basis of activity density. Common species became more abundant as the growing season progressed. In laboratory bioassays, P. melanarius preyed on millipedes regardless of prey size, whereas H. erraticus never selected millipedes as prey. A significant positive spatiotemporal relationship was found between P. melanarius and C. caeruleocinctus in sweet potato fields. P. melanarius was found to be a natural enemy of C. caeruleocinctus, and other common carabid species warrant future study. The role of Staphylinidae in millipede control could not be elucidated, likely because of low trapping efficiency. Tachinus corticinus Gravenhorst, an introduced staphylinid from Europe, was newly recorded in Ontario, extending its North American range considerably westward from the province of Quebec. The results of this study are an important foundational step toward developing a successful integrated pest management strategy for controlling millipede damage in crops.

Rotational Scanning Electron Micrographs (rSEM): A novel and accessible tool to visualize and communicate complex morphology

Abstract An accessible workflow is presented to create interactive, rotational scanning electron micrographs (rSEM). These information-rich animations facilitate the study and communication of complex morphological structures exemplified here by male arthropod genitalia. Methods are outlined for the publication of rSEMs on the web or in journal articles as SWF files. Image components of rSEMs were archived in MorphBank to ensure future data access. rSEM represents a promising new addition to the toolkit of a new generation of digital taxonomy.

Present taxonomic work on Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in Canada: progress against all odds

The Staphylinidae or rove beetles represent one of the largest evolutionary radiations on earth with more than 56,000 species (Grebennikov and Newton 2009, Ślipinski et al. 2011) and are a dominant element of the insect fauna in many terrestrial ecosystems (examples discussed in Thayer 2005). Even though such an enormous diversity may seem unmanageable, we are living in an exciting time for taxonomic research on rove beetles. There has been a relatively sudden expansion in the field of bioinformatics, including e-taxonomy (see ZooKeys special issue 150 for further information). A world catalogue of Staphylinidae (minus Aleocharinae, Paederinae, and Pselaphinae) was recently published (Herman 2001) and followed by catalogues of the entire family for the Palaearctic (Lobl and Smetana 2004), and for the south temperate fauna (Newton and Thayer 2005). American Beetles Volume 1 (Newton et al. 2001) provided the first complete and modern keys to the genera of Staphylinidae occurring in North America north of Mexico, and Navarrete-Heredia et al. (2002) provided the same for Mexico. ‘The Beetles of Central Europe – Staphylinidae I’ by Assing and Schulke (2012) is the most complete species-level review and key for a regional staphylinid fauna to date, and represents a benchmark for other regions of the world to aspire to. In the last quarter of the 20th century, Canada was a world leader in rove beetle systematics, providing two positions for full-time research (A. Smetana and J.M. Campbell) and one for technical support (A. Davies), in Biosystematics Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa. Significant progress was made by these scientists in the study of Canadian staphylinid biodiversity, much of which was summarized in a catalogue of the Canadian fauna (Campbell and Davies 1991). Today, unfortunately, neither of these first two positions exists and financial support for biodiversity research in Canada and worldwide has shifted toward more interpretative studies that use a small fraction of biodiversity and open doors to higher impact journals. Fortunately, taxonomic research of the Canadian staphylinid fauna continues, albeit in a diminished and dispersed capacity. Despite this unfavourable climate for descriptive taxonomy in Canada, the demand for baseline taxonomic data, basic information on the distribution, abundance and habitat preferences of species, continues. The routine implementation of biodiversity inventories (e.g. ATBI’s, and BioBlitz’s) has become important to conservation authorities, who need baseline data to make informed conservation decisions about the properties under their stewardship (e.g. OMNR 2009). Most manuscripts included in this special issue on Biodiversity of Canadian Staphylinidae include these data collected as a result of partnerships between taxonomists and governments (e.g. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources (Fish and Wildlife Branch) New Brunswick Museum, and Canadian Wildlife Service) or non-profit organizations (e.g. Nature Conservancy of Canada and Meduxnekeag River Association). Baseline data included in this special volume improve our knowledge of biodiversity in imperilled Canadian ecosystems such as the Canadian Arctic (Yukon) and highly fragmented old-growth forests (New Brunswick and Ontario). The sustainable management of Canada’s rich natural resources also relies on baseline data to establish comparisons between reference (unaltered) and managed ecosystems under various degrees of resource extraction (e.g. Dollin et al. 2008, for Staphylinidae in managed forests). Baseline data are also used by ecologists in the approximation of ecological conditions using indicator species (Buchs 2003) and in modelling studies (Canhos et al. 2004). Additionally, a poor understanding of species distributions in a country as large and diverse as Canada severely limits studies of local and global biogeography. Researchers aiming to answer these questions depend greatly on an accessible and robust taxonomic knowledge base for their focal taxon and, given its fragmented state for Canadian Staphylinidae, this highly diverse and ecologically dominant group may be largely unavailable to the scientific community. Currently, taxonomic knowledge of Staphylinidae in Canada (and generally in North America) remains inadequate, especially when compared with the level of understanding attained for the Central European fauna. To appreciate the incompleteness of this knowledge and provide direction for future research, 23 subfamilies of Staphylinidae occurring in Canada were ranked according to the taxonomic maturity of the majority of their genera (Fig. 1), with a minimum of ‘0’ representing mostly unrevised groups and a maximum of ‘3’ representing a level comparable to that in Central Europe: post-revision, with a review and checklist of taxa, and with keys available in some form. Of 23 subfamilies, only 7 can be considered well known and accessible (ranked ‘3’), and all are species-poor in Canada or in general. Of the remaining 16, 10 subfamilies are speciose in Canada but only 4 of these can be considered nearly mature, with modern revisions available for most genera. This is due primarily to modern descriptive work by D.S. Chandler and J.A. Wagner (Pselaphinae), A. Smetana (Staphylininae), V. Puthz (Steninae) and J.M. Campbell (Tachyporinae). References to most of these important works are included in the “literature cited” sections of the articles featured herein. Subfamilies with poorly understood biodiversity in Canada are: Aleocharinae, Omaliinae, Osoriinae, Oxytelinae, Paederinae, Piestinae (Siagonium), Proteininae (Proteinus), Scaphidiinae and Scydmaeninae; we recognize however, that several studies on these groups are currently in progress. Notably, the situation in the subfamily Aleocharinae is steadily improving with monographs by Gusarov (e.g. 2003, 2004) and Genier (1989), and more recent collaborations between the second author (JK), and R. Webster (New Brunswick), C. Majka (Nova Scotia and the Maritime Provinces), D. Langor (Newfoundland and Alberta), B. Godin (Yukon Territory), and N. Winchester (British Columbia). Figure 1. Level of taxonomic maturity and approximate number of species in Canadian Staphylinidae subfamilies: ‘0’ denotes mostly unrevised subfamilies; ‘1’ denotes maturing subfamilies with some modern revisionary works; ‘2’ ... The present contributions to this special issue on the Biodiversity of Canadian Staphylinidae improve our knowledge of these poorly known subfamilies and provide valuable baseline data about their taxonomy, distribution, collection methods and habitat preferences. In this issue, there are three contributions to the biodiversity of Canadian Aleocharinae (Webster et al. 2012, Brunke et al. 2012, and Klimaszewski et al. 2012), and collaborative investigations by R. Webster and others on Omaliinae, Osoriinae, Oxytelinae, Paederinae, Piestinae and Scaphidiinae. Even in subfamilies that are better known in Canada, the present contributions to the knowledge of Habrocerinae, Micropeplinae, Olisthaerinae, Oxyporinae, Phloeocharinae, Pselaphinae, Staphylininae and Tachyporinae clearly demonstrate that much remains to be discovered and documented concerning Canada’s rich biodiversity heritage. This special issue is published in the spirit of this exploration and for all individuals with a passion for rove beetle biodiversity.

