Athetini

Ferro, Michael L., Gimmel, Matthew L., Harms, Kyle E. & Carlton, Christopher E., 2012, Comparison of Coleoptera emergent from various decay classes of downed coarse woody debris in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA, Insecta Mundi 2012 (260), pp. 1-8 : 29

Athetini gen. spp. ( Fig. 57 )

Comments. These specimens could only be reliably identified to Athetini , which is a very large difficult tribe. Seevers’ (1978) characterization of the tribe and genera is inadequate. Currently 64 genera are recognized within the tribe in North America ( Newton et al. 2001) but a complete revision is needed. Gusarov (2002a –e, 2003a–e, 2004a–b) has greatly contributed to our knowledge of many genera and Elven et al. (2010) provided the first molecular phylogeny of the tribe, but more work needs to be done. Range: throughout North America. Habitat: ubiquitous; decaying plants and animals, dung, bird and mammal nests, riparian areas, ant nests, under bark and logs. Collection Method: sifting/Berlese organic material, emergence. Biology: unknown; predators. Ferro et al. (2012a): significantly higher abundance in leaf litter and spring, indifferent to forest type. Present Study: not significantly associ- ated with any substrate or forest type. References: Seevers 1978; Downie and Arnett 1996; Newton et al. 2001; Gusarov 2002a –e, 2003a–e, 2004a–b; Elven et al. 2010.

Atheta spp. ( Fig. 58 )

Comments. These specimens could only be reliably identified to the genus Atheta Thomson. Gusarov (2003e) discussed the varying definitions of the genus and reviewed the types of the known species. Newton et al. (2001) report 176 species known in North America (as Xenota Mulsant and Rey ). Range: throughout North America. Habitat: ubiquitous; decaying plants and animals, dung, bird and mam- mal nests, riparian areas, ant nests, under bark and logs. Collection Method: sifting/Berlese organic material, flight intercept trap, emergence. Biology: unknown, predators. Present Study: significantly higher abundance in CWD2 and primary forest. References: Blatchley 1910; Downie and Arnett 1996 (as Xenota sp. ); Peck and Thomas 1998; Newton et al. 2001 (as Xenota sp. ); Gusarov 2003e; Majka et al. 2011.

Leptusa carolinensis Pace ( Fig. 59 )

Range: northeastern North America south to North Carolina, west to Quebec. Habitat: occurs in sugar maple, red spruce, black spruce, and young, mature, and old growth red spruce/hemlock forests. Collection Method : pitfall traps, flight intercept traps, emergence. Biology : found under bark of beech, under maple log, in bracket fungi, associated with woody debris. Present Study : not significantly associated with any substrate or forest type. References: Pace 1989 ; Klimaszewski et al. 2004; Gouix and Klimaszewski 2007; Webster et al. 2009; Park et al. 2010.

Figures

Figures 57–62. Habitus images. 57) Athetini sp. (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). 58) Atheta sp. (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). 59) Leptusa carolinensis Pace (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). 60) Leptusa cribratula (Casey) (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). 61) Leptusa pusio (Casey) (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). 62) Leptusa sp. (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae).