Corresponding author: Jan Klimaszewski (
Academic editor: Christopher Majka
Twelve species of the genus
We examined about 250 specimens of
Morphological terminology mainly follows that used by
Specimens were examined from the following collections:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Guelph University Collection, Guelph University, Guelph, Ontario, Canada (temporarily at LFC)
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Québec, Quebec, Canada
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (currently on long-term loan to David Langor, Canadian Forest Service, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Northern Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Reginald Webster Collection, 24 Mill Stream Dr., Charters Settlement, New Brunswick, Canada
Museum of the North, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Body subparallel, flattened, integument with distinct meshed microsculpture, punctation distinct; head large, subquadrate to slightly elongate, genae usually longer than eyes, suborbital carina absent; clypeus long, nearly horizontal, not depressed as in other genera of
Based on the morphology of the male tergite VIII, two groups of species are recognized. One group, consisting of the majority of species, is characterized by tergite VIII bearing two-to-several small teeth on the apical margin. Species in the second group (
Many species are known from the subcortical galleries of other insects but their diet is unknown.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
(Excluding
1 | Elytra at suture shorter than pronotum ( |
2 |
– | Elytra at suture at least as long as pronotum (e.g., |
4 |
2 | Maximum width of elytra equal to maximum width of pronotum ( |
|
– | Maximum width of elytra greater than maximum width of pronotum ( |
3 |
3 | Pronotum trapezoidal in shape, broadest in apical third, punctures very dense, pronotum appearing matte ( |
|
– | Pronotum rectangular in shape, broadest at middle ( |
|
4 | Antennal articles VIII-X strongly transverse ( |
5 |
– | Antennal articles VIII-X moderately transverse ( |
8 |
5 | Pronotum rectangular in shape, broadest at middle, punctures very dense (pronotum appearing matte) and distanced from each other by a diameter of a puncture ( |
|
– | Pronotum trapezoidal in shape, broadest in apical third, punctures moderately dense, distanced from each other by more than diameter of a puncture ( |
6 |
6 | Body moderately broad ( |
|
- | Tubus of median lobe of aedeagus narrow and sharply pointed apically ( |
7 |
7 | Body dark brown almost black ( |
|
– | Body dark brown with reddish tinge ( |
|
8 | Pronotum trapezoidal in shape, broadest in apical third ( |
9 |
– | Pronotum rectangular in shape, broadest at middle ( |
|
9 | Pronotum dark brown and elytra yellowish-brown ( |
|
– | Pronotum and elytra dark brown ( |
10 |
10 | Median lobe of aedeagus with tubus slightly sinuate apically and slightly produced ventrally at apex, internal sac structures short and straight ( |
|
– | Median lobe of aedeagus with tubus sinuate and strongly produced ventrally, internal sac structures long and arcuate ( |
(male):
The specific name
Body length 3.1–3.4 mm; body dark brown with at least posterior part of elytra paler, with legs, antennae and labial palpi yellowish-brown; head and pronotum with dense microsculpture and appearing matte; elytral and particularly pronotal microsculpture less dense and their integument appears glossy; head about as broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest in apical third, slightly transverse, longer than elytra at suture; elytra transverse, shorter than pronotum at suture, truncate posteriorly; abdomen arcuate laterally, broadest in apical third; male tergite VIII with two small sharp medial teeth at apical margin (
Known from New Brunswick and Ontario.
Distribution map of:
Most adults were collected in April and May, and one specimen in October. The New Brunswick specimens were found in moss and leaf litter near the edges of small vernal pools in forests containing eastern white cedar (
(male):
The specific name
Body length 3.2–3.5 mm; body dark brown with legs, antennae (at least basally) and labial palpi yellowish- or reddish-brown; head, pronotum and elytra matte, elytra less so, with dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture moderately dense and integument glossy; head about as broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest at middle, slightly transverse, as long as elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen arcuate laterally, broadest at middle; male tergite VIII with four small sharp teeth at apical margin (
Known only from New Brunswick.
Adults were collected from March to September in several microhabitats: under tight bark of white elm in a silver maple (
(male):
Body length 2.4–2.6 mm; body dark brown with legs, antennae (at least basally) and labial palpi yellowish- or reddish-brown; head, pronotum and elytra slightly glossy, with dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture moderately dense and integument glossy; head about as broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest in apical third, slightly transverse, as long as elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen arcuate laterally, broadest in middle; male tergite VIII with four small and short teeth at apical margin, all about the same size, median teeth rounded (
Known from Ontario and New Brunswick in Canada and Massachusetts in the USA.
Adults were collected from March to August mostly from under the bark of rotting logs (spruce, maples) in a variety of hardwood and mixed hardwood-conifer forest types. Some adults were found in polypore fungi on a large fallen basswood (
(male):
Named for Dr. Timothy Work, Université du Québec à Montréal, Quebec, Canada, who provided many insect specimens for this study and who has advanced the ecological knowledge of epigaeic beetles in Canada.
