The coastal rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) of Atlantic Canada: a survey and new records
Author
Majka, Christopher
Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax, NS, Canada
Author
Klimaszewski, Jan
St. Francis Xavier University, Department of Biology, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
Author
Lauff, Randolph
St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish ,, Canada
text
ZooKeys
2008
2008-09-04
2
2
115
150
journal article
10.3897/zookeys.2.2
6a4658b7-ce15-45fb-8985-b925e1490704
1313–2970
576408
Myrmecopora vaga
(
LeConte, 1866
)
NOVA SCOTIA
: Halifax Co.:
Point Pleasant Park,
23.VI.2002
, C.G. Majka, small beach, in flotsam, (
1 female
, CGMC).
Myrmecopora vaga
(
Fig. 4
) is newly recorded in
Canada
(
Fig. 13
). The specimen was collected on a small sandy beach along the Northwest Arm in Point Pleasant Park. Several individuals were observed in the vicinity of beach-drift detritus accumulated at the top of the strand line. They were, however, quick to take flight and agile on the wing, and only one specimen was captured. Other characteristic co-inhabiting coastline species of beetles collected together with
M. vaga
at this site were
Cercyon litoralis
,
Dermestes undulatus
Brahm, 1790
[
Dermestidae
], and
Blapstinus metallicus
.
Fig. 13.
The distribution of
Atheta vestita
,
Falagria dissecta
,
Myrmecopora vaga
,
Stenus erythropus
,
and
Ochthephilum fracticorne
in Atlantic Canada.
Myrmecopora vaga
was described by
LeConte (1866)
from the “Lake Superior” region of the
United States
where it was found in the riparian areas of lakes and streams (
Newton et al. 2000
). The present record is the first subsequent record, and the first one from eastern North America. While the species was found in riparian areas in the interior of the continent, it was discovered on the coastline in Nova Scotia. This may be a typical habitat for this little-known species given that many Western Palaearctic species of
Myrmecopora
are known to inhabit coastline, beach-drift, and shingle-beach environments where they are typically found beneath seaweed and other debris accumulated on the strand line (
Assing 1997a
,
1997b
). These include
M. fugax
(Erichson, 1839)
,
M. laesa
(Erichson, 1839)
,
M. uvida
(Erichson, 1840)
,
M. boehmi
Bernhauer, 1910
,
M. oweni
Assing, 1997
,
M. sulcata
(Kiesenwetter, 1850)
,
M. simillima
(Wollaston, 1864)
,
M. maritima
(Wollaston, 1864)
,
M. minima
Bernhauer, 1900
,
M. anatolica
(Fagel, 1969)
,
M. bernahueri
Koch, 1936
, and
M. brevipes
Butler, 1909
(all the species in the subgenera
Iliusa
,
Paraxenusa
, and
Xenusa
); and in the eastern portion of the Palaearctic region,
M. rufescens
(Sharp, 1874)
,
M. algarum
(Sharp, 1874)
,
M. reticulata
(
Assing, 1997
)
, and
M. chinensis
Cameron, 1944
(all the species in the subgenus
Lamproxenusa
). Consequently this species should be sought more extensively in both riparian and seacoast situations in North America in order to better determine its distribution on the continent.
Oxytelinae