Dineutus serrulatus analis Régimbart, 1882

Gustafson, Grey T., Maier, Crystal A., Baca, Stephen M. & Faris, Christina K., 2014, Rediscovery ofLutrochus laticepsCasey, 1893 (Coleoptera: Lutrochidae) and the Discovery ofDineutus productusRoberts, 1895 andDineutus serrulatus analisRégimbart, 1882 (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) in Kansas, USA, with Notes on Habitat Preference, The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (4), pp. 713-718 : 717

Dineutus serrulatus analis Régimbart, 1882

The discovery of D. serrulatus analis in Kansas is also of some note, but not in terms of a large range extension, being known previously from southeastern Missouri ( Wood 1968), nor is it an uncommonly collected taxon or underrepresented in collections. Dineutus serrulatus analis is reported from several habitat types ( Young 1954; Wood 1968; Realzola et al. 2007) and was highly abundant at the two localities mentioned above in several areas. There is some disagreement on the status of D. serrulatus analis in relation to the nominal subspecies D. serrulatus serrulatus LeConte, 1835 (known primarily from Florida), as some works treat it as a distinct species (i.e., Régimbart 1882; Roberts 1895; Ciegler et al. 2003; Realzola et al. 2007). Southeastern Kansas appears to represent the northwestern most extreme for the range of D. serrulatus analis ( Wood 1968) and would be an important population to sample for a broad molecular analysis of these two taxa to determine their relationship.

Given how uncommon D. productus appears to be and how restricted L. laticeps is in habitat preference, we hope that surveys of similar habitats may result in the discovery of additional populations elsewhere. Once the appropriate habitat was discovered, both D. productus and L. laticeps could be collected, albeit with difficulty. It may be the propensity of D. productus to stay in the deeper part of murky mud-bottomed streams and the hygropetric habits of L. laticeps that have retarded their collection. Both areas tend to be difficult to access and are less than ideal locations to collect a diverse variety of aquatic insects. We hope that the exciting discovery of these rare species in Kansas, as well as the details on their habitat and range, will spark future studies on the biology of these interesting and unique water beetles.