Body length 2.3–2.6 mm; body dark brown with legs, antennae (at least basally), labial palpi and posterior part of elytra yellowish- or reddish-brown; head, pronotum and elytra moderately glossy, with moderately dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture moderately dense and integument more glossy; head about as broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest in middle, slightly transverse, about as long as elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen arcuate laterally, broadest in middle; male tergite VIII with four small rounded teeth at apical margin (
Known from Quebec.
Several adults were collected in November. Specimens from western Quebec were collected from dead and decaying black spruce (
(male):
Body length 3.1–3.3 mm; body dark brown with legs, antennae (at least basally), labial palpi and elytra yellowish- or reddish-brown; head, pronotum and elytra matte, with dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture less dense than that of pronotum and elytra and integument more glossy; head about as broad and as large as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest in apical third, slightly transverse, longer than elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen subparallel; male tergite VIII with four small rounded teeth at apical margin (
Known from Quebec.
Most adults were collected in dead black spruce logs in boreal black spruce forests, and one was captured in an intercept trap in a boreal forest during July.
Body length 3.3–3.7 mm; body dark brown with legs, antennae (at least basally), labial palpi and elytra yellowish- or reddish-brown, pronotum and abdomen lighter than head, sometimes entire body appears brown; head, pronotum and elytra slightly glossy, with dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture less dense and integument more glossy than that of pronotum and elytra; head about as broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest at middle, slightly transverse, usually longer than elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen subparallel; male tergite VIII with four small apical teeth, all short and rounded and some additional tooth-like subapical structures (
This Palaearctic species is adventive in North America (
Distribution map of:
In North America, this species is associated with soil and organic debris in agricultural fields and disturbed urban meadows. It is also found in marsh litter, in leaf litter in mixed forests, in compost, under bark of decaying spruce logs, amongst vegetation on a coastal sand dune, in litter in a cattail marsh, in leaf litter along a vernal pond, and in drift material along a lakeshore (
(male):
Body length 2.2–2.5 mm; body dark brown with legs, antennae (at least basally), labial palpi and elytra slightly paler and appearing reddish-brown, pronotum and abdomen lighter than head, sometimes entire body appears brown; head, pronotum and elytra slightly glossy, with dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture less dense and integument more glossy than pronotum and elytra; head about as large and broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest in apical third, slightly transverse, usually shorter than elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen subparallel; male tergite VIII with four minute apical teeth, all short and rounded, and scarcely visible (
This species was previously recorded only from southwest Labrador (
Adults in Newfoundland and Labrador were collected from June to August using pitfall traps and flight intercept traps in various coniferous forest types, and one specimen was collected under the bark of a dead red pine (
(female):
Body length 2.8–3.0 mm; body variable in colour, either entirely black with brown or reddish appendages and part of elytra, or dark brown with legs, antennae (at least basally), and labial palpi appearing reddish-brown; head, pronotum and elytra slightly glossy, the latter more so, with dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture less dense and integument more glossy than that of pronotum and elytra; head moderately large, as broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest in apical third, slightly transverse, usually as long as elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen arcuate laterally. MALE (
This species was previously recorded only from Gt. Whale River in Quebec (
Distribution map of:
Adults were collected from March to August from: under bark of large fallen spruce in old-growth eastern white cedar forests; leaf litter under alders near a small stream in a mixed forest; and moss in a black spruce forest. Specimens were also captured in Lindgren funnel traps in an old-growth eastern white cedar forest and an old-growth white spruce and balsam fir forest.
(male):
Body length 3.0 mm; body dark brown with reddish-brown tarsi, tibia and bases of antennae; head, pronotum and elytra slightly glossy, elytra more so, with dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture less dense and integument more glossy than that of pronotum and elytra; head large, as broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest in middle, slightly transverse, usually as long as elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen subparallel; male tergite VIII truncate apically and without apical teeth (
FEMALE. We have several females from New Brunswick localities found without male association that may belong to this species but because they are very similar externally and have similar genitalia to those of
This species is known only from New Brunswick.
The holotype was collected from under the bark of a conifer log in a mixed forest. Other individuals were captured in Lindgren funnel traps in an old red oak forest, an old-growth eastern white cedar forest, an old-growth white spruce and balsam fir forest, and old red pine forests. The paratype was collected from a well-decayed and fungus-covered log in a mixed forest. Adults were collected during May and July.
(male):
Genital structures of
Body length 3.5 mm; body dark black with light reddish-brown tarsi, tibia and bases of antennae; head, pronotum and elytra slightly glossy, the elytra more so, with dense microsculpture; abdominal microsculpture less dense and integument more glossy than that of pronotum and elytra; head large, about as broad as pronotum, genae slightly longer than eyes in dorsal view; pronotum broadest in middle, slightly transverse, longer than elytra at suture; elytra transverse, truncate posteriorly; abdomen arcuate laterally; male tergite VIII truncate apically and without apical teeth, slightly angular laterally at apical margin (
This species is known only from New Brunswick.
The holotype was captured during May in a
We thank the following colleagues for their assistance in providing specimens for this study: A. Davies (CNC), C. Hébert (LFC), C. Majka (NSM), D.S. Sikes (UAM) and A. Newton (FMNH). We thank: R. Batista (LFC) for providing image