Hemiquedius ferox (LeConte, 1878)

Brunke, Adam, Smetana, Ales, Carruthers-Lay, Duncan & Buffam, Joel, 2017, Revision of Hemiquedius Casey (Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) and a review of beetles dependent on beavers and muskrats in North America, ZooKeys 702, pp. 27-43 : 28-30

Hemiquedius ferox (LeConte, 1878) Figs 1D, 2A, B, E, 3C, 4 map

Quedius ferox LeConte, 1878: 388

Hemiquedius ferox : Smetana 1971a

Type locality.

Enterprise, Florida

Type material.

The male lectotype of Quedius ferox designated by Smetana (1971a) is deposited in the MCZ (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States) and was examined via photographs in the MCZ online type database (http://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/name/Quedius%20ferox). Based on the distribution of the lectotype (Enterprise, Florida), pronotum shape and the distinct emargination of male sternite VIII, the name H. ferox corresponds to the species restricted to peninsular Florida.

Other material.

UNITED STATES: Florida: Dade County: 50 km SW Miami, Chekika State Rec. area, Grossman Hammock Forest, malaise-FIT, ‘66b’, 15.XI.1985 to 24.II.1986, S. & J. Peck, 1 specimen with CNC656114 BOLD Proc ID CNCCT067-17 (21, CNC); same except 28.VII to 15.XI.1985 (6, CNC); same except 3.III to 28.IV.1985 (2, CNC); same except no date, CNC656113, BOLD Proc ID CNCCT066-17 (2, CNC); Everglades National Park, Mahogany Hammock, forest, UV light, 1.VIII.1981, S. Peck, (1, CNC); Everglades National Park, Long Pine Key, pinelands, malaise-FIT, 8.VI to 26.VIII.1986, S. & J. Peck, CNC656086, BOLD Proc ID CNCCJ3081-14 (1, CNC); Homestead, 28.II.1968, A. Smetana (1, CNC).

Diagnosis.

Hemiquedius ferox can be distinguished by the distinct emargination of male sternite VIII (Fig. 1D), acute apex of the median lobe (Fig. 2A) and very slightly elongate pronotum (Fig. 3C). It is also the only species known from peninsular Florida.

Redescription.

Measurements ♂ (n = 5): HW/HL 1.18-1.20; PW/PL 0.96-0.98; EW/EL 0.91-0.96; ESut/PL 0.69-0.77; PW/HW 1.21-1.25; forebody length 5.03-5.31 mm.

Measurements ♀ (n = 5): HW/HL 1.14-1.18; PW/PL 0.96-0.97; EW/EL 0.92-0.96; ESut/PL 0.72-0.74; PW/HW 1.24-1.28; forebody length 4.80-5.50 mm.

Coloration: body dark brown, pronotum sometimes moderately paler, dark reddish brown, abdomen with strong iridescence; palpi reddish brown; legs except coxae light reddish to reddish brown, paler than rest of body, coxae dark brown; antennae dark reddish brown, apical 1-2 segments slightly paler.

Head transverse, slightly more so in males, temples slightly smaller to slightly longer than eyes, middle of disc without punctures. Antennomeres elongate, antennomere 3 extremely elongate, segments decreasing in length to penultimate, which is slightly elongate.

Pronotum slightly longer than wide, weakly converging anteriad, disc without microsculpture, wider than head (Fig. 3C). Elytra broader and considerably shorter than pronotum at middle, fine, uniform setation restricted to epipleuron (as in Fig. 1C), disc with only a few sparse rows of setae, elytral disc without distinct microsculpture, scutellum at most with shallow fragments of meshed microsculpture, never entirely covered with a coarse mesh.

Abdominal tergites with pubescence moderately sparse, setae separated by far more than their diameter, especially sparse at middle of each disc.

Median lobe in lateral view narrowed to simple apex, which is deflexed ventrad at apical fifth (Fig. 2B); median lobe in parameral view with acute apex, expanded subapi cally (Fig. 2A); paramere in situ shorter than median lobe (Fig. 2A), broad and scarcely constricted at base, with small median incision, peg setae arranged in a pair of crescent-shaped fields (Fig. 2E); apical margin of male sternite VIII with distinct emargination (Fig. 1D); male tergite X triangular, with apex ranging from obtuse to slightly acute, not emarginate; male sternite IX with small but distinct and semi-circular emargination.

Female tergite X elongate triangular, with thin median extension that gradually extends from lateral margin in most specimens, shape overlapping with some specimens of H. infinitus .

Distribution.

Figure 4. This species is currently known only from Dade and Volusia counties in peninsular Florida.

Bionomics.

Specimens have been collected using FITs in hammock forests, ‘pinelands’, and one specimen came to a UV light. Two specimens were teneral (3.III to 28.IV, 15.XI to 24.II).

Comments.

Hemiquedius ferox is distinguishable externally from other species of the genus by the slightly longer pronotum and the distinctly emarginate male sternite VIII.