First record of the genus Alisalia Casey from Canada , description of two new species , and a key to all Nearctic species of the genus ( Coleoptera , Staphylinidae , Aleocharinae )

Th e genus Alisalia Casey is reported from Canada for the fi rst time. Th ree species were discovered in New Brunswick, one previously described from North Carolina, Alisalia testacea Casey, and two species new to science: Alisalia minuta Klimaszewski & Webster, sp. n.; and Alisalia elongata Klimaszewski & Webster, sp. n. Illustrations of the body and genitalia are presented for the species occurring in Canada and for the types of previously described species from North America. New data on habitat are presented. A key to Nearctic species is provided. Th e following new synonymies are proposed, names in brackets are valid: Alisalia austiniana Casey (=A. parallela Casey); and A. minutissima Casey (=A. brevipennis Casey). Lectotypes are designated for the following species: Alisalia austiniana Casey, A. brevipennis Casey, A. testacea Casey, and A. bistriata (Bernhauer).


Introduction
Th e genus Alisalia was erected by Casey (1911) to embrace seven new Nearctic species ranging in distribution from Rhode Island and Pennsylvania in the north to Texas in the south, with one species described from Colorado.Bernhauer (1909) described the fi rst Alisalia species from North America as Atheta (Meotica) bistriata Bernhauer, which was correctly considered by Casey (1911) and Seevers (1978) as Alisalia.Two of Casey's species are synonymized here leaving six valid species out of eight described by Casey (1911) and Bernhauer (1909).Th e total number of valid Alisalia species in the Nearctic region now stands at eight with the addition of the two new species from New Brunswick.Th e species of this genus are very small and externally similar to each other.Th e most reliable diagnostic features are those associated with the shape of the tubus of the median lobe of the aedeagus in lateral view, and include the shape and length of the subapical and apical portions of the tubus, and the degree of convexity of the median and basal portions of the tubus.Th e shape of the spermatheca is not reliable for species identifi cation in this genus because this structure is very small, weakly sclerotized, and usually covered by multiple coils of a thin duct.Th e length of the elytra at the suture, the width of the antennal articles, the size of the eyes, and the width and length of the body are additional diagnostic characters.Females are best identifi able by association with the males.All Canadian species of this genus were discovered in New Brunswick and constitute the fi rst generic and specifi c records for this country.
Th e objectives of this paper are to provide new records of the genus from Canada, describe the new species and their habitat, provide a key to the species occurring in Canada, and enhance the knowledge of biodiversity for our fauna.

Collection method
Adults of Alisalia are hygrophilous and were collected on cobblestone beaches near river and lake margins, and on the margin of a large vernal pond.Adults were collected from under cobblestones, and sifted from moist leaf litter near water.Casey (1911) recorded some Alisalia species from "fungous earth".

Specimen preparation and types
Some 30 adult specimens of Alisalia were examined and most specimens were dissected.Th e genital structures were dehydrated in absolute alcohol and mounted in Canada balsam on celluloid microslides and pinned with the specimens from which they originated.Th e photographs were taken using an image processing system (Nikon SMZ 1500 stereoscopic microscope; Nikon Digital Camera DXM 1200F; and Adobe Photoshop software).
Terminology mainly follows that used by Seevers (1951) and Ashe (2001).Th e ventral part of the median lobe of the aedeagus is considered to be the part of the bul-bus containing the foramen mediale, the entrance of the ductus ejaculatorius, and the adjacent venter of the tubus; the opposite side is referred to as the dorsal part.
All types of formerly described Nearctic Alisalia species have been studied and illustrated for the fi rst time .Alisalia minutissima is considered here as the synonym of A. brevipennis based on similar size, body proportions and the similarly shaped median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view (Figs 25,27,36,37).Th e median lobe of aedeagus of A. minutissima is slightly distorted but under diff erent angles of observations proved to be almost identical to that of A. brevipennis.Alisalia austiniana is synonymized with A. parallela on the same principle as described above (Figs 26,28,33,34).Lectotypes are designated for the following species because there was no original holotype designation: 1) Alisalia austiniana Casey (Figs 26,34)

Results
Th ree species of Alisalia are newly reported from New Brunswick and Canada (see the checklist) bringing the total number of all aleocharine species known from the province to 178 (see recent account of New Brunswick species by Webster and Klimaszewski 2009).Two species of Alisalia are described as new to science, and one, A. testacea, was previously described species from North Carolina.Collection and bionomic data for all these species are presented in the bionomic sections under each species description.Most adults were found under wet cobblestones near various water bodies, or in leaf litter on a vernal pond margin.
All Alisalia species are illustrated for the fi rst time, including body images of the types and their genital structures, the median lobe in lateral view and, if applicable, the female spermatheca .
Alisalia (tarsal formula 4-4-4) is similar in general appearance to the genus Meotica Mulsant and Rey (tarsal formula 5-5-5) but may be readily distinguished by the tarsal formula, falcate tarsal claws and diff erent genital features.
Bionomics.Adults of Alisalia in New Brunswick were collected on cobblestone beaches along lake and river margins, under cobblestones and rocks, on the margin of a large vernal pond in moist leaf litter, and at a light (one specimen).

