Atomaria apicalis Erichson, 1846

Majka, Christopher, Johnson, Colin & Langor, David, 2010, Contributions towards an understanding of the Atomariinae (Coleoptera, Cryptophagidae) of Atlantic Canada, ZooKeys 35 (35), pp. 37-63 : 43-45

Atomaria apicalis Erichson, 1846

NEWFOUNDLAND: Portugal Cove : Indian Meal Line, June 2, 1979, July 1, 1979, June 22, 1981, September 1, 1981, July 21, 1982 (14, MUN) ; Gander, July-August, 1998, D. Russell (2, MUN) ; South Pond near South Brook , June 27, 1980, Brennan & Larson, drift (2, MUN). NEW BRUNSWICK: Albert Co.: Mary’s Pt., September 8, 2002, C.G. Majka, old field, in compost (7, CGMC) ; Westmorland Co.:

Figures 8–ΙΙ. 8 Dorsal habitus photograph of Atomaria pusilla (Paykull) 9 Dorsal habitus photograph of Atomaria testacea Stephens Ι0 Dorsal habitus photograph of Atomaria nigrirostris Stephens ΙΙ Dorsal habitus photograph of Atomaria wollastoni Sharp.

Figure Ι2. Adeagus illustrations of Atomaria species. Ι2.Ι Atomaria apicalis Ι2.2 Atomaria ephippiata Ι2.3 Atomaria fuscata Ι2.4 Atomaria lederi Ι2.5 Atomaria lewisi Ι2.6 Atomaria pusilla Ι2.7 Atomaria testacea Ι2.8 Atomaria nigrirostris Ι2.9 Atomaria wollastoni . Adapted from Sjöberg (1947), Lohse (1967), Johnson (1970, 1971) with additional material. Note: no illustration of the adeagus of A. distincta was available.

Pointe-du-Chene , July 6, 1972, August 24, 1972, