Halobrecta flavipes Thomson, 1861

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 : 13-19

2. Halobrecta flavipes Thomson, 1861

( Figs. 37–51 )

Halobrectha flavipes Thomson, 1861: 50 .

Homalota maritima Waterhouse, 1863: 138 (nec Mannerheim, 1843: 224) (replacement name for Homalota flavipes ( Thomson, 1861) , nec Homalota flavipes (Gravenhorst, 1806)).

Homalota halobrectha Sharp, 1869: 139 (replacement name for Homalota flavipes ( Thomson, 1861) , nec Homalota flavipes (Gravenhorst, 1806)).

Halobrectha flavipes: Mulsant & Rey, 1875: 45 (as synonym of Ha. anthracina (Fairmaire, 1853)) .

Atheta (s. str.) pocahontas Casey, 1910: 19 , syn. nov.

Atheta (s. str.) vaticina Casey, 1910: 19 , syn. nov.

Aloconota (s. str.) incertula Casey, 1910: 84 , syn. nov.

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

Atheta (Halobrecta) flavipes: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 621 (as valid species).

Atheta (Halobrecta) maritima (Waterhouse) : Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 621 (as synonym of At. flavipes ).

Atheta (Halobrecta) halobrectha: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 621 (as synonym of At. flavipes ).

Atheta (s. str.) pocahontas: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 648 (as valid species). Atheta (s. str.) vaticina: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 651 (as valid species). Atheta (s. str.) incertula: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 644 (as valid species). Atheta (Halobrecta) flavipes: Scheerpeltz, 1934: 1600 (as valid species). Halobrecta flavipes: Benick & Lohse, 1974: 219 (as valid species).

Halobrecta flavipes: Hammond, 2000: 275 (as valid species).

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

Type material. Lectotype of Halobrecta flavipes (here designated): ɗ, "L­a [Lomma, Sweden]" ( MZLU (Thomson collection)).

Lectotype of Atheta pocahontas (here designated): ɗ, "Va. [with two black dots under "a", Virginia: Fort Monroe (according to Casey locality code (FitzGerald 1962))]", " pocahontas ­3 PARATYPE USNM 39310" (red label), " CASEY bequest 1925". Paralectotypes: Ψ, "Va. [with one black dot under "a", Virginia: Norfolk (FirzGerald 1962)]", " Atheta pocahontas Csy. ", " TYPE USNM 39310" (red label), " CASEY bequest 1925"; ɗ, with missing head, prothorax and elytra, ɗ, "Va. [with two black dots under "a", Virginia: Fort Monroe]", " pocahontas ­2 PARATYPE USNM 39310" (red label), " CASEY bequest 1925" ( NMNH).

Lectotype of Atheta vaticina (here designated): Ψ, "L.I. [Long Island, New York]", " Atheta vaticina Csy. ", " TYPE USNM 39311" (red label), " CASEY bequest 1925" ( NMNH).

Lectotype of Aloconota incertula (here designated): Ψ, "Va. [with two black dots under "a", Virginia: Fort Monroe]", " incertula Csy. ", " TYPE USNM 39076" (red label), " CASEY bequest 1925" ( NMNH).

Additional material. CHILE: Llanquihue Prov.: 2ɗɗ, 2ΨΨ, 6 specimens (sex undetermined), Puerto Montt, Pilluco, sifting beach drift, 24.xii.1984 (S. & J.Peck); ɗ, Ψ, 1 specimen (sex undetermined), Lenca, 34 km SE Puerto Montt, beach drift, 25.xii.1984 (S. & J.Peck) ( FMNH); GERMANY: Ψ, N Friesen Islands, Spekeroog Island, 20.v– 16.vi.1992 (B.W.Johanning) ( KSEM); SWEDEN: ɗ, Ψ, Oskarshamn, 10.vi.1941 (H.Bachlund) ( KSEM); UNITED KINGDOM: ɗ, Aldeburgh, 15.viii.1925 (C.J.Saunders) ( BMNH).

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

Halobrecta flavipes differs from the Mediterranean species tentatively identified as Ha. halensis (see Discussion for Halobrecta ) in having the median lobe of the aedeagus narrower (in parameral view) ( Figs. 41–44 ; 64).

Halobrecta flavipes differs from the Palaearctic Ha. algae and Ha. princeps by having the posterior margin of the male tergum 8 rounded and not crenulate ( Fig. 37 ) (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. 41–44 ; 56–57).

Halobrecta flavipes differs from the Oriental Ha. cingulata in having a different shape of the median lobe (in lateral view) ( Figs. 45–48 in this paper; Fig. 9 , G in Sawada 1985). Halobrecta flavipes differs from the Neotropical Ha. discipula in having a different shape of the median lobe (in parameral view) ( Figs. 41–44 : this paper; Fig. 3 : Pace 1999). Description. Length 2.9–3.2 mm. Pronotal width 0.53–0.61 mm, length 0.43–0.51 mm. Elytra 1.3–1.5 times as long as pronotum.

In all character states very similar to Ha. algophila , but differs in the shape of the median lobe as described in the diagnosis.

Aedeagus as in Figs. 41–50 . Spermatheca as in Fig. 51 .

Discussion. The male types of At. pocahontas are similar in external characters to the lectotype of Ha. flavipes , as well as in the shape of the aedeagus. These names are deemed to be synonyms.

The only existing type of Al. incertula is a female but it was collected in the same locality as the male lectotype of At. pocahontas . Since the type of Al. incertula is similar to examined specimens of Ha. flavipes , the first name is placed in synonymy with the second.

