A new species of Anomognathus and new Canadian and provincial records of aleocharine rove beetles from Alberta, Canada (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae)

Abstract A new species, Anomognathus athabascensis Klimaszewski, Hammond & Langor, sp. n., and nine new provincial records including one new country record of aleocharine beetles are presented for the province of Alberta. Diagnostics, images of habitus and genital structures, distribution, natural history information and new locality data are provided for the newly recorded species. A checklist for all recorded aleocharines from Alberta is updated.


Introduction
A survey of beetles from several localities, mainly in the Athabasca region of Alberta, was conducted in 1997 by J. Hammond and D. Langor of the Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre. As a result, 33 species of rove beetles were identified. Of these, 29 belong to aleocharines and 5 to other families of Staphylinidae (Anotylus sp., Carpelimus sp., Heterothops minor Smetana, Phloeonoma laesicollis Mäklin and Phloeostiba lapponica Zetterstedt). Among the aleocharines, we discovered one species new to science, Anomognathus athabascensis, the second known species of this genus from North America, as well as one new country and eight new provincial distribution records for species known in other parts of Canada (Table 1).
These findings are reported together with an updated checklist of all species from the province ( Table 1). The previous lists were published by Bousquet et al. (2013), Gouix and Klimaszewski (2007), and Klimaszewski et al. (2015).

Materials and methods
All specimens in this study were dissected to examine the genital structures. Extracted genital structures were dehydrated in absolute alcohol, mounted in Canada balsam on celluloid micro-slides, and pinned with the specimens from where they originated. Images of the entire body and the genital structures were taken using an image processing system (Nikon SMZ 1500 stereoscopic microscope; Nikon Digital Camera DXM 1200F, and Adobe Photoshop software).
Morphological terminology mainly follows that used by Seevers (1978) and Klimaszewski et al. (2011). The ventral side of the median lobe of the aedeagus is considered to be the side of the bulbus containing the foramen mediale, the entrance of the ductus ejaculatorius, and the adjacent ventral side of the tubus of the median lobe with the internal sac and its structures (this part is referred to as the parameral side in some recent publications); the opposite side is referred to as the dorsal part. In the species descriptions, microsculpture refers to the surface of the upper forebody (head, pronotum and elytra).

Discussion
A new study of aleocharine rove beetles from Alberta revealed one subcortical species new to science, and eight other species representing new provincial records, including one new to Canada. A checklist of aleocharine species from Alberta, including present data, indicates 96 species classified in nine tribes. Of these, 78 are considered to be native species, six Holarctic and 12 adventive ( Table 1). The total number of 96 species is very low in comparison with the eastern provinces and reflects poor knowledge of this group in Alberta. The true number of aleocharines in Alberta remains unknown but it is anticipated to be comparable to or surpass that of Newfoundland and Labrador, currently estimated at 189 species (Klimaszewski et al. 2011, and unpublished data). New taxonomic inventories are badly needed to provide baseline taxonomic data by which to assess change due to anthropogenic and natural disturbances and climate change.

Origin Nearctic Distribution
Canada: NF, AB New records New provincial record: Canada, Alberta: Slave Lake, 4 km SW Mitsue Lake, 55.2080°N, 114.6789°W, Hammond window-trap, H-68-3-6 (SL), 1997.08.11 (NoFC) 1 female Reference Klimaszewski et al. 2011 Natural history. Very little is known about the life history of this species. Adults in Newfoundland were captured in pitfall traps on a coastal limestone barren and in riparian forest (Klimaszewski et al. 2011). The Alberta specimen was captured in a windowtrap attached to aspen snag in boread aspen forest harvested 29 years previously. Adults were collected in August in Alberta and Newfoundland.
Comments.This species is likely continuously distributed in northern boreal forest of Canada.

