Custotychus pocahontas ( Casey, 1897 )

Chandler, Donald S. & Geromini, Sarah D., 1962, A Revision of the Eastern Nearctic GenusCustotychusPark and Wagner, 1962 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 1962 (2), pp. 217-242 : 217-242

14. Custotychus pocahontas ( Casey, 1897) ( Figs. 15 , 28a–b , 36 )

Tychus pocahontas Casey 1897: 615 . Type locality: Norfolk, Virginia. Holotype male: // Va [with black dot below the “a” = Norfolk]/ female symbol/ Casey bequest 1925/ [red label] TYPE USNM 38739/ pocahontas// (USNM). Raffray 1904: 295, 1908: 293, 1911: 131; Leng 1920: 131; Bowman 1934: 118; Jeannel 1956: 129; Park 1956: 95 (key to species); Downie and Arnett 1996: 589.

Cylindrarctus pocahontas: Jeannel 1956: 129 .

Custotychus pocahontas: Chandler 1988: 159, 1997: 78 ; Poole and Gentili 1996: 383; Peck and Thomas 1998: 40.

Specimens Examined. n = 70. District of Columbia: D.C., Ulke. Florida: Leon Co.: Tall Timbers Res[earch] St[ation], Woodyard Hammock, V-17-1996, P. Kovarik & X.-C. Zang, leaf litter extraction from beech-magnolia forest. Tallahassee, I-23-1980, I-26-1982, C.W. O’ Brien, berlese litter; same locality, III-31-1977, C.W. O’ Brien, berlese magnolia, and beech litter; same locality, I-23- 1976, C.W. O’ Brien & G.B. Marshall, berlese magnolia, and beech litter, same locality, I-31- 1980, G.B. Marshall, hardwood litter; same locality, VII-1-1965, W. Suter, pine buttress; same locality, VI-24-1965, W. Suter, moss on log. Maryland: Montgomery Co.: Cabin John, VI-7-1965, W. Suter, forest floor. Gr[eat] Falls, Potomac River, IV-15- 1951, G.H. Nelson, under rocks. Island SE of Plummers [ Island], IX-8-1964, W. Suter, litter at log. New York: Nassau Co.: Sea Cliff, L[ong] I[sland], VI. North Carolina: Caldwell Co.: Pisgah Nat[ional] For[est] nr. Mortimer C[ampground], 430m, IV-30-2006, A.K. Tishechkin, litter sifting. Orange Co.: Chapel Hill, Morgan Circle, IV-17- 1994, J.F. Cornell, ex. soil. Union Co.: 3 mi. W Monroe, V-31-1973. IV-23-1973, J.F. Cornell, stumphole #2 litter; same locality, V-26-1973, J.F. Cornell, stumphole #7 litter; same locality, V-5- 1973, J.F. Cornell, stumphole #6 litter. Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Co.: Frankford, IV-24. V-6. VII-31. Westmoreland Co.: St. Vinc[ent], Liebeck; same locality, X-25-1897. South Carolina: Aiken Co.: Savannah Riv[er] Plant, Rd. 4 nr. Jct. Rd. C, VII-23-1984, W.W. Hargrove, holly/deciduous litter. Barnwell Co.: Savannah Riv[er] Plant, X-31- 1984, W.W. Hargrove, sample 8. Savannah Riv[er] Plant, Rd. B, IV-13-1984, W.W. Hargrove, damp deciduous litter. Chesterfield Co.: Cheraw St. Park, VI-12-2013, E. Riley, UV [light]; same locality, XI-5-1979, J. Cornell, pine/hardwood litter. Florence Co.: Hannah, VI-9-1965, W. Suter, pine buttress. Virginia: Bath Co.: Warm Springs, X-1. Fairfax Co.: Falls Church, XII-7. Turkey Run, VIII-26- 1976, A. Newton & M. Thayer, berlese forest litter, Liriodendron and other hardwoods. Halifax Co.: 3 km N Hitesboro, North Aaron’ s Creek, XII-19- 1993, R.L. Hoffman, mxed hardwood. Mecklenberg Co.: 5 mi. NE Chase City, VIII-9-1975, D.S. Chandler, berlese litter. Norfolk City: Norfolk [type locality]. Patrick Co.: Mill Creek, 1 mi. W Stella, Rt. 628, VIII-3-2008, R.L. Hoffman, berleseate. West Virginia: Berkeley Co.: Sleepy Creek Mountain, V-23-1986, T. Allen, unbaited pitfall trap. Grant Co. : Greenland Gap, V-26-1993, S.F. Hutchinson, Berlese funnel, moss.

