Leptusa (Adoxopisalia) elegans Blatchley, 1910

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2003, Revision of some types of North American aleocharines (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), with synonymic notes, Zootaxa 353 (1), pp. 1-134 : 117-118

Leptusa (Adoxopisalia) elegans Blatchley, 1910

(Figs. 755–758 in Pace 1989)

Leptusa elegans Blatchley, 1910: 342 .

Sipalia (s. str.) fontana Casey, 1911a: 157 , syn. nov.

Pasilia virginica Casey, 1911a: 202 , syn. nov.

Leptusa (s. str.) elegans: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 554 (as valid species).

Sipalia (s. str.) fontana: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 601 (as valid species).

Leptusa (Pasilia) virginica: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 558 (as valid species).

Leptusa fontana: Lohse & Smetana, 1988: 270 (as valid species).

Meronera elegans: Pace, 1989: 24 (as valid species).

Leptusa (Adoxopisalia) virginica: Pace, 1989: 132 (as valid species).

Type material. Lectotype of Leptusa elegans (here designated), ♂, “TYPE” (red label), “ Pulasky Co. Ind. [iana] W. S. B. [Blatchley] 6­19­08 [19.vi.1908]”, “Purdue Blatchley Collection”, “ Leptusa elegans sp. nov. 4890” ( PURC); paralectotype, ♀, was mounted on the same card as the lectotype ( PURC).

Lectotype of Sipalia fontana (here designated): ♂, “Buena Vista Spg. [Spring] Franklin Co. Pa. [Pennsylvania]”, “ fontana Csy. ”, “TYPE USNM 39024” (red label), “CASEY bequest 1925” ( NMNH); paralectotypes: 2♀♀, “Buena Vista Spg. [Spring] Franklin Co. Pa. [Pennsylvania]”, “ fontana PARATYPE USNM 39024” (red label), “CASEY bequest 1925” ( NMNH).

Lectotype of Pasilia virginica (designated by Pace (1989)): ♂, “Va. [Virginia, Norfolk]”, “ Pasilia virginica Csy. ”, “TYPE USNM 39586” (red label), “CASEY bequest 1925”, “ Leptusa virginica (Cas.) det. R. Pace 1981” ( NMNH); paralectotypes: 3 specimens, “Va. [Virginia, Norfolk]”, “ virginica PARATYPE USNM 39586” (red label), “CASEY bequest 1925”, “ vidit R. Pace 1981” ( NMNH).

Additional material. UNITED STATES: New Jersey: Burlington Co.: ♀, Pine Barrens, Whitesbog, sifting, 30.v.1999 (A.Berkov) ( SPSU); New York: Orange Co.: 5 specimens, 8 km S New Windsor, Black Rock Forest, 23–25.v.1998 (V.I.Gusarov); 7 specimens, ditto but 9.v.1998 ( SPSU); Pennsylvania: Clinton Co.: 12 specimens, 26 km SEE Lock Haven, 41º03.23'N 77º09.65'W, 350m, Quercus , Tsuga , Pinus , 5.vi.1999 (V.I.Gusarov) ( SPSU); Vermont: Windsor Co.: 15 specimens, 8 km SEE Springfield, Hwy. I­91, 43º14.00'N 72º26.81'W, 250m, forest litter, Acer , Betula , Quercus , Tsuga , 21.ix.1998 (V.I.Gusarov) ( SPSU).

Diagnosis. See Pace (1989).

Discussion. Pace did not have an opportunity to examine the type of Le. elegans . Without any argumentation he ( Pace 1989) transferred this species to the genus Meronera Sharp, 1887 . My examination of the lectotype of Le. elegans demonstrated that it belongs to Leptusa and is conspecific with Le. fontana and Le. virginica .

Pace (1989) designated the lectotype of Pasilia virginica but failed to appropriately label any of the four types of this species in the Casey collection. Because only one specimen was dissected by Pace it seems reasonable to conclude that this specimen represents the lectotype illustrated by Pace in Figs. 756–758. I attached the lectotype label to this specimen.

The female specimen from Arkansas illustrated by Pace (1989, Fig. 759) belongs to a closely related but different species. This species will be described elsewhere.

Distribution. Leptusa elegans is known from Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Indiana.