Alisalia minuta Klimaszewski & Webster, 2009

Klimaszewski, Jan, Webster, Reginald, Savard, Karine & Couture, Jérôme, 2009, First record of the genus Alisalia Casey from Canada, description of two new species, and a key to all Nearctic species of the genus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), ZooKeys 25 (25), pp. 1-18 : 8-10

1. Alisalia minuta Klimaszewski & Webster , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3177BF3E-8B04-4F7D-B7AD-E0F83EFA9EC1

Figs 2, 5–11; Map 1

HOLOTYPE (male): CANADA, New Brunswick, Queens Co., Canning, Grande Lake , at Goat Island , 46.0110°N, 66.0133°W, 8.VIII.2007, R.P. Webster coll.; lakeshore, on cobblestone beach, under cobblestone in moist sand ( LFC) . PARATYPES: labelled as the holotype ( LFC, RWC) 5 males, 16 females ; New Brunswick, Carleton Co., Belleville, Meduxnekeag Valley Nature Preserve , 46.1944°N, 67.6832°W, 2.VI.2008, R.P. Webster coll., river margin under cobblestones in sand / gravel among scattered grasses ( RWC) 2 males, 1 female ; New Brunswick, York Co., 1.5 km N of Durham Bridge (at Nashwaak River ), 46.1408°N, 66.6179°W, 15.VI.2008, R.P. Webster coll., river margin among cobblestones near outflow of brook ( RWC) 1 male .

Etymology. The name of this species is the Latin adjective “minuta” meaning small, in reference to the small size of this species.

Description. Alisalia minuta may be distinguished from the other two Alisalia species recorded from Canada by its small and narrow bicoloured body (length 1.6–1.8 mm; maximum width 0.1 mm), slightly elongate elytra (Fig. 2), and the characteristic shape of the median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 5). For the differences between this and the other Nearctic species, see the key.

Body length 1.6–1.8 mm, narrowly subparallel; head, elytra and posterior part of abdomen dark brown, the remainder of the body light rust brown, legs and bases of antennae yellowish (Fig. 2); punctation on forebody fine and dense; microsculpture inconspicuous; pubescence of head directed obliquely lateroanterad, on pronotum laterad from midline of disc, on elytra obliquely or straight posteriad, and on abdomen approximately straight posteriad (Fig. 2); antennae moderately broad as illustrated (Fig. 2); pronotum slightly narrower than elytra, 1.1 times as wide as long; elytra slightly elongate, 1.1 times as long as wide; abdomen with sharply delimited horizontal basal depressions (Fig. 2). MALE: tergite 8 truncate apically and may bear shallow emargination (Fig. 7); sternite 8 broadly rounded apically, sometimes pointed medially (Fig. 8). Median lobe

Figures 5–ΙΙ. Alisalia minuta Klimaszewski & Webster , sp. n.: 5 median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view 6 paramere 7 male tergite 8 8 male sternite 8 9 spermatheca Ι0 female tergite 8 ΙΙ female sternite 8.

of aedeagus with moderately elongate and sinuate tubus, subapical part approximately straight and medio-basal part moderately convex, crista apicalis of bulbus moderately broad and slightly projecting ventrally (Fig. 5), flagellum slightly projecting externally, straight in shape (Fig. 5). Paramere as illustrated (Fig. 6). FEMALE. Tergite 8 truncate apically (Fig. 10); sternite 8 rounded apically (Fig. 11); spermatheca as illustrated (Fig. 9).

Bionomics

Macrohabitat: lake and river margins. Microhabitat: under cobblestones embedded in moist sand with fine grass roots in areas with grasses within 40 cm of water. Collecting period: June and August. Collecting method: aspirating from under cobblestones.

Distribution (Map 1). CANADA: New Brunswick.