Halobrecta algophila ( Fenyes, 1909 )

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2004, A revision of the Nearctic species of the genus Halobrecta Thomson, 1858 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) with notes on some Palaearctic species of the genus, Zootaxa 746, pp. 1-25 : 8-13

1. Halobrecta algophila ( Fenyes, 1909)

( Figs. 18–36 )

Atheta (Halobrectha) algophila Fenyes, 1909: 419 .

Atheta (s. str.) barbarae Casey, 1910: 18 , syn. nov.

Atheta (s. str.) importuna Casey, 1911: 111 , syn. nov.

Atheta (Halobrecta) algophila: Fenyes, 1920: 185 (as valid species).

Atheta (Halobrecta) algophila: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 621 (as synonym of At. flavipes ). Atheta (s. str.) barbarae: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 638 (as valid species). Atheta (s. str.) importuna: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 644 (as valid species). Halobrecta algophila: Moore & Legner, 1975: 434 (as valid species).

Halobrecta algophila: Seevers, 1978: 263 (as valid species).

Halobrecta algophila: Ashe in Newton, Thayer, Ashe & Chandler, 2000: 369 (as valid species). Halobrecta algophila: Hammond, 2000: 275 (as valid species).

Halobrecta flavipes: Pace, 2000: 376 (ex parte; as valid species; misidentification).

Halobrecta flavipes: Klimaszewski, Maus & Gardiner, 2002: 483 (as valid species; misidentification).

Halobrecta algophila: Klimaszewski, Maus & Gardiner, 2002: 483 (as synonym of Ha. flavipes ).

Type material. Lectotype of Atheta algophila (here designated): ɗ, "San Diego, Cal. [ifornia] Dr. A.Fenyes", "2590", " algophila Feny. ", " algophila Fen. Cotypus Fenyes " (yellow label), "Chicago NHMus. M.Bernhauer Collection", " flavipes [pencil] not = [black pen; by Lohse] (= [pencil; crossed with a black pen; by Lohse] algophila ) [pencil] no! Lohse [with a black pen; by Lohse]" ( FMNH); Paralectotypes: Ψ, "San Diego, Cal. [ifornia] Dr. A.Fenyes", "2597", " algophila Fen. Cotypus Fenyes " (yellow label), "Chicago NHMus. M.Bernhauer Collection" ( FMNH); Ψ, "San Diego, Cal. [ifornia]", "2315", " Type!", golden circle, "A.Fenyes Collection" (yellow label), " Atheta algophila Feny. ", "California Academy of Sciences. Type No. 4861" ( CASC).

Holotype of Atheta barbarae : Ψ, "S. [anta] Barbara Cal. [ifornia] 2.7.91 [7.ii.1891]", " Atheta barbarae Csy. ", " TYPE USNM 39309" (red label), " CASEY bequest 1925" ( NMNH).

Lectotype of Atheta importuna (here designated): Ψ, "Cal. [with black dot inside C; California: San Francisco]", " importuna Csy. ", " TYPE USNM 39298" (red label), " CASEY bequest 1925" ( NMNH).

Additional material. CHILE: Palena Prov.: 2ɗɗ, 8 specimens (sex undetermined), 4 km NW Chaiten, rocky beach drift, 31.i.1985 (S. & J.Peck) ( FMNH); FRANCE: ɗ, Ψ, “ Corsica ” ( FMNH); NEW ZEALAND: ɗ, Auckland Wattle Bay, shore debris, 11.i.1984 (P.M.Hammond) ( BMNH); ɗ, 2ΨΨ, 1 specimen (sex undetermined), Timaru, under littoral algae , 11.i.1978 (S.Peck) ( FMNH); UNITED KINGDOM: ɗ, "41267" (C.E.Tottenham); 2 specimens (sex undetermined), South sea, Sharp (iv.1914); ɗ, Kent, Chatham (G.C.Champion) ( BMNH); UNITED STATES: California: ɗ, without locality data ( BMNH); Humboldt Co.: ɗ, Samoa, 21.vi.1916 (F.E. Blaisdell) ( CASC); Marin Co.: ɗ, Ψ, Chimney Rock, eelgrass drift, 24–30.iv.2002 (P.M.Hammond) ( BMNH, ZMUN); San Diego Co.: 7ɗɗ, 2ΨΨ, San Diego (A.Fenyes) ( BMNH (2), CASC (5), KSEM (1), ZMUN (1)).

Diagnosis. Halobrecta algophila is closely related to Ha. flavipes , but differs in having the body size smaller on average; and the spatuliform apex of the median lobe smaller (in parameral view), the apex is 1.1 times as wide as the median lobe measured subapically at its narrowest point (1.4–1.5 times in Ha. flavipes ) ( Figs. 22–23, 26–27 ; 41–44).

Halobrecta algophila differs from the Mediterranean species tentatively identified as Ha. halensis (see Discussion for Halobrecta ) in having a narrower median lobe of the aedeagus (in parameral view) ( Figs. 22–23, 26–27 ; 64).

Halobrecta algophila differs from the Palaearctic Ha. algae and Ha. princeps by having the posterior margin of the male tergum 8 rounded and not crenulate ( Fig. 18 ) (in Ha. algae and Ha. princeps the posterior margin is straight and may be slightly crenulate ( Fig. 52 )); and by the apex of the median lobe broader ( Figs. 23, 26 ; 56).

Halobrecta algophila differs from the Oriental Ha. cingulata in having a different shape of the median lobe (in lateral view) ( Figs. 24–25, 28–29 : this paper; Fig. 9 , G: Sawada 1985).

Halobrecta algophila differs from the Neotropical Ha. discipula in having a different shape of the median lobe (in parameral view) ( Figs. 22–23, 26–27 : this paper; Fig. 3 : Pace 1999).