The single existing type of At. vaticina is a female but it is similar in external characters to the examined specimens of Ha. flavipes . Considering that all examined males from the East Coast belonged to Ha. flavipes , I synonymize At. vaticina with that species.

It seems appropriate to discuss the status of the names listed as synonyms of Ha. flavipes by Fenyes (1920) and Bernhauer and Scheerpeltz (1926). Unfortunately, these authors sometimes did not distinguish between newly proposed names and subsequent usage of these names. This practice, followed by some recent authors (e. g., Klimaszewski et al. 2002), is very confusing. The entries for " elongatula Stephens, 1832 ", " atricilla Scriba, 1866 " and " puncticeps Mulsant & Rey, 1875 " (see Fenyes 1920, p. 185; Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz 1926, p. 621; Klimaszewski et al. 2002, p. 483) in fact refer to subsequent citations of the names proposed by Gravenhorst (1802, as Aleochara elongatula ); Erichson, (1839, as Homalota atricilla ) and Thomson (1852, as Homalota puncticeps ). Stephens (1832, p. 127), Scriba (1866, p. 290) and Mulsant and Rey (1875, p. 38) clearly did not intend to describe new species and referred to original papers of Gravenhorst, Erichson and Thomson. Even if Stephens, Scriba and Mulsant and Rey applied the same species names in a different sense, their usage did not create new nominal taxa but instead represents misidentifications.

Despite the fact that Thomson described Ha. flavipes as a member of the genus Halobrecta , this taxon was not accepted as a genus separate from Atheta by some of his colleagues (e.g., Waterhouse 1863; Sharp 1869; Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz 1926). Since Waterhouse (1863) placed Halobrecta flavipes Thomson in Homalota , together with Aleochara flavipes Gravenhorst, 1806 (now considered a member of Notothecta Thomson, 1858 ), he had to introduce ( Waterhouse 1863, p. 138) a new name ( Homalota maritima ) to replace the resulting secondary junior homonym Homalota flavipes (Thomson) . Unfortunately, the name proposed by Waterhouse is preoccupied and Sharp (1869) had to propose a different replacement name for Homalota flavipes (Thomson) . Now that Halobrecta flavipes Thomson, 1861 is a member of the genus Halobrecta and Aleochara flavipes Gravenhorst, 1806 is a member of Notothecta , the replacement names Homalota maritima Waterhouse and Ho. halobrectha Sharp are unnecessary and become objective synonyms of Ha. flavipes .

Homalota atricilla Erichson, 1839 , described from Sardinia, is usually considered a member of Halobrecta (e.g., Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz 1926). If this is true then Ho. atricilla is the oldest name in the genus Halobrecta . However the description of this species, particularly the shape of the antennal segments 4–10 does not fit any of the five species of Halobrecta examined by me. According to Kraatz (1857) and Scriba (1866) the single type of Ho. atricilla (deposited in the museum of Turin) is an immature poorly pigmented specimen. Scriba (1866) considered Ho. atricilla to be conspecific with Ha. flavipes but Sharp (1869) did not agree with this opinion because Erichson's description did not fit Sharp's specimens of Ha. flavipes (which he referred to as Ho. halobrectha ). In my opinion, Ho. atricilla may not even belong to Halobrecta . Reexamination of the type of this species is necessary to clarify the status of this name.

Two species of Halobrecta were described from the Channel coasts of northern France: Ha. pubes (Mulsant & Rey, 1873) from Normandy and Ha. anthracina Fairmaire, 1853 ) from the embouchure of the River Somme. One species, Halobrecta halensis Mulsant & Rey, 1873 , was described from the Mediterranean coasts of France (Languedoc) and may be conspecific with the specimen from Italy illustrated in Figs. 64–65 (See Discussion in Halobrecta ). Examination of types is necessary to clarify the status of these three species.

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

Distribution. Halobrecta flavipes is known from the Atlantic coast of North America (Virginia and New York), from Chile and Europe.

Natural History. Halobrecta flavipes is a marine littoral species.

Figures

FIGURES 37 – 40. Abdominal segment 8 of Halobrecta flavipes Thomson (male (37 – 38) and female paralectotypes Atheta pocahontas Casey (39 – 40 )). 37 — male tergum 8; 38 — male sternum 8; 39 — female tergum 8; 40 — female sternum 8. Scale bar 0.2 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).

FIGURES 45 – 48. Aedeagus of Halobrecta flavipes Thomson (males, from Oskarshamn, Sweden (45 – 46), and lectotype of Atheta pocahontas Casey (47 – 48 )). 45, 47 — median lobe, lateral view; 46, 48 — apex of median lobe, lateral view. Scale bar 0.1 mm (46, 48), 0.2 mm (45, 47).

FIGURES 49 – 51. Genitalia of Halobrecta flavipes Thomson (male (49 – 50) and female paralectotypes of Atheta pocahontas (51 )). 49 — details of retracted internal sac, lateral view; 50 — apex of left paramere, marginal view; 51 — spermatheca. Scale bar 0.1 mm (50 – 51), 0.2 mm (49).

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 62 – 65. Details of Halobrecta sp. aff. algae (Hardy) (male, Grado, Italy (62 – 63 )) and Ha. sp. cf. halensis Mulsant & Rey, 1873 (male, Lignano, Italy (64 – 65 )). 62 — median lobe with everted internal sac, parameral view; 63 — median lobe with everted internal sac, lateral view; 64 — median lobe with partially everted internal sac, parameral view; 65 — median lobe with partially everted internal sac, lateral view. Scale bar 0.2 mm.