Species review of the genus Gnypeta Thomson from Canada, Alaska and Greenland (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae): systematics, bionomics and distribution
Author
Klimaszewski, Jan
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada & C 136 Eddc & A- 86 C
Author
Savard, Karine
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada & C 136 Eddc & A- 86 C
Author
Pelletier, Georges
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada & C 136 Eddc & A- 86 C
Author
Webster, Reginald
24 Millstream Drive, Fredericton, NB, Canada & F-
text
ZooKeys
2008
2008-09-04
2
2
11
84
journal article
10.3897/zookeys.2.4
142a25ed-47c3-4361-bc24-6f1b3e8dba5c
1313–2970
576410
664C49F1-5384-43C4-8BF1-CE76AC11D32E
8.
Gnypeta caerulea
(Sahlberg)
(
Figs 10
,
28 a, b
,
99-107
,
197
)
Aleochara caerulea
C.R.
Sahlberg 1830: 351
. As
Gnypeta
:
Bernhauer and Scheerpeltz 1926: 587
;
Palm 1966: 138
;
Muona 1984: 228
;
Campbell and Davies 1991: 100
;
Smetana 2004: 489
.
TYPE LOCALITY
:
FINLAND
, Helsinki [in orig. description: “Ad Helsingforsiam semel tantum capta”].
Holotype
not examined.
Material
examined
Specimens are listed in Appendix A.
Diagnosis
This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: body length 3.0-3.5 mm (
Fig. 10
); elytra (at suture) about as long as pronotum and at least 1/4 wider than maximum width of pronotum (
Fig. 10
); abdomen at base narrower than elytra and subparallel (
Fig. 10
); antennal articles 4-10 strongly to moderately elongate and increasingly less so toward the apex of antennae (
Figs 28 a, b
); median lobe of aedeagus with apical part broadly triangular in lateral view (
Fig. 99
); spermatheca with capsule mushroom-shaped (
Fig. 105
); stem sinuate and slightly swollen basally (
Fig. 105
); male tergite 8 truncate and with two minute lateral dents at apical margin (
Fig. 103
).
Gnypeta caerulea
is readily distinguishable from
G. lohsei
by larger, slimmer and strongly glossy body and by the elongate antennal articles 6-10, which are quadrate to slightly transverse in
G. lohsei
(
Fig. 28
).
Description
Body length 3.0-3.5 mm; uniformly dark brown to black, sometimes central part of elytra rust brown, tarsi and sometimes entire legs rust brown (
Fig. 10
); integument strongly glossy; pubescence yellowish grey and moderately long and dense; antennal article 4 strongly elongate, 5-10 moderately to strongly elongate, and increasingly less so toward the apex of antennae (
Figs 28 a, b
); head and pronotum of about the same width (
Fig. 10
); elytra and abdomen wider than either head or pronotum; head rounded posteriorly; pronotum broadest in apical third, pubescence directed anterad along midline and laterad elsewhere; elytra at suture slightly longer than pronotum and at least 1/4 wider than maximum width of pronotum, pubescence directed obliquely postero-laterad, in wavy pattern medially on each side of disc (
Fig. 10
); abdomen subparallel, narrower than elytra at base (
Fig. 10
), three basal tergites with deep basal impressions bearing large punctures; metatarsus with two basal articles of about the same length and the third one slightly shorter.
Male
. Tergite 8 transverse and truncate apically, with two minute apical dents (
Fig. 103
). Sternite 8 about as long as wide and rounded apically (
Fig. 104
). Median lobe of aedeagus with broadly triangular apical part of tubus and edges approximately straight in lateral view (
Fig. 99
); bulbus moderately large with two small anterior projections in dorsal view (
Fig. 100
); internal sac with structures as illustrated (
Figs 99, 100
).
Female
. Tergite 8 truncate apically (
Fig. 106
). Sternite 8 broadly rounded apically (
Fig. 107
). Spermatheca with capsule elongate, mushroom-shaped (
Fig. 105
); stem sinuate and slightly swollen basally (
Fig. 105
).
Distribution
(Fig. 197)
Gnypeta caerulea
is a Holarctic species with circumpolar distribution.
Smetana (2004)
listed this species from Europe, Asia, and North America.
Muona (1984)
,
Campbell and Davies (1991)
, and
Gouix and Klimaszewski (2007)
recorded this species from Newfoundland.
Majka and Klimaszewski (2008)
provided new records for
Nova Scotia
and
Prince Edward Island
. We report this species for the first time from
New Brunswick
,
Quebec
,
Ontario
,
Manitoba
,
Saskatchewan
,
Alberta
,
Yukon Territory
,
Northwest Territories
and
Alaska
.
Collection
and habitat data
In the
United Kingdom
,
G. caerulea
was reported from river margins and in wet moss growing on boulders and rocks in rivers, waterfalls and streams (
Hyman and Parsons 1994
). In
Canada
, adults were collected in May, June, July, and September in marshy habitats, from vegetation around beaver ponds, from edges of ponds with sphagnum, and from swamp sedges.
Comments
The late Steve Ashe (University of
Kansas
) worked on a revision of Nearctic
Gnypeta
but was not able to complete it. Some CNC specimens, which belong to this species, bear his misidentification labels as “
G. nebulosa
Ashe
” and “
G. dialepta
Ashe
” [1987 manuscript – unpublished names].