Amischa decipiens (Sharp, 1869)

Pentinsaari, Mikko, Anderson, Robert, Borowiec, Lech, Bouchard, Patrice, Brunke, Adam, Douglas, Hume, Smith, Andrew B. T. & Hebert, Paul D. N., 2019, DNA barcodes reveal 63 overlooked species of Canadian beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera), ZooKeys 894, pp. 53-150 : 53

Amischa decipiens (Sharp, 1869) Figure 6

Distribution.

Native to the Palaearctic region, occurring broadly in Europe and also reported from the Canary Islands, Tunisia, Turkey, and Mongolia ( Schülke and Smetana 2015). Adventive in the Nearctic region (British Columbia and Ontario, Canada).

Canadian records.

British Columbia: Abbotsford, 22-Sep-2014 to 03-Oct-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Burnaby, 21-Sep-2015 to 02-Oct-2015 (2 exx, CBG); Port Coquitlam, 20-Apr-2015 to 08-May-2015 (1 ex, CBG); Surrey, 19-Sep-2016 to 30-Sep-2016 (1 ex, CBG). Ontario: Aylmer, 19-Sep-2016 to 30-Sep-2016 (1 ex, CBG); Brantford, 22-Apr-2013 to 03-May-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Cambridge, 20-Apr-2015 to 08-May-2015 (1 ex, CBG); Chesley, 22-Sep-2014 to 03-Oct-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Ethel, 22-Apr-2013 to 03-May-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 28-Apr-2013 to 03-May-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Hagersville, 22-Apr-2013 to 03-May-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Hagersville, 23-Sep-2013 to 04-Oct-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Little Britain, 19-Sep-2016 to 30-Sep-2016 (1 ex, CBG); London, 19-Sep-2016 to 30-Sep-2016 (1 ex, CBG); London, 22-Sep-2014 to 03-Oct-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Manitowaning, 21-Sep-2015 to 02-Oct-2015 (5 exx, CBG); Milverton, 22-Apr-2013 to 03-May-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Napanee, 22-Sep-2014 to 03-Oct-2014 (2 exx, CBG); Perth East, 23-Sep-2013 to 04-Oct-2013 (1 ex, CBG); St. Thomas, 22-Sep-2014 to 03-Oct-2014 (10 exx, CBG); Stayner, 21-Sep-2015 to 02-Oct-2015 (2 exx, CBG); Teeswater, 22-Apr-2013 to 03-May-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Teeswater, 23-Sep-2013 to 04-Oct-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Walkerton, 22-Apr-2013 to 03-May-2013 (2 exx, CBG); Walkerton, 22-Sep-2014 to 03-Oct-2014 (2 exx, CBG); Whitby, 23-Sep-2013 to 04-Oct-2013 (1 ex, CBG).

Diagnostic information.

Body length: 2.0-2.2 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 6A . Tergite VII in both sexes without a distinct notch. Spermatheca as in Fig. 6B .

Bionomic notes.

This eurytopic species is usually found in moist microhabitats such as leaf litter and moldy hay ( Koch 1989a). Good (1995) reported this species from agricultural fields and grasslands in Ireland. Most of the barcoded Canadian specimens were collected with Malaise traps in suburban residential areas.

Comments.

One of the most distinctive species of this difficult genus, A. decipiens can be recognized by tergite VII lacking a notch in both sexes and by the distinctive spermatheca that bears an elongate capsule ( Fig. 6B ) ( Muona 1990). In at least some parts of its European range (e.g., Ireland), the species is considered to be parthenogenetic ( Williams 1969; Good 1995). All examined voucher specimens from the Nearctic were females, suggesting that this species is also parthenogenetic in North America. The genus Amischa in North America is unrevised and all Nearctic specimens that cannot be matched to Palaearctic A. analis (Gravenhorst, 1802) or A. decipiens should be treated as unidentifiable pending a comprehensive study. An examination of all North American types was outside the scope of this study and should ideally be accompanied by further DNA sequencing work of both Nearctic and Palaearctic Amischa .

Figures

Figures 5, 6. 5 Tachyporus atriceps Stephens 5 A habitus 5 B elytral chaetotaxy (re-drawn from Assing and Schuelke 2012) and pattern variability 5 C aedeagus, ventral view, M. Schuelke, modified. Abbreviations: OD outer discal row, MD middle discal row, ID inner discal row, S sutural row 6 Amischa decipiens (Sharp) 6 A habitus 6 B spermatheca, re-drawn from Muona (1990). Scale bars: 1.0 mm (5 A; 6 A), 0.5 mm (5 B, C), 0.1 mm (6 B).