Description. Length 3.0– 3.9 mm. Body dark brown, legs, mouthparts and 3–4 basal antennal articles yellow.

Head surface glossy, with weak isodiametric microsculpture, with strong punctation, distance between punctures equal to their diameter. Eyes 0.7–0.9 times as long as temples. Antennal article 2 slightly longer than article 3, article 4 elongate, 5 slightly elongate or subquadrate, 6 subquadrate or slightly transverse, 7–10 transverse, article 11 as long as articles 9 and 10 combined.

Pronotum slightly transverse, 1.2 times as wide as head, width 0.57–0.66 mm, length 0.49–0.57 mm, width to length ratio 1.1–1.2; less glossy than head, isodiametric microsculpture stronger than on disk of head; punctation finer than on head, poorly visible on microsculptured background, distance between punctures equal to 1–2 times their diameter. Elytra much wider (0.57–0.93 mm) and longer (0.61–0.80 mm; measured from humeral angle) than pronotum (elytral length to pronotal length ratio 1.3–1.4), 0.9–1.2 times as wide as long, surface glossy, with weak isodiametric microsculpture; punctation finer than on disk of head but much stronger than on pronotum, distance between punctures equal to their diameter.

Abdominal terga glossy, with poorly visible (at 70x) microsculpture consisting of transverse waves; with fine punctation, distance between punctures equals 2–4 times their diameter on terga 3–5 and 2–6 times on terga 6–7.

Posterior margin of male tergum 8 rounded and not crenulate ( Fig. 18 ).

Aedeagus as in Figs. 22–31, 33–36 .

Spermatheca as in Fig. 32 .

Discussion. The types of At. barbarae and At. importuna (both females) are similar in external characters to the examined types of Ha. algophila as well as in the shape of the spermatheca. Although Ha. algophila and Ha. flavipes cannot be reliably distinguished without examination of the male genitalia, I consider At. barbarae and At. importuna to be synonyms of Ha. algophila because all examined males from the West Coast belong to that species.

The specimens from Inaccessible Island of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago identified by Klimaszewski et al. (2002) as Ha. flavipes seem to be misidentified. The (ab)parameral view of the median lobe ( Fig. 1 : Klimaszewski et al., 2002) does not agree with that of Ha. flavipes ( Figs. 41–44 : this paper;) but fits Ha. algophila ( Figs. 22–23, 26–27 : this paper).

The examined specimens from Chaiten, Chile, listed by Pace (2000) as Ha. flavipes belong in fact to Ha. algophila .

Distribution. Halobrecta algophila is known from the coasts of California, Europe, Chile, New Zealand and Inaccessible Island of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago ( Klimaszewski et al., 2002).

Natural History. Halobrecta algophila is a marine littoral species.

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 21. Abdominal segment 8 of Halobrecta algophila (Fenyes) (male lectotype (18 – 19) and female paralectotype of At. algophila (20 – 21 )). 18 — male tergum 8; 19 — male sternum 8; 20 — female tergum 8; 21 — female sternum 8. Scale bar 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 22 – 29. Aedeagus of Halobrecta algophila (Fenyes) (male lectotype of At. algophila (22 – 25), and male from the environs of Bolinas, California (26 – 29 )). 22, 27 — apex of median lobe, parameral view; 23, 26 — apex of median lobe, parameral view; 25, 28 — median lobe, lateral view; 24, 29 — apex of median lobe, lateral view. Scale bar 0.1 mm (22, 24, 27, 29), 0.2 mm (23, 25, 26, 28).

FIGURES 30 – 36. Genitalia of Halobrecta algophila (Fenyes) (male lectotype (30 – 31, 33 – 36) and female paralectotype of At. algophila (32 )). 30 — details of retracted internal sac, abparameral view; 31 — details of retracted internal sac, lateral view; 32 — spermatheca; 33 — left paramere, view from the side facing the median lobe; 34 — left paramere, marginal view; 35 — left paramere, view from the side opposite to the median lobe; 36 — apex of left paramere, marginal view. Scale bar 0.1 mm (32, 36), 0.2 mm (30 – 31, 33 – 35).

FIGURES 52 – 55. Abdominal segment 8 of Halobrecta algae (Hardy) (male lectotype (52 – 53) and female paralectotype of Homalota puncticeps Thomson (54 – 55 )). 52 — male tergum 8; 53 — male sternum 8; 54 — female tergum 8; 55 — female sternum 8. Scale bar 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 6 – 12. Mouthparts of Halobrecta sp. aff. algae (Hardy) (female, Grado, Italy (6 – 11 )) and Ha. sp. cf. halensis Mulsant & Rey, 1873 (female, Lignano, Italy (12 )). 6 — prementum; 7 — hypopharynx; 8 — right maxilla, ventral view; 9 — right galea, ventral view; 10 — right lacinia, ventral view; 11 — right lacinia, dorsal view; 12 — mentum. Scale bar 0.1 mm (6 – 7, 9 – 12), 0.2 mm (8).

FIGURES 1 – 5. Mouthparts of Halobrecta sp. aff. algae (Hardy) (female, Grado, Italy). 1 — labrum; 2 — epipharynx; 3 — left mandible, dorsal view; 4 — left mandible, ventral view; 5 — right mandible, dorsal view. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 41 – 44. Aedeagus of Halobrecta flavipes Thomson (male from Oskarshamn, Sweden (41 – 42), and male paralectotype of Atheta pocahontas Casey (43 – 44 )). 41, 43 — median lobe, parameral view; 42, 44 — apex of median lobe, parameral view. Scale bar 0.1 mm (42, 44), 0.2 mm (41, 43).