Boreophilia subplana (J Sahlberg, 1880)

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

11. Boreophilia subplana (J Sahlberg, 1880) Figs 92-99

Atheta subplana J Sahlberg, 1880: 90. Lohse et al. 1990: 159; Gusarov 2003: 83 [as B. angusticornis ]; Smetana 2004: 396.

Diagnosis.

Body moderately broad, strongly glossy, abdomen slightly more so (Fig. 92); length 2.8-3.5 mm; black, elytra with some reddish tinge, tarsi yellowish brown; antennomeres VIII-X slightly elongate; pronotum shorter than elytra at suture, maximum width of pronotum distinctly less than maximum width of elytra. Male. Tubus of median lobe of aedeagus almost straight and slightly produced ventrad in lateral view, apex broad and rounded (Fig. 93), bulbus broad and with two elongate sclerites of distinctive shape (Figs 93, 94); tergite VIII truncate or slightly concave apically (Fig. 95); sternite VIII elongate, parabolic apically (Fig. 96). Female. Spermatheca: capsule broadly club-shaped, moderately long and rounded apically, with small apical invagination; stem sinuate, straight medially, and looped posteriorly (Fig. 99); tergite VIII arcuate apically (Fig. 97); sternite VIII triangularly produced apically and pointed medially, antecostal suture arcuate, straight medially (Fig. 98).

Distribution.

Holarctic species, recorded from Spitsbergen, Fennoscandia, Russia (west and east Siberia); Canada: NT, NU; USA: AK, NH.

Collection data.

Habitat: Salix leaf litter, tundra hillside, Black spruce forest, brackish shoreline, under rocks, wrack. Collecting methods: Malaise traps, aspirating from under rocks/cobbles, sweeping low vegetation, pitfall traps. Collecting period: June to August.

Additional material examined.

NEARCTIC: Canada, NT, Muskox L., NWT, 64.45N, 108.10W, 2.VIII.1953, JG Chillcott, Boreophilia subplana Sahlb. Det. GA Lohse (MHNG) 1 male; Spence Bay, NWT, 2.VII.1951, Boreophilia subplana Sahlb. Det. GA Lohse (MHNG) 1 sex?

USA, Alaska: Anaktuvuk Pass, 647 m el., 68.14049N, 151.74091W, 19.V.2016, +/- 250 m, Salix leaf litter, Berlese funnel, D Sikes, K Daly, UAM100432806, UAM100432826, UAM100432833, UAM100431905, UAM100431909, UAM100413051, UAM100413054, Salix , sweeping, UAM100427774 (UAM) 4 males, 4 females; Anaktuvuk Pass, 665 m el., 68.14059N, 151.74266W, 20.V.2016, +/- 200 m, Salix , tundra hillside, pollinator pitfall, UAM100427686, UAM100427688, UAM100427690, UAM100427691, UAM100427692 (UAM) 2 males, 3 females; Tetlin NWR, Alaska Hwy, 63.36124N, 141.96761W, +/- 10 m, 13-24.VII.2015, Black spruce, Malaise, J Hagelin, UAM100391356 (UAM) 1 male; Tetlin NWR, Alaska Hwy site 2, 523 m el, 63.08456N, 141.96761W, +/- 10 m, 13-24.VII.2015, Black spruce, hanging Malaise, J Hagelin, UAM100390752 (UAM) 1 female; Kotzebue, 1 m el, 66.89151N, 162.5933W, +/- 100 m el, brackish shoreline, under rocks, wrack, 6.VII.2016, D Sikes, K Daly, UAM100420026 (UAM) 1 female; Anaktuvuk Pass, Eleanor Lk., 649 m el., 68.14742N, 151.71854W, +/- 100 m lake shore, pond, sweep, dipnet, 20.V.2016, D Sikes, K Daly, UAM100427750, UAM100427751 (UAM) 2 males.

PALEARCTIC: Russia, Polarnyi Ural, c. Tobols. Gyub. [ernia], F Zajzew, 5.VI.1909, A. subplana , det. Benick (MHNG) 1 male.

Comments.

Bernhauer (1907) described Atheta (Metaxya) angusticornis from Mount Washington, New Hampshire, USA. Gusarov (2003) transferred it to the genus Boreophilia , and considered it closely related to B. subplana , from which he differentiated it by the "shape of aedeagus, particularly a narrower apex of the median lobe in parameral view". We have studied the median lobe of AK and NH specimens and found no differences warranting different species recognition. We therefore consider the two populations as belonging to the same species. The Mount Washington, NH, population represents a remnant, southernmost population of this species known only from higher elevations.

DNA Barcode data.

Our data included two sequences of B. subplana , both from Finland but because they are <500 bp in length, they were not assigned to a BIN on BOLD. Our calculations indicate these sequences have an average and within-species maximum distance of 0.0% and are 6.37% distant from their nearest neighbor.