A revision of the Neotropical species of Bolitogyrus Chevrolat, a geographically disjunct lineage of Staphylinini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

Abstract The Neotropical species of the rarely collected genus Bolitogyrus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini) are revised. The genus exhibits an uncommon, disjunct distribution between the Neotropical and Oriental Regions and is of unknown phylogenetic position within Staphylinini. Morphological evolution remarkable for Staphylinini was discovered within Bolitogyrus, including sexually dimorphic modifications of the pronotum that may be involved in male competition for females. rSEM interactive animations were used to establish morphological species boundaries between two highly variable species and are provided to illustrate diagnostic characters of the genitalia in unconventional views. The genus is redescribed based on the world fauna and twenty-eight Neotropical species are considered valid. Of these, nineteen are described as new to science: Bolitogyrus ashei sp. n.; B. apicofasciatus sp. n.; B. brevistellus sp. n.; B. bufo sp. n.; B. cheungi sp. n.; B. cornutus sp. n.; B. divisus sp. n.; B. falini sp. n.; B. gracilis sp. n.; B. inexspectatus sp. n.; B. longistellus sp. n.; B. marquezi sp. n.; B. newtoni sp. n.; B. pseudotortifolius sp. n.; B. pulchrus sp. n.; B. silex sp. n.; B. thomasi sp. n.; B. tortifolius sp. n.; and B. viridescens sp. n. Bolitogyrus sallei (Kraatz), stat. r. is removed from synonymy with B. buphthalmus (Erichson) and the following new synonyms are proposed: Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884, syn. n. = Quedius buphthalmus Erichson, 1840; C. nevermanni Scheerpeltz, 1974, syn. n. = C. costaricensis Wendeler, 1927. A summary of all available bionomic and distributional data, as well as an illustrated identification key to and diagnoses of all Neotropical species are provided.