Atheta (Dimetrota) hampshirensis Bernhauer Figs 5-12
Atheta (Dimetrota) hampshirensis Bernhauer 1909: 525, Gusarov 2003: 43, Klimaszewski et al. 2011 Diagnosis. This species may be distinguished from other Nearctic Atheta (Dimetrota) by its small size (length 2.2-2.6 mm), uniformly black body, dense and asperate punctation of forebody, antennal articles slightly to strongly transverse (Fig. 5), and the shape of its genital structures (Figs 6-12). For a detailed description, see Klimaszewski et al. (2011). This species may be confused with A. dadopora Thomson and Strophogastra pencillata Fenyes. Strophogastra pencillata differs from A. hampshirensis by having numerous  strong ventral setae near the apical part of the abdomen and A. dadopora is more elongate and has different body proportions. All three species differ in the shape of male tergite VIII, median lobe of aedeagus and spermatheca. Distribution.
The Alberta female was captured in July in a window-trap attached to the trunk of an aspen snag in a two-year-old harvested boreal aspen stand.
Comments.This species is broadly distributed in Canada and the USA.

Atheta (Pseudota) pseudoklagesi Klimaszewski & Webster Figs 13-20
Atheta (Pseudota) pseudoklagesi Klimaszewski & Webster (in Webster et al. 2016: 132) Diagnosis. This is a sibling species of A. klagesi Bernhauer and was frequenly confused with the latter in collections. It may be distinguished from A. klagesi by its slightly larger size, less glossy body, less intense yellowish colouration of spots on elytra, less intense yellowish colouration of legs, bases of antennae and maxillary palps and overall less contrasting body colour (Fig. 13); median lobe of aedeagus has longer tubus and slightly different shape of apex in lateral view (Fig. 14); spermatheca is very similarly shaped in the two species (Fig. 20), and females may be difficult to identify without accompanying males. Natural history. In New Brunswick, adults of this species were found in mature mixed forest, old-growth and old white spruce and balsam fir forests, a mature red spruce forest, and in a wet alder swamp (Webster et al. 2016). Specimens were collected from coral fungi on Populus log, fleshy polypore fungi at base of a dead standing Populus, in decaying gilled mushrooms, in gilled mushrooms, and under bark of red spruce (Webster et al. 2016). Adults were collected from May to September. The Alberta specimens were captured in July in a window-trap.
Comments.This species is very likely broadly distributed in Canada and the northern USA, but the existing records for A. klagesi (except for type series) need to be revised because they may contain mixed series of A. klagesi and A. pseudoklagesi.
Distribution. Natural history. In Alberta, adults were caught in window traps attached to aspen snags in a boreal aspen stand harvested two years previously, and in pitfall traps deployed in canola fields. Adults were collected in July.
Comments. It is the first record of this species in Canada, and its broader distribution in Canada is unknown. It is probably continuously distributed in the Rocky Mountains, from Arizona in the south to Canada in the north.
Diagnosis. This species is distinguishable by its small body that is compact and narrowly oval in outline (Fig. 27); length 1.7-1.9 mm; uniformly black; forebody with strong microsculpture, that on elytra and abdomen forming scale-like structures, punctation coarse, sparse and flatly impressed, pubescence sparse and approximately evenly distributed on forebody (Fig. 27).
Agaricomorpha vincenti may be readily distinguished from A. websteri Klimaszewski & Brunke by the differently shaped pronotum, which is much broader than the elytra (Fig. 27), by its uniformly black body, and by the shape of median lobe of aedeagus (Fig. 28), male tergite VIII (Fig. 29), and spermatheca (Fig. 33).
Comments.This species is probably continuously distributed from New Brunswick to Alberta and likely extends further to Alaska. Etymology. Athabascensis is a Latin adjective derived from the name of the Athabasca region in Alberta, where the type series was discovered.

