Silusa prettyae Klimaszewski & Langor

Klimaszewski, Jan, Langor, David W., Bourdon, Caroline, Gilbert, Amelie & Labrecque, Myriam, 2016, Two new species and new provincial records of aleocharine rove beetles from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), ZooKeys 593, pp. 49-89 : 70-72

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Silusa prettyae Klimaszewski & Langor sp. n. Figs 116-123

Holotype

(female). Canada, Newfoundland, Butterpot Provincial Park, 47.381°N, 53.044°W, pitfall trap, 26.IX.2012, Andrea Pretty (LFC).

Paratypes.

Canada, Newfoundland: Butterpot Provincial Park, 47.381°N, 53.044°W, pitfall trap, 11.VIII.2012, Andrea Pretty (LFC, MUN) 2 males, 1 female; same data except: 4.VIII.2012 (MUN) 1 female, 6.IX.2012 (MUN) 1 female.

Etymology.

This species is named after Andrea Pretty, an enthusiastic entomophilic park interpreter who collected the type series in Butterpot Provincial Park.

Diagnosis.

Body length 2.7-3.0 mm; body moderately narrow, sides subparallel (Fig. 116); yellowish brown with head, antennae, posterior part of elytra and abdomen dark brown (Fig. 116); integument moderately glossy, sparsely punctate and pubescent, pubescence short and adhering to the body, forebody with dense meshed microsculpture, sculpticells hexagonal; head round, about as wide and as long as pronotum, with large eyes, as long as postocular area; antennae with articles I-III elongate and VI subquadrate, V-X transverse (Fig. 116); pronotum strongly transverse, slightly narrower at base than elytra; elytra longer than pronotum; abdomen broad, tapering apically. MALE. Median lobe of aedeagus with large oval bulbus and short, triangular tubus in dorsal view (Fig. 118); in lateral view, apical half of tubus produced ventrally at 75% angle (Fig. 117); two pairs of prominent internal sac structures (Figs 117-118); tergite VIII slightly emarginate apically and with broad teeth (Fig. 119); sternite VIII elongate, produced apically (Fig. 120). FEMALE. Tergite VIII truncate apically (Fig. 121); sternite VIII slightly produced apically (Fig. 122); spermatheca with tubular and apically spherical capsule without distinct apical invagination, stem arcuate, narrowed posteriorly (Fig. 123).

Distribution.

Known only from Butterpot Provincial Park in southeastern Newfoundland, Canada.

Bionomics.

Adults were collected in August and September in pitfall traps in coniferous boreal forest.

Comments.

This species is very similar externally to Silusa californica Bernhauer but may be separated from it by: its smaller body with shorter elytra (elytra at suture about as long as pronotum along median line); light brown colour with darker antennae, head, and posterior elytra and abdomen; and differently shaped spermatheca in lateral view (Fig. 123). The male of this species is similar to that of Silusa californica Bernhauer but the apical half of the tubus of the aedeagus is produced ventrally at about 75% angle and in Silusa californica at about 90% angle. The female spermatheca is distinct in its shape and has the best diagnostic features for this species (Fig. 123), and this is also the reason why the female was designated for a holotype. For illustrations of Silusa californica , see Klimaszewski et al. (2003). The three European species, Silusa rubiginosa (Er.), Silusa rubra (Er.), and Silusa pipitzi Epph., are ruled out as conspecific with Silusa prettyae as all three species have different proportions of forebody, and different body colour. For details see Lohse (1974).