Amarochara forticornis (Lacordaire, 1835)

Brunke, Adam J., Pentinsaari, Mikko & Klimaszewski, Jan, 2021, Integrative taxonomy of Nearctic and Palaearctic Aleocharinae: new species, synonymies, and records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 1041, pp. 27-99 : 27

Amarochara forticornis (Lacordaire, 1835) Fig. 1A-H

Material

(DNA barcoded specimens). Canada: Ontario: Fergus, Centre Wellington District High School, 43.704, -80.358, Malaise trap, 3.V.2013, M. Cottrill (1, CBG); Guelph, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario , 43.528, -80.229, Malaise trap, 25.VII.2013, BIO Collections Staff (1, CBG); Rouge National Urban Park, west of Glen Rouge campground, 43.804, -79.146, marsh scrub along riverside, pitfall trap, 9.VI.2013, BIObus 2013 (1, CBG); Cambridge, rare Charitable Research Reserve , Preston Flats, 43.3908, -80.3747, grassy wetland, pitfall trap, 31.V.2015, BIO Collections staff (2, CBG); Peterborough, 44.318, -78.372, farm, malaise trap, B. McClenaghan (1, CBG) .

Distribution.

Origin: Palaearctic (adventive in Nearctic). Canada: ON [new record].

Diagnosis.

Amarochara forticornis may be easily recognized among the other Canadian species of the genus by the distal antennomeres, which are less than twice as wide as long. The species is also unique within the genus by having a distinct basal impression on abdominal tergite VI.

Bionomics.

In its native range, A. forticornis occurs in a variety of open and forested habitats, including forests, edges of waterways, grasslands, agricultural fields, and gardens ( Assing 2002). It has been mostly collected by pitfall traps in the spring and summer, and then from flood debris in the cooler months of the year ( Assing 2002). Assing (2002) suggested that beetles in flood debris were washed from some cryptic, subterranean microhabitat. Canadian specimens were collected in similar ways as in Europe.

Comments.

Newly reported as adventive in North America, from several localities in southern and eastern Ontario. It is native to the West Palaearctic and is known from most of Central Europe, Russian Central Territory, Armenia, and Georgia ( Newton 2019).

Figures

Figure 1. Amarochara forticornis (Lacordaire) A habitus B median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view C median lobe of aedeagus in dorsal view D spermatheca E male tergite VIII F male sternite VIII G female tergite VIII H female sternite VIII. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 0.2 mm (B-H).