Aleochara (Xenochara) quadrata Sharp

Klimaszewski, Jan, Webster, Reginald P. & Brunke, Adam, 2017, A new cryptic species of Aleochara Gravenhorst associated with Marmota monax (Linnaeus) burrows and caves in North America (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (600), pp. 1-11 : 6

Aleochara (Xenochara) quadrata Sharp

( Fig. 10 d, and 82, 79, 321, 322, in Klimaszewski 1984)

Aleochara quadrata Sharp, 1883: 149 . Klimaszewski 1984, Klimaszewski and Cervenka 1986, Majka and Klimaszewski 2008.

Diagnosis. This species may be distinguished by the following combination of characters: body dark brown, disc of pronotum as dark as or only slightly paler than head, elytra paler than remainder of the body with darkened basal area; meshed microsculpture of forebody absent or weak and broken in many places.

Male: median lobe of aedeagus with apical half of tubus sinuate in lateral view, apex of tubus bent ventrad, subapical sclerites of internal sac of about equal width throughout its length and with apices not upturned ( Fig. 10 d).

Remarks. This species is sympatric with western populations of A. castaneipennis but has not yet been taken with it in the same collection event. Generally, A. quadrata is much darker and the pronotum is glossier. Males of A. quadrata can be reliably distinguished from A. castaneipennis by the sinuate apical half of the tubus and subapical sclerites of the internal sac, which are not upturned ( Fig. 10d. Aleochara quadrata is extremely similar to the Palaearctic species A. moerens Gyllenhal but can be distinguished by its subapical sclerite which does not gradually narrow to a point in A. moerens ( Fig. 10 e). The latter species is not yet known from the Nearctic region.

Distribution. Origin: Nearctic. Canada: BC. USA: CA, NV, OR, WA. Mexico.

This species is newly reported from Washington and Oregon based on the following material: Oregon, Clackamas Co., Camp Creek Cmpgr., 2.8 mi SE Rhododendron, A. & D. Smetana ( CNC) 10 specimens ; Upper Applegate Rd. ( CNC) 1 specimen. Washington, 6 mi E Joyce, 12.V.1968, Campbell and Smetana ( CNC) 22 specimens, Olympic Nat. Pk., Hoh Ranger Sta., 600′, 13.V.1968 ( CNC) 15 specimens

These records link the previously isolated records from BC ( Klimaszewski and Cervenka 1986; Majka and Klimaszewski 2008 [claimed to be the first record for BC and Canada]) with those much farther south.

Collection and habitat data. Nothing specific is known about the collection circumstances of this species. The collecting period includes: V, VII, VIII.