Phlaeopterus czerskyi ( Shavrin, 2001 )

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 : 21

4. Phlaeopterus czerskyi ( Shavrin, 2001) ( Figs. 1D , 7B , 26 , 30A–E )

Lesteva czerskyi Shavrin 2001: 190 [original description]. Shavrin et al. 2007: 37.

Phlaeopterus czerskyi ( Shavrin, 2001) : Shavrin and Mullen 2015: 121 [transferred to Phlaeopterus ].

Type Locality. Eastern Siberia , Russia .

Redescription. Habitus: Length 4.0– 4.3 mm. Dark brown to reddish brown; abdomen darkest ( Fig. 1D ); antennae, mouthparts, and legs often yellowish brown. Head: Moderately wide, width across eyes greater than head length. Interantennal groove vaguely impressed. Anteocellar foveae moderately impressed. Eyes moderately pubescent on ventral half, with more than 10 setae. Antennomeres 5–10 1.2–1.8 times longer than wide. Ocelli present. Nuchal constriction vague. Mandibles with row of setae ( Fig. 30B ). Labrum with sensory pores along entire surface ( Fig. 30A ). Mentum as in Fig. 30D . Maxilla as in Fig. 30E . Labial palpi with 3 rd palpomere greater than 2 times longer than 2 nd palpomere ( Fig. 30C ). Thorax: Pronotum moderately narrow, length to width ratio = 0.80; ratio of pronotal width to head width = 1.5; maximum width slightly less than width of elytra at bases; dorsal surface very coarsely, sparsely punctate, punctures separated by average distance 1–2 times diameter of a puncture; lateral margins narrowly explanate posterad lateral foveae, not explanate anterad lateral foveae; lateral foveae vaguely impressed, contiguous with lateral margins. Elytra with humeral angles convex; epipleural carina not projecting; about 1.7 times longer than pronotum; apical margins convex. Wings brachypterous, reduced to short lobes. Mesosternum with projecting tooth; longitudinal carina along midline of mesosternum distinct, strongly and roughly carinate anteriorly, becoming vague posteriorly. Legs: All tibiae evenly pubescent to apex. Metatrochanter without tooth on apical margin. Abdomen: Wingfolding spicules absent from all tergites. Apical palisade fringe on tergite VII absent. Aedeagus: Median lobe somewhat triangular, apex acute ( Fig. 26 ). Parameres diverging from base to apical third, then slightly converging to apex. Internal sac heavily sclerotized, covered in microspinules.

Type Specimens. Holotype male labeled as follows: 14. VI.[19]96/XaMap-flaðau [Khamar- Daban Mts. ]/KoMapnucĸnň [Komarinskiy]/xp. [Mt.] h=1900/ fflasspnu A. [Shavrin A. leg.] Holotype / Lesteva /czerskyi/Shavrin A. 2000. Paratype female labeled as follows: XaMap-flaðau [Khamar- Daban Mts.]/ cp. T. Baðxn [middle flow of Babkha River] [51°46 ʹ N, 103°95 ʹ E]/ 8–14.V.1999 / fflasspnu A./[Shavrin A. leg.] / Paratype / Lesteva /czerskyi/Shavrin A. 2000. The holotype is deposited in the ZIN. The paratype is deposited in the CSH.

Distribution. Phlaeopterus czerskyi is known only from the Khamar-Daban Mountains of eastern Siberia ( Fig. 7B ).

Bionomics. Adults have been collected at 900–1,900 m elevation during May–August in wet moss at the edges of small streams.

Remarks. Phlaeopterus czerskyi is the only species of the genus known outside of northwestern North America. The occurrence of P. czerskyi in eastern Siberia confirms Casey’ s (1893) speculation: “[ Phlaeopterus ] is the most conspicuous of the endemic North American genera of Omaliini , although probably occurring also in Siberia…” It is easily distinguished from all other Phlaeopterus species by the crenulate lateral margins of the pronotum, the especially coarse and sparse punctation of the pronotum and elytra, the lack of wing-folding spicules, and the brachypterous wings. It most closely resembles P. lagrandeuri and can be distinguished from P. lagrandeuri by characters discussed in the remarks section of that species.

Figures

Fig. 1. Phlaeopterus species, habitus. A) P. bakerensis, female (UAMObs:Ento:233271), B) P. castaneus, female

Fig. 7. Distributions of Phlaeopterus species based on all georeferenced specimen records. A) P. cavicollis, B) P. czerskyi. Grey dots represent localities where at least one Phlaeopterus species, but not the species of interest, was collected. Red dots represent localities where the species of interest was collected.

Fig. 26. Phlaeopterus czerskyi, aedeagus. A) Ventral view, B) Lateral view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. Adapted from Shavrin and Mullen (2015).

Fig. 30. Phlaeopterus czerskyi, mouthparts, dorsal views: A) Labrum, B) Mandibles, C) Labium, D) Mentum, E) Maxilla. Scale bars = 0.1 mm. Adapted from Shavrin and Mullen (2015).