Oxybleptes davisi (Notman) 1924: 72

Frank, J. H., Kelly, S. L. & Almquist, D. T., 2014, Notes on Diochus Erichson, Lissohypnus Casey, and Oxybleptes Smetana (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Florida, including a description of a new species of Lissohypnus, Insecta Mundi 2014 (382), pp. 1-8 : 3-4

Oxybleptes davisi (Notman) 1924: 72 (see Smetana 1982: 254 for redescription)

USA, FL, Leon Co., Apalachicola Nat. For. Stand 231 - 10m 2 sand J. R. King Aug 2011 / Pine fltwd ; Pitfall 30 o 21’ 34.76” N 84 o 29’ 19.81’ W, ( UCFC 0 457 041) ; as above but Stand 245/13 - control J. R. King Aug 2011 / Pine fltwd ; Pitfall 30 o 19’ 02.30” N 84 o 28’ 40.05 W ( UCFC 0457 355, 0 457 357, 0 457 358, 0 457 359, 0 457 360, 0 457 361) ; as above but Stand 245/13 mow J. R. King Aug 2011 / Pine fltwd ; Pitfall 30 o 19’ 02.30” N 84 o 28’ 40.05 W ( UCFC 0 457 485, 0 457 492, 0 457 499, 0 457 500) ; as above but Stand 245/13 1m 2 sand J. R. King Aug 2011 / Pine fltwd ; Pitfall 30 o 19’ 02.30” N 84 o 28’ 40.05 W ( UCFC 0 457 229, 0 457 230, 0 457 231, 0 457 232, 0 457 233, 0 457 234, 0 457 235, 0 457 236) ; as above but Stand 245/ 13 - 100m 2 sand J. R. King Aug 2011 / Pine fltwd ; Pitfall 30 o 19’ 02.30” N 84 o 28’ 40.05 W ( UCFC 0 457 262, male dissected) ; as above but Stand 246W 1m 2 sand J. R. King Aug 2011 Pine fltwd ; Pitfall 30 o 18’ 24.39” N 84 o 53.43 W ( UCFC 0 456 961, 0 456 962, 0 456 963, 0 456 964, 0 456 965, 0 456 966, 0 456 967, 0 456 969 and 0 457 235) 8 exx. Leon Co. total = 28 .

USA, FL, Liberty Co., Apal Blffs & Rav Pres, Coll: Preserve Staff, VII-29-2008 / Mxd Hrdwd closed canopy, seepage slope ravine, N 30 o 29’ 42.66” W 84 o 58’ 42.46” 183 ft. Malaise trap/ ( UCFC 0 403 480). Liberty Co. total = 1.

USA, FL, Orange Co., Orlando , VI-21-1991, longleaf pine saw palmetto, Malaise trap, S.M. Fullerton ( UCFC 0 173 709 male dissected, 0 173 908 male dissected), same but VIII-28-1991, longleaf pine - sand pine - turkey oak, ( UCFC 0 173 616), same but longleaf pine - sand pine - turkey oak Malaise trap, VII-24-1997 ( UCFC 0 173 616), Orange Co., UCF, 28 o 36’ 37” N 81 o 12’ 01” W longleaf pine flatwoods (burn), Malaise traps, M. Carey, S.L. Kelly, S.M. Fullerton V-23-2008 ( UCFC 0 466 734), same but VII-20-2012, D.A. Woller, S.M. Fullerton, fluorescent yellow pan traps, oak - sand pine - rosemary scrub ( UCFC 0 484 970) ; Walt Disney World 26 May - 02 June 1998, Z Prusak, S Fullerton, C-4 Stout site, S15,16 T24 S R27 E xeric oak flatwoods, Malaise trap ( UCFC 0 173 649, 0 173 6500 and 173 658). Orange Co. total = 9 .

USA, FL, Wakulla Co., St. Mark’s NWR, 30.13087 oN, 34.30241 oW 4-11 August 2011. D. T. Almquist, FL Natural Areas Inventory survey (gopher tortoise burrow façade trap in sandhill habitat). 5 exx. Same data but 11-18 August 2011. 3 exx. [Details of the trap will be explained in a later paper by DTA]. The specimens will be deposited in FSCA. Wakulla Co. total = 8.

The presence of O. davisi in the Florida Panhandle was already suspected (see Frank et al. 2005), but its known distribution was District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York ( Smetana 1982). The bigger surprise was to find it also in Orange Co. in central Florida along with O. meridionalis . The new data show that adults of both species may be collected in pitfall traps and that O. meridionalis may be collected in Malaise traps. Adults of O. meridionalis have been collected in all months of the year except February and April, but nothing is known of the immature stages or diet. Smetana (1988) pointed to the smaller, less elongate bulbus of the aedeagus of O. meridionalis , the slightly smaller body size, and the narrower male tergite of the genital segment as differentiating characters from O. davisi . We dissected a male of O davisi from Leon Co., a male from Wakulla Co., and two from Orange Co. and found that the genitalia agree exactly with Smetana’s (1982) description. We add that we find the elytra of O. davisi to be relatively longer and the head, pronotum, and elytra to be relatively glossier.

The original collector of O. davisi reported to Notman (1924) that considerable numbers of adults were found running on the tops of several gravestones at Staten Islands, NY on 7 August 1923, that they were running about in daylight, often in circles, and that more were found with the same behavior on 28 September. No mention was made of the kind of stone – whether it had a matte or glossy surface. The earliest collections of O. meridionalis ( Frank et al. 2005) were all made in daylight, with the adults found drowning in water or soapy water in artificial containers in circumstances suggesting an attraction to light-colored or glossy surfaces. Later collections with abundant specimens were made by trapping, but in no instance by use of lights at night, supporting the idea of diurnal activity.