Boreophilia eremita (Rye, 1866)

Klimaszewski, Jan, Sikes, Derek S., Brunke, Adam & Bourdon, Caroline, 2019, Species review of the genus Boreophilia Benick from North America (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Athetini): Systematics, habitat, and distribution, ZooKeys 848, pp. 57-102 : 57

1. Boreophilia eremita (Rye, 1866) Figs 6-15

Homalota eremita Rye, 1866: 123. Brundin 1953: 407 [as B. hercynica ], Palm 1970: 260 [as B. hercynica ], Lohse et al. 1990: 155, Smetana 2004: 396, Klimaszewski et al. 2011: 184, 2018: 566.

Atheta aluvialis Renkonen, 1936: 117. Smetana 2004: 396. Cotypus. Finland: Muonio, Renkonen, A. islandica Kr., var. alluvialis Renk (MHNG) 1 male, 1 female.

Atheta smolkai Rybiński, 1902: 11. Smetana 2004: 396.

Diagnosis.

Body moderately broad, forebody slightly and abdomen strongly glossy (Fig. 6); length 3.0-3.6 mm; dark brown to almost black, appendages light brown or reddish brown; antennomeres VIII-X subquadrate to slightly elongate; pronotum as long as elytra at suture, maximum width of pronotum slightly less than maximum width of elytra, pronotum in males is longer and less transverse that in females. Male. Tubus of median lobe of aedeagus with two, sharp basolateral projections on both sides in dorsal view (Figs 9, 10), and in lateral view ventral part of tubus produced angularly at base (Figs 7, 8), bulbus broadly oval in dorsal view, with two elongate narrow sclerites of internal sac (Fig. 9); tergite VIII arcuate apically (Fig. 11); sternite VIII elongate, parabolic apically (Fig. 12). Female. Spermatheca: capsule pitcher-shaped basally with elongate narrowly conical apical part without apical invagination, stem sinuate, narrowly looped posteriorly (Fig. 15); tergite VIII arcuate apically (Fig. 13); sternite VIII rounded apically, antecostal suture moderately sinuate (Fig. 14).

The median lobe of aedeagus of B. eremita is similar to that of B. islandica , but tubus is more elongate, narrower, less arcuate, and with basal projection angular in lateral view (Figs 7, 8), in dorsal view tubus with two pointed latero-basal projections (Figs 9, 10). In B. islandica , the tubus is broader, shorter, more arcuate ventrally, and with basal arcuate projection rounded in lateral view (Fig. 17), in dorsal view tubus with two smaller and less angular basal projections (Fig. 18). Spermathecae of the two species is variable in shape and very similar, female tergite and sternite VIII are similar in shape but sternite VIII in B. eremita has feebly arcuate medial part of antecostal suture (Fig. 14), which is strongly sinuate in B. islandica in the majority of examined specimens (Fig. 22). On average, the body of B. eremita is narrower and elytra shorter than that of B. islandica .

Distribution.

Holarctic species; recorded from north and central Europe, Ireland, Ukraine, Russia (west and east Siberia) and the Russian Far East; Canada: LB, NB, MB; USA: AK.

Collection data.

Habitat: in NB - old silver maple forest with green ash and seasonally flooded marsh; silver maple swamp, margin of vernal pond, found in moist leaves. In AK - creekside/ocean beach confluence, under boards and drift wood; black and white spruce, willow; subalpine habitat with Veratrum , and Calamagrositis . Collecting methods: sifting litter, Lindgren funnel trap, Malaise trap, hand collecting. Collecting period: May to August.

Additional material examined.

NEARCTIC: Canada, New Brunswick, Queens Co., Grand Lake Meadows P.N.A., 45.8227N, 66.1209W, 19-31.V.2010, old Silver Maple forest with Green Ash and seasonally flooded marsh, Lindgren funnel trap (LFC) 1 male; New Brunswick, Queens Co., Canning Grand Lake near Scotchtown, 45.8762N, 66.1817W, 25.V.2006, Silver maple swamp, near lake margin, margin of vernal pond in moist leaves, RP Webster coll. (LFC) 1 female.

USA, Alaska, mi 110 Denali Hwy., Seattle Creek, 15.VII.1978, JM Campbell and S Smetana, coll. GA Lohse MHNG-1994 (MHNG) 1 male.

Females without male association, tentatively included in B. eremita [they may represent B. eremita or extreme narrow forms of B. islandica ]: USA, Alaska, Naknek, 58.73973N, 157.0636W, creekside/ocean beach confluence, under boards and drift wood, hand collected, 10.VI.2007, D. Sikes, UAM100012293, UAM100012313, UAM100012315 (UAM) 3 females; Kenai Pen., Kalifonsky Bch. Near Kenai, 8.VI.78, A Smetana and E Becker (MHNG) 1 female.

PALEARCTIC: Finland: Muonio, Renkonen (MHNG) 6 females. Germany: b. Grönau, Lübeck, 10.V.34, G Benick (MHNG) 1 female [ident. uncertain]. Russia: Siberia, Tschimilcan, FI. Lenam. [Lena River], B. Poppius (MHNG) 1 male.

Comments.

We have examined several European specimens identified as B. hercynica , which have the shape of median lobe of aedeagus and spermatheca similar to B. eremita , but the body color and the shape and proportions of forebody were different: body brown with dark brown head and pronotum and particularly elytra paler, and pronotum strongly transverse with sides broadly and evenly arcuate, elytra at suture slightly shorter than pronotum along midline. These specimens may represent extreme variation of B. eremita or a different and distinct species. Additional material is needed, and possibly DNA studies, to establish clear status of these specimens.

These specimens were labelled as follows: Belgium, Elsenborn, VIII.1931, Hohes Venn, coll. Benick (MHNG) 1 male; Germany, Brocken, Heinemann, hercynica s. mihi, det L Brundin (MHNG) 1 male; same label as before except: islandica Kr. (MHNG) 1 male; Brocken, Harz, 10.VI.1912, islandica , col. G Benick (MHNG) 1 male, Brocken, Heinemann (MHNG) 1 female, Brocken, 10-12.V.1913, Linke leg., A. islandica v. hercynica Renk., (MHNG) 1 female, Brockenkuppe, 26.VII.1916, coll. G Bennick (MHNG) 1 male; Norway, Kongberg [= Konsberg?], Münster, islandica Kr., coll. G Benick (MHNG) 1 female, Hammerfest, A Strand, islandica s. mihi, det. L Brundin (MHNG) 1 male, Norge, Skibotu, 22.VIII.1960, leg. Puthz, coll. Benick (MHNG) 1 male; Scotland, D Sharp, hercynica s. mihi det. L Brundin, Metaxya eremita Rye (MHNG) 2 males; Shetland Is., Mainland, Stany Fields nr. Wal Is., 13.VII.1963, ME Bacchus BM 1963-471, coll. G Benick (MHNG) 1 female; Sweden, Dorotea, Sa. Lappland, 30-31.V.1935, Bruce, A. islandica , coll. Benick (MHNG) 1 female.

DNA Barcode data.

Our data included six sequences of B. eremita from Finland (four from Lapland and two from Northern Ostrobothnia), which grouped into BIN BOLD:ABW4331. BOLD reports these sequences have an average distance of 0.06%, a maximum distance of 0.18% and are 4.1% distant from their nearest neighbor.