New Coleoptera records from New Brunswick, Canada: Elateridae

Abstract Twenty-two species of Elateridae are newly reported for New Brunswick, Canada. Negastrius exiguus (Randall) is removed from the faunal list and Agriotes pubescens Melsheimer is re-instated as a member of the New Brunswick fauna. Agriotes pubescens Melsheimer, Dalopius brevicornis W. J. Brown, Danosoma obtectum (Say) and Megapenthes solitarius Fall are newly reported for the Maritime provinces. Collection data, bionomic data, and distribution maps are presented for all these species.


Introduction
The Elateridae (click beetles) is a species-rich family of beetles with about 965 named species in North America (Johnson 2002) and 369 species and subspecies from Canada and Alaska (Bousquet 1991). Although some groups are fairly well known taxonomically, genera such as Ampedus and Dalopius are in need of revisionary study and include a number of undescribed species (Johnson 2002). Larvae of some species of Elateridae are rhizophagus and are important agricultural pests; larvae of other species are predaceous, often living in soil, subcortical habitats, or rotten logs (Johnson 2002). However, little is known about the biology of most species.
The Elateridae of the Maritime provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) was reviewed by Majka and Johnson (2008). They provided a detailed historical overview the collection of the Elateridae and other families of beetles in the Maritime provinces and a taxonomic review of the genus Ctenicera, which was in need of taxonomic review and generic re-assignment. Ninety-eight species were reported for New Brunswick, 13 as new provincial records; Agriotes pubescens Melsheimer, Athous campyloides Newman, and Cardiophorus cardisce (Say) were removed from the faunal list of the province by Majka and Johnson (2008). Later, Douglas (2011) newly reported Pseudanstirus nigricollis (Bland) and the adventive Hemicrepidius niger (Linnaeus) from New Brunswick. Hemicrepidius niger was also reported from Ontario and these represented the first records of this Eurasian species from North America. Here, we newly report 22 elaterid species from New Brunswick.

Methods and conventions
The following records are based on specimens collected during a general survey by the first author to document the Coleoptera fauna of New Brunswick and from by-catch samples obtained during a study to develop a general attractant for the detection of invasive species of Cerambycidae. Additional provincial records were obtained from specimens contained in the collection belonging to Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service -Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Collection methods
Various methods were employed to collect the species reported in this study. Details are outlined in Webster et al. (2009, Appendix). Many specimens were also collected from 12-unit Lindgren funnel traps set in various forest habitats in New Brunswick between 2008 and 2011. These traps mimic tree trunks and are often effective for sampling species of Coleoptera that live in microhabitats associated with standing trees (Lindgren 1983). See Webster et al. (in press) for details of the methods used to deploy Lindgren funnel traps and for sample collection. A description of the habitat was recorded for all specimens collected during this survey. Locality and habitat data are presented exactly as on labels for each record. This information, as well as additional collecting notes, is summarized and discussed in the collection and habitat data section for each species.

Specimen Preparation
Males of some species of Elateridae were dissected to confirm their identity. The genital structures were dehydrated in absolute alcohol and mounted in Canada balsam on celluloid microslides and pinned with the specimens they originated from.

Distribution
Distribution maps, created using ArcMap and ArcGIS, are presented for each species in New Brunswick. Every species is cited with current distribution in Canada and Alaska, using abbreviations for the state, provinces, and territories. New records for New Brunswick are indicated in bold under Distribution in Canada and Alaska. The following abbreviations are used in the text:  (Bousquet 1991). Majka and Johnson (2008) removed Danosoma obtectum from the faunal list of Nova Scotia due to a lack of a supporting voucher specimen.
Notes: *New to province, **New to Maritime provinces. Collection and habitat data. One adult was collected at an ultraviolet light, but most individuals were captured in Lindgren funnel traps in mixed and old mixed forests, a mature hardwood forest, an old red oak (Quercus rubra L.) forest, and an old red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) forest. Adults were collected during June, July, and August.

Dalopius pallidus Brown
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. ON, QC, NB, NS (Bousquet 1991;Majka and Johnson 2008 Collection and habitat data. Adults of this species were found in a mature hardwood forest with American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), and white ash (Fraxinus americana L.) and in an old red oak forest. Adults were captured at an ultraviolet light and in Lindgren funnel traps. This species was captured during June, July, and August. Becker (1974) reported larvae of this species from forest litter and decaying logs.
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. ON, QC, NB, NS (Bousquet 1991;Majka and Johnson 2008 Collection and habitat data. Adults were captured during late July and August in Lindgren funnel traps in a mature hardwood forest with American beech, sugar maple, and white ash, and in an old red pine forest.
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. ON, QC, NB, NS (Bousquet 1991 Collection and habitat data. Hemicrepidius memnonius was collected at an ultraviolet light in a mixed forest and from Lindgren funnel traps in an old red pine forest. Adults were captured during July and August. Distribution in Canada and Alaska. AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS, PE (Bousquet 1991).

