Erichsonius brachycephalus Frank, 1975

Brunke, Adam J. & Marshall, Stephen A., 2011, Contributions to the faunistics and bionomics of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in northeastern North America: discoveries made through study of the University of Guelph Insect Collection, Ontario, Canada, ZooKeys 75, pp. 29-68 : 42-43

Erichsonius brachycephalus Frank, 1975

Materials.

CANADA: ON: Huron Co., Brucefield, London Rd. nr. Centennial Rd., 43.509, -81.516, hedgerow nr. creek, canopy trap in buckthorn, 11-V-2009, A. Brunke (1); QC:La Valleé-de-la-Gatinaeu,Martindale, hutte à castor (=beaver lodge), 19-IX-1976, R. Sexton (26).

Diagnosis.

This species is easily recognized among others of the genus with a sparsely punctate forebody by its large size (>4.7mm from clypeus to abdominal apex) and transverse head with slightly converging temples (Fig. 8).

Erichsonius brachycephalus was previously known from Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas ( Frank 1975),Virginia ( Frank 1981a), and New Hampshire ( Chandler 2001). Watrous (2008) reported it from Missouri based on specimens collected in stream drift and leaf litter. Herein we newly record it from Canada (Ontario and Québec) and suggest that this species is broadly distributed in northeastern North America, reaching its northern limit in southernmost Canada (Map 21). All available habitat data suggest that this species is strongly associated with decaying vegetative debris along the edges of ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. Despite the long series from Quebec beaver lodges, we have not found this species during our searches of beaver lodges in Ontario.