Description. Body: Brown; 1.52–1.80 mm long. Male: Eyes with 20–30 facets. Metasternal tubercle ( Fig. 28a, b ) slightly posterior to metasternal midpoint; in lateral view, angled slightly posteriorly and apex rounded-truncate, angled to projecting anterior margin, posterior face concave; in posterior view, with apex rounded, with stem about 2/3 width of apex, apex briefly T-shaped; tubercle height 0.039 mm, maximum width at apex 0.034 mm, minimum width of stem 0.029 mm. Mesotibiae with apical spur briefly bifurcate at apex, apical spur aciculate. Ventrite 2 convexly rounded; ventrite 6 with longitudinally ovoidal, shallow impression through length at middle. Aedeagus ( Fig. 15 ) 0.34 mm long; median lobe elongate; in lateral view, with apex acute, expanding basally to form swollen, rounded-angulate dorsal lobe that is abruptly constricted basally, with small posterodorsally directed spine just anterior to lobe; in dorsal view, with apical portion of median lobe appearing as elongate triangle; lateral arms of dorsal plate strongly curved anteriorly with distinct ventral tooth near apex, smaller elongate spine directed posteriorly at apex; in dorsal view, with median portion of dorsal plate more U-shaped with lateral arms directed posteriorly; parameres laterally flattened, in lateral view slightly sinuate, swollen in apical half, apex bluntly pointed. Female: Eyes with 7–15 small facets; lacking mesotibial spurs.

Collection Data Synopsis. Specimens have been taken in all months except February and September. They were found in deciduous and mixed pine/ hardwood litters, as well as rotten wood. Specimens are present in the following collections: DSCC, FMNH, FSCA, LSAM, MCZC, NCSU, USNM, VMNH, and WVDA.

Distribution. Custotychus pocahontas is found from central Pennsylvania to northern Florida. It has been taken from the coastal plains to midelevations on the eastern slope of the Appalachian Mountains ( Fig. 36 ). Material examined is from the following states: DC, FL, MD, NY, NC, PA, SC, VA, and WV.

Comments. The holotype is a male from Norfolk, which was thought by Casey to be a female. This species has smaller eyes that those of C. verticalis , which allows females to be identified when from localities north of Washington, DC, where C. daggyi is not present. In dorsal and lateral views of the metasternal tubercle, and in the dorsal form of the male genitalia, C. pocahontas is similar to C. minor . However, in lateral view the male genitalia are clearly different, with C. pocahontas having slender, dorsally curved lateral arms of the dorsal plate with only a single ventral spur, while C. minor has two ventrally recurved spurs from the lateral arms. Custotychus pocahontas is unique in the presence of a posteriorly directed medial spine on the dorsal margin of the median lobe, while for C. minor and all other species this spine is lacking.

Figures

Figs. 8–15. Custotychus species, dorsal and left lateral view of aedeagus. 8) C. cavei; 9) C. verticalis; 10) C. watrousi;

Figs. 28–32. Custotychus species. 28) C. pocahontas, scanning electron micrographs of right lateral (a) and posterior (b) views of metasternal tubercle. Grid for measurements of 20 or 50m at bottom of micrographs; 29) C. carloritaorum, mesotibial spurs; 30) C. spinosus, mesotibial spurs; 31) C. watrousi, abdominal ventrites, ventrolateral view; 32) C. daggyi, right maxillary palpus, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.

Figs. 34–36. Distribution of Custotychus species. 34) Distribution of species in the spinosus and verticalis species-groups: C. rothorum and C. spinosus, and C. cavei, C. verticalis, and C. watrousi; 35) Distribution of C. minor; 36) Distribution of other species in the minor species-group: C. carloritaorum, C. leei, C. natchez, and C. pocahontas.