Phlaeopterus occidentalis Mullen and Campbell, 2018

Mullen, Logan J., Campbell, J. M. & Sikes, Derek S., 2018, Taxonomic Revision of the Rove Beetle Genus Phlaeopterus Motschulsky, 1853 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 72, pp. 1-54 : 45-47

16. Phlaeopterus occidentalis Mullen and Campbell , new species

( Figs. 4D , 13B, 16F, 20E, 23D, 24A) Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7D45457E-C5D0-4CF2-83FB-BAC51055CDCF

Casey 1893: 402 [misidentification as T. cavicollis ].

Type Locality. Mt. Rainier National Park , Washington, USA .

Description. Habitus: Length 6.1–8.2 mm. Reddish brown to black; elytra sometimes lighter than pronotum; palpi, legs, and antennae reddishbrown to black ( Fig. 4D ). Head: Width across eyes to head length subequal to slightly wider than long.

Interantennal groove broadly and moderately deeply impressed. Anteocellar foveae large, deeply impressed. Eyes glabrous or with less than 10 scattered setae near ventral margin. Antennomeres 5–10 at least 2 times longer than wide; antennomeres 4–11 each with many sensory pits with papilliform projections. Ocelli present. Nuchal constriction vague. Mandibular molar area with Lshaped row of setae. Labrum with sensory pores along entire surface. Labial palpi with 3 rd palpomere 1.6–1.8 times longer than palpomere 2. Thorax: Pronotum moderately wide (Fig. 16F), length to width ratio = 0.63–0.71; ratio of pronotal width to head width = 1.45–1.70; maximum width subequal to elytral width at humeral angles; punctures on dorsal surface separated by distance slightly less than to slightly more than diameter of a puncture; lateral margins explanate posterad lateral foveae, narrowly explanate anterad lateral foveae, narrowing to not at all explanate at apex; lateral foveae deeply impressed. Elytra with humeral angles convex; epipleural carina not projecting; 2.2–2.6 times longer than pronotum; apical margins broadly convex. Wings fully developed in most individuals, brachypterous in very few. Mesosternum with projecting tooth; longitudinal carina along entire midline of mesosternum ( Fig. 20E ). Legs: Apices of all tibia without pubescence, length of subglabrous apex of metatibia as ratio to metatibial length in males = 7.6–28.0, in females = 8.6–19.4. Metatrochanter without tooth on apical margin. Abdomen: Wing-folding spicules on tergites IV and V broad, transverse, narrowly separated; tergite VI with wing-folding spicules. Aedeagus: Length 1.24–1.50 mm. Median lobe irregularly narrowing from base to abruptly truncate apex. Parameres diverging from base to apical fourth that strongly converges towards apex of median lobe ( Figs. 23D , 24A ). Internal sack lightly sclerotized; with subapical transverse fold; apical 2/3 covered in microspinules except for smooth area of transverse fold.

Type Specimens. Holotype male (UAMObs: Ento:235826) and allotype female (UAMObs:Ento: 235827) labeled as follows: WASH., Mt. Rainier N. P., end of West Side Rd., 3.VIII.1979, 3700’, J. M. & B. A. Campbell / HOLOTYPE ³ (or AL- LOTYPE ♀) Phlaeopterus occidentalis desig. L. J. Mullen and J. M. Campbell CNC No. 18466 (red label). Both specimens are in the CNC, Ottawa. Paratypes (n = 232) are deposited in the AMNH, CAS, CNC, CSCA, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, USNM, and UCRC.

Distribution. Phlaeopterus occidentalis is known from southern California north through Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia to southeastern Alaska ( Fig. 13B). A single specimen (UAM:Ento:332755) was collected from Great Basin National Park, Nevada. We attempted to re-collect this species from the 1968 locality (UAMObs:Ento:233463) near Haines, Alaska, in the summer of 2014 but were unsuccessful.

Bionomics. Adults of this species have been collected at 300–3,200 m, a broader elevation range than any other species in the genus. In British Columbia and Alaska, the species has only been collected at 300–1,800 m. Adults have been collected during May–October in California and Oregon, but only during June– August in Washington and Alaska. This species has been collected under rocks and in moss in the splash-zone at the edges of small streams or waterfalls.

Remarks. Specimens from Vancouver Island vary from those of the mainland by having the base of the internal sac of the aedeagus broader and the apex of the internal sac concave. The aedeagus of the Vancouver Island ( Fig. 24A ) and mainland ( Fig. 23D ) populations are illustrated. There is also a slight difference in the length of the posterior tibiae vs. posterior tarsus and in the length of the antennomeres approaching the apex. Furthermore, the mainland population shows geographic variation in the aedeagus, with the aedeagus becoming slightly longer and the apex of the median lobe progressively more narrowly triangular moving from south to north. We deem these differences insufficient to warrant splitting these populations into multiple species or subspecies.

Casey (1893) erroneously referred to a specimen of P. occidentalis as T. cavicollis in his treatment of the latter species, likely because the type series of the latter species was mixed. This error was fixed by a lectotype designation for P. cavicollis . The specimen examined by Casey (1893) is labeled as follows: Vanc./ ♀ /CASEY bequest 1925/ cavicollis Fvl. /May be from original type series. – see Casey, Col. notices V. 1893, p. 402.

Etymology. This species is named for its wide distribution in northwestern North America.

Figures

Fig. 4. Phlaeopterus species, habitus. A) P. loganensis, female (UAMObs:Ento:233072), B) P. longipennis, male

Fig. 20. Phlaeopterus species, mesosterna, ventral oblique view. A) P. longipennis, B) P. obsoletus, C) P. olympicus, D) P. frosti, E) P. occidentalis, F) P. elongatus.

Fig. 23. Phlaeopterus species, aedeagi (left = ventral view; right = dorsal view of median lobe). A) P. bakerensis, B) P. smetanai, C) P. smetanai, D) P. occidentalis.

Fig. 24. Phlaeopterus species, aedeagi (left = ventral view; right = dorsal view of median lobe). A) P. occidentalis, B) P. olympicus, C) P. loganensis, D) P. fusconiger.