Medon apicalis (Kraatz, 1857)

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

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.894.37862

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D11503CA-5A57-4067-8179-04E0C8C162C8

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/900DB771-16BD-5470-9759-4BEAABEBACD3

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Medon apicalis (Kraatz, 1857)
status

 

Medon apicalis (Kraatz, 1857) Figure 17 View Figures 17–19

Distribution.

Native to the western Palaearctic region, widespread in Europe and also reported from Algeria, Morocco, Turkey, the Canary Islands, and Madeira ( Schülke and Smetana 2015). Adventive in the Nearctic region (Ontario, Canada).

Canadian records.

Ontario: Guelph, 30-Jun-2018 (1 ex, CBG).

Diagnostic information.

Body length: 3.8-4.6 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 17A View Figures 17–19 . Male sternite VII as in Fig. 17C View Figures 17–19 . Aedeagus as in Fig. 17B View Figures 17–19 .

Bionomic notes.

This species has been collected in a variety of habitats in Europe, but the breeding habitat requirements are unknown ( Assing 2006). Most specimens have been collected in flight (car nets, flight interception traps) ( Assing 2006). Specimens have also been collected from stream edges, haystacks, woodland and at light ( Assing 2006). This species is less likely to occur in the nests of small mammals than other species of the genus ( Assing 2006). The Canadian specimen was collected at a UV light in a mixed forest.

Comments.

A single female voucher from Canada was available for study and, while males would normally be necessary to confirm a positive identification in Medon , its barcode sequence is identical to German and Austrian specimens of M. apicalis . All similar, widespread Palaearctic species that could be confused with M. apicalis ( M. ripicola (Kraatz, 1854), M. brunneus (Erichson, 1839), M. fusculus (Mannerheim, 1830)) are represented in BOLD and form distinct BIN clusters. The female voucher was also morphologically compared to representatives of all widespread western Palaearctic Medon species and was consistent with the variability of body proportions, punctation and color of M. apicalis . Four species known from the southwestern Palaearctic are closely related to M. apicalis and cannot be reliably distinguished by external characters: M. perniger Coiffait, 1978 (Italy and extreme southern parts of France and Switzerland); M. maronitus (Saulcy, 1864) (Greece to Turkmenistan); M. sericellus Fairmaire, 1860 (North Africa) and M. beydaghensis Fagel, 1969 (Turkey) ( Assing 2004, 2006). None of these species are currently represented on BOLD. Although one or more of these species might share a BIN with M. apicalis , the Ontario specimen has an identical DNA barcode haplotype to specimens from Germany and Austria where M. apicalis is the only known representative of this species group. As the Nearctic fauna of Medon is unrevised, comparisons with North American species are not yet possible. Recognizing this species in the Nearctic region requires dissected males or DNA barcoding.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Staphylinidae

Genus

Medon