Oligota pusillima (Gravenhorst, 1806)

Brunke, Adam J., Pentinsaari, Mikko & Klimaszewski, Jan, 2021, Integrative taxonomy of Nearctic and Palaearctic Aleocharinae: new species, synonymies, and records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 1041, pp. 27-99 : 27

Oligota pusillima (Gravenhorst, 1806) Fig. 16A-G

Material

(DNA barcoded specimens). Finland: Oba: Oulu, Hietasaari , 65.0225, 25.4247, 22.IV.2011, M. Pentinsaari (1, ZMUO) ; Germany: Edenkoben-Rhodt, Villa Ludwigshoehe, 49.277, 8.09, 20.V.2012, F. Koehler (2, ZSM); Edenkoben-Rhodt , Villa Ludwigshoehe , 49.277, 8.09, 23.VI.2012, F. Koehler (2, ZSM); Zweibruecken-Mauschbach , Monbijou-Wald , 49.2038, 7.39891, 16.X.2011, F. Koehler & W. Koehler (1, ZSM) . Canada: Alberta: Two Hills, Two Hills School EQP-CLL-553, 53.7104N, 111.7437W, 613 m, Malaise trap, 21.IX.-2.X.2015, K. Warawa (2, CBG) .

Additional non-barcoded material.

Ontario: Ottawa, Ottawa River, Deschênes Lookout, Berlese flood debris, 1.V.1985, A. Davies (1, CNC).

Distribution.

Origin: West Palaearctic (adventive in North America). Canada: AB [new record], NB, ON [new record]. United States: MA, NY.

Bionomics.

This species occurs in a variety of moist to dry, decaying organic matter including rotting hay, compost, hollow trees, and ant nests ( Kapp 2019). Canadian specimens were collected in compost ( Webster et al. 2016), and in malaise traps and flood debris in a suburban setting (present study).

Comments.

Oligota pusillima is a Palaearctic species that has been introduced to North America, South America, Australia, Africa, and southeast Asia ( Kapp 2019, Newton 2019). It is here reported from Ontario and Alberta for the first time, the latter representing the westernmost record in North America. Specimens from Alberta were sequenced and their barcodes match those of Palaearctic specimens with no divergence. These specimens were also morphologically consistent with O. pusillima .

Figures

Figure 16. Oligota pusillima (Gravenhorst) A habitus B median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view C spermatheca D male tergite VIII E male sternite VIII F female tergite VIII G female sternite VIII. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 0.2 mm (B-G). Illustrations after Webster et al. (2016).