Tribe Prosternini Gistel, 1856
Hypoganus sulcicollis (Say, 1834) http://species-id.net/wiki/Hypoganus_sulcicollis Collection and habitat data. Hypoganus sulcicollis (Say) was collected in a mature hardwood forest with American beech, sugar maple, and white ash, in a red oak and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) forest, an old silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.) forest, and in an old red oak forest. Adults were collected from under bark of fallen American beech, under bark of red oak, and from Lindgren funnel traps. Adults were captured during April, May, June, July, August, and September.
Collection and habitat data. The sole New Brunswick specimen of this species was collected during September by sweeping marsh vegetation on the margin of a silver maple swamp.
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. ON, NB (Bousquet 1991

Negastrius exiguus (Randall, 1838)
The record of N. exiguus in Majka and Johnson (2008)  Collection and habitat data. Negastrius atrosus adults were collected along river margins from under small rocks, in gravel, and under drift material on sand bars. Two adults were collected by splashing water onto sand on a sand bar. Adults were collected during May and June. No details on the habitat requirements of this species were given in Wells (1996). Wells (1996) reported that other species of Negastrius were associated with riparian habitats and inhabit sandy-to-rocky stream and river margins.
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. ON, QC, NB (Wells 1996).  2005, 9.VII.2006, 17.VII.2008. Collection and habitat data. Adults of this species were collected in gravel and among cobblestones along lakeshores, by sweeping foliage on a sea beach, and at an ultraviolet light in a mixed forest. Adults were collected during June, July, and August.
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS (Bousquet 1991 Collection and habitat data. One individual was beaten from foliage in a mixed forest, another was captured in a Lindgren funnel trap deployed in an old mixed forest. Adults were captured during May and June. Distribution in Canada and Alaska. MB, ON, QC, NB, PE, NS (Bousquet 1991;Majka and Johnson 2008). Collection and habitat data. Adults were collected during June from Lindgren funnel traps in an old silver maple forest (swamp) and from foliage of red oak in a red oak and red maple stand. Both forest sites were near seasonally flooded marshes.

Agriotes pubescens
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. MB, ON, QC, NB (Bousquet 1991). Bousquet (1991) reported Agriotes pubescens Melsheimer from New Brunswick. Majka and Johnson (2008) were unable to locate voucher specimens to support the record and, thus, they removed it from the faunal list of New Brunswick. The records above establish the presence of this species in the province. Collection and habitat data. Adults were collected during early June by sweeping foliage near floodplain forests adjacent to rivers.

Dalopius brevicornis
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. ON, QC, NB (Bousquet 1991 Collection and habitat data. Adults were collected by treading vegetation in a seepage area along a river margin, by sweeping vegetation in a floodplain forest, and from Lindgren funnel traps deployed in an old silver maple forest near a seasonally flooded marsh. Adults were collected during May, June, July, and August. Distribution in Canada and Alaska. ON, QC, NB, NS (Bousquet 1991;Majka and Johnson 2008). Collection and habitat data. One specimen was found under bark of a silver maple during late June in a silver maple swamp, another was captured between late June and early July in a Lindgren funnel trap deployed in the canopy of a silver maple in a silver maple swamp. Majka and Johnson (2008) reported this species from rotten wood of poplar, a spruce stump, and reared from an apple log in Nova Scotia.
Collection and habitat data. Adults were captured during May, June, and July in Lindgren funnel traps in an old red oak stand and an old silver maple swamp.
Most (77 out of 81) individuals were captured in traps deployed in the forest canopy (mid crown).
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB (Bousquet 1991). Ampedus oblessus (Say) was reported for New Brunswick in Bousquet (1991) but was not listed as a member of the fauna by Majka and Johnson (2008). The above record confirms the presence of this species for the province. Collection and habitat data. Adults of this species were captured in Lindgren funnel traps deployed in mature hardwood forests with American beech, sugar maple, and white ash, an old red oak forest, and an old red pine forest. Adults were also collected from under bark of a fallen beech log in mature hardwood forest and from alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) foliage in a mixed forest. Adults were collected during May, June, July, and September.

Ampedus protervus
Distribution in Canada and Alaska. ON, QC, NB, NS (Bousquet 1991 Collection and habitat data. Adults were captured in Lindgren funnel traps in a mature hardwood forest with American beech, sugar maple, and white ash, in an old silver maple forest, and in an old red oak forest. Most adults were captured in traps deployed in the forest canopy. Adults were captured during July and August.
Collection and habitat data. Adults from New Brunswick were collected at an ultraviolet light in a mixed forest during June and July.