Contributions to the faunistics and bionomics of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in northeastern North America: discoveries made through study of the University of Guelph Insect Collection, Ontario, Canada

Abstract Staphylinidae (Rove Beetles) from northeastern North America deposited in the University of Guelph Insect Collection (Ontario, Canada) were curated from 2008–2010 by the first author. The identification of this material has resulted in the recognition of thirty-five new provincial or state records, six new Canadian records, one new record for the United States and two new records for eastern Canada. All records are for subfamilies other than Aleocharinae and Pselaphinae, which will be treated in future publications as collaborative projects. Range expansions of ten exotic species to additional provinces and states are reported. The known distributions of each species in northeastern North America are summarized and presented as maps, and those species with a distinctive habitus are illustrated with color photographs. Genitalia and/or secondary sexual characters are illustrated for those species currently only identifiable on the basis of dissected males. The majority of the new records are in groups that have been recently revised, demonstrating the importance of curation and local insect surveys to the understanding of biodiversity, even for taxa and areas considered ‘relatively well-known’.

Guilty by association: an evaluation of millipedes as pests of carrot and sweet potato

An evaluation of the pest potential of millipede species occurring in Ontario sweet potato and carrot fields was conducted in response to recent grower concerns about the presence of millipedes in close proximity to damaged vegetables. This study is the first North American survey of millipedes on arable soils and the first evaluation of North American millipede damage to sweet potatoes and carrots. Through field surveys, Cylindroiulus caeruleocinctus was found to be the dominant millipede species in Ontario sweet potatoes and carrots. Fields were surveyed over the growing season, and the factors important to each species’ abundance were evaluated using Minimum AIC Estimation (MAICE). Post‐harvest damage assessments were performed, and MAICE analysis was used to determine which arthropod and environmental parameters were most important in explaining damage to sweet potatoes and carrots. Wireworm (Elateridae) abundance was consistently found to explain root damage better than C. caeruleocinctus abundance, and it is concluded that the majority of field‐observed damage was caused by wireworms. C. caeruleocinctus was negatively correlated with both wireworms and damage in carrot fields and is not likely to be a pest of that vegetable. However, abundance of C. caeruleocinctus in sweet potatoes was positively correlated with both wireworms and damage. This species may cause some damage to sweet potato tubers under field conditions, but management tactics should focus on wireworms as the primary source of damage.

The adventive genus Xantholinus Dejean (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae in North America: new records and a synthesis of distributional data.

Abstract New distributional and bionomic data are provided for species of the genus Xantholinus in North America. Xantholinus elegans (Olivier 1795) (= X. jarrigei Coiffait 1956)is recorded from North America for the first time, based on specimens collected in Ontario, Canada from 2007-2010. The armature of the internal sac of the aedeagus in situ is illustrated to aid in identification. Xantholinus linearis (Olivier 1795), known previously from the Maritime Provinces of Canada and the eastern United States, is newly recorded from Ontario. Xantholinus longiventris Heer 1839 is still only known from western North America. A key is provided to allow recognition of all three species.

Revision of Hemiquedius Casey (Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) and a review of beetles dependent on beavers and muskrats in North America

Abstract Based on newly discovered characters on the male genitalia, external morphology and an accumulation of ecological data, we revise the single member of the genus Hemiquedius. Two new species, H. infinitus Brunke & Smetana, sp. n. and H. castoris Brunke & Smetana, sp. n., from eastern North America are described, and H. ferox (LeConte), restricted to peninsular Florida, is re-described. Hemiquedius castoris is strongly associated with the microhabitats provided by nest materials of the North American beaver and muskrat. A key to the three species of Hemiquedius is provided and diagnostic characters are illustrated. We also review the beetles known to be obligate associates of beavers and muskrats, and discuss the potential role of these keystone vertebrates in beetle evolution and distribution. Based on nest-associated beetles and their closest living relatives, beaver and muskrat lodges may extend distributions northward by moderating winters, promote sympatric speciation and act as refugia against extinction of lineages on a broader timescale. Further research into these potential impacts by ecologists and evolutionary biologists is encouraged.

The first fossil rove beetle from the middle Eocene Kishenehn Formation (North America) provides evidence for ancient Eocene relicts within the hyperdiverse Staphylinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae)

A new rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) is described from the middle Eocene Kishenehn Formation in Montana, USA. †Tympanophorus greenwalti Chatzimanolis, Brunke & Schillhammer sp. nov. is the oldest known definitive member of the subtribe Anisolinina (Staphylininae: Staphylinini) and the entire Staphylinini propria clade, which contains the majority of the tribes over 5500 described extant species. In order to provide robust justification for the systematic placement of the Kishenehn fossil, all genera of the Tympanophorus lineage are reviewed and redefined. A key to these genera is provided for the first time. Paratympanophorus Lecoq becomes a junior synonym of Trigonopalpus Cameron, with the following new combinations: Trigonopalpus africanus (Lecoq), Tr. peyrierasi (Lecoq), Tr. pubescens (Lecoq), Tr. punctatus (Lecoq) and Tr. steineri (Lecoq). Tympanophorus schenklingi Bernhauer is moved to Trigonopalpus (comb. nov.) and Ty. clavicornis (Lecoq) is moved to Barygnathus (comb. nov.), and thus, the genus Tympanophorus no longer occurs in the Afrotropical region. Tympanophorus is shown to be at least as old as the middle Eocene, and its disjunct New and Old World lineages are hypothesized to have been separated in the early Eocene. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CA1993B8-1251-45C3-877E-C4604F78E781