Anomognathus athabascensis
Diagnosis. Body length 2.5-2.7 mm; narrow and flat (Fig. 34); more or less uniformly dark brown or reddish-brown with darker head and abdomen, with legs reddish-brown, moderately densely punctate and pubescent, pubescence short and adhering to the body, integument with dense meshed microsculpture, denser on forebody, sculpticells hexagonal, and punctation asperate on forebody; head large, rounded posteriorly and with postocular area strongly converging basally (Fig. 34), slightly wider and longer than pronotum, with small eyes shorter than postocular area; antennae with articles I-III elongate and IV-X subquadrate to slightly transverse (Fig. 34); pronotum about trapezoidal in shape, narrowest at base, widening apically to about apical third and then narrowed apically, slightly transverse, much narrower at base than elytra (Fig. 34); elytra flattened, longer than pronotum, with strong angular shoulders (Fig. 34); abdomen narrow and subparallel, paratergites well developed (Fig. 34). MALE. Median lobe of aedeagus with tubus strongly produced ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 35); internal sac without distinct sclerites (Fig. 35); tergite VIII truncate apically with three pairs of dorsal teeth and narrow median lobe (Fig. 36); sternite VIII wide, broadly rounded apically (Fig. 37). FEMALE. Tergite VIII truncate apically, with two large and hooked apically lateral teeth and some crenulation on apical margin (Fig. 38); sternite VIII rounded apically and with broad space between base of the disc and antecostal suture (Fig. 39); spermatheca with small spherical capsule and narrow and short stem (Fig. 40).
This species is readily distinguishable from A. americanus Casey, the only other representative of this genus in North America (Figs 41-44), by the different body proportions (Fig. 34), head large, longer and wider than pronotum (Fig. 34), and differently shaped tergite VIII of female (male of A. americanus is unknown), with two large and hooked apically lateral teeth (Fig. 38), while in A. americanus tergite VIII has two lateral teeth and one long median spine (Fig. 42).
Distribution. Known only from Alberta, Canada. Natural history. This species was captured in June and July in Alberta. This is a subcortical species whose life history remains unknown. It is most likely associated with galleries of wood boring insects.
Distribution.  Casey 1906, Seevers 1951, Bousquet et al. 2013 Natural history. Very little is known about the life history of this species. The Alberta specimen was captured in a window trap attached to aspen snag in a forest that burned 15 years previously. Adults were collected in Alberta in August and elsewhere in June and August (Seevers 1951).

Origin
Comments. This species is probably continuously distributed from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to the eastern Rocky Mountains.
Distribution. Natural history. Very little is known about the life history of this species. Adults in Quebec were captured in coniferous forests and mainly trapped in Lingren funnel traps (Klimaszewski et al. 2001). The Alberta specimens were captured in a window-traps attached to aspen snag in boreal aspen stands burned two years previously. Adults were collected in Alberta in August and elsewhere in June and August (Seevers 1951).
Comments.This species is likely continuously distributed from Nova Scotia to British Columbia in northern boreal forest.

Hylota cryptica Klimaszewski & Webster Figs 60-66
Hylota cryptica Klimaszewski & Webster, in Webster et al. (2016) Diagnosis. This species is distinguishable by length 3.2-3.4 mm, body narrowly oval, dark brown except for paler antennae, tarsi, and posterior part of elytra near suture (Fig. 60); forebody densely punctate and pubescent; head about one-third of maximum pronotal width; antennal articles IV-X from slightly elongate to subquadrate (Fig. 60); pronotum broadest at basal third and strongly narrowed apically, at base as wide as elytra (Fig. 60). Hylota cryptica may be separated from H. ochracea by its larger, broader and darker body, pronotum at least as wide as elytra at base (slightly narrower in H. ochracea), elongate antennal articles V-X (transverse in H. ochracea), less bent tubus of median lobe laterally (Fig. 61), apical margin of male tergite VIII with minute crenulation (Fig. 62) (with teeth in H. ochracea), and spermatheca with fewer coils (Fig. 66) Klimaszewski et al. 2006, Webster et al. (2016 Natural history. All New Brunswick specimens of H. cryptica were captured in Lindgren funnel traps or flight intercept traps in various forest types (Webster et al. 2016). These included a red oak forest, an old mixed forest with red oak, mixed forests, a hardwood forest on an island in a river, an old-growth northern hardwood forest, an old-growth white spruce and balsam fir forest, an old jack pine forest, an old red pine forest, and an old white pine stand (Webster et al. 2016). The Alberta specimens were captured in June in window traps attached to aspen snag in boreal aspen stands harvested and burned 15 years previously.
Comments. This species is most likely continuously distributed from New Brunswick to Alberta.