3 4
Alisalia minuta Alisalia testacea Alisalia elongata 1mm 6 (5).Elytra large and slightly broadening posteriad, distinctly broader than pronotum (Fig. 4); tubus of median lobe of aedeagus with elongate and slightly sinuate subapical part and with strongly convex medio-basal part (Fig. 19 Etymology.Th e name of this species is the Latin adjective "minuta" meaning small, in reference to the small size of this species. Description.Alisalia minuta may be distinguished from the other two Alisalia species recorded from Canada by its small and narrow bicoloured body (length 1.6-1.8mm; maximum width 0.1 mm), slightly elongate elytra (Fig. 2), and the characteristic shape of the median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 5).For the diff erences between this and the other Nearctic species, see the key.

Alisalia testacea Casey
Description.Alisalia testacea may be distinguished from the other two Alisalia species recorded from Canada by its moderately larger and narrow approximately uniformly coloured body (length 1.7-1.8mm; maximum width 0.1 mm), slightly elongate elytra (Figs 1, 3), and the characteristic shape of the median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 12).It has more transverse antennal articles than those of A. minuta (Fig. 3).For the diff erences between this and the other Nearctic species, see the key.
Bionomics Macrohabitat: river margin and margin of a large vernal pond.Microhabitat: Under cobblestones embedded in moist sand / clay or gravel mix with fi ne grass roots in areas with grasses within 40 cm of water.Collecting period: June and July.Collecting method: aspirating from under cobblestones and sifting leaf litter.One specimen collected at a light in mixed forest area.
Distribution (Map 2).CANADA: New Brunswick.Etymology.Th e name of this species is the Latin adjective "elongata" meaning elongate, in reference to the elongate body shape of this species.
Description.Alisalia elongata may be distinguished from the other two Alisalia species recorded from Canada by the approximately uniformly coloured body (Fig. 4), the larger size (length 2.0 mm; maximum width 0.2 mm); strongly transverse pronotum and elytra (Fig. 4), and the characteristic shape of the median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view with an elongate subapical part (Fig. 19).It has fewer transverse antennal articles than for A. testacea and A. minuta.See the key for the diff erences between this and the other Nearctic species.Body length 2.0 mm, narrow but distinctly broader at elytra, and with abdomen slightly tapering posteriad; approximately uniformly dark reddish-brown, but head, elytra and posterior part of abdomen appearing slightly darker than the remainder of the body, legs and bases of antennae yellowish (Fig. 4); punctation on forebody fi ne and dense; microsculpture inconspicuous; pubescence of head directed obliquely lateroanterad, on pronotum laterad from midline of disc, on elytra obliquely or straight posteriad, and on abdomen approximately straight posteriad (Fig. 4); antennae moderately broad as illustrated (Fig. 4); pronotum distinctly narrower than elytra, 2 times as wide as long; elytra slightly transverse; abdomen with sharply delimited horizontal basal depressions.MALE: tergite 8 truncate apically (Fig. 20); sternite 8 broadly rounded apically (Fig. 21).Median lobe of aedeagus with elongate and sinuate tubus, subapical part long and approximately straight, and medio-basal part strongly convex, crista apicalis of bulbus broad (Fig. 19), fl agellum slightly projecting externally, straight in shape (Fig. 19).Paramere as illustrated (Fig. 22).FE-MALE.Unknown.
Bionomics Macrohabitat: river margin.Microhabitat: under small rocks in gravel.Collecting period: May.Collecting method: aspirating from under rocks and gravel.
recorded 8 Nearctic species, and two additional species from Haiti, and Ashe (2001) confi rmed 8 Nearctic species scattered from New England to California and mentioned one undescribed species from Mexico.Two additional new species are described from Canada and including the present new synonymy, there are now 8 valid species of Alisalia in the Nearctic region (same number as Ashe 2001, but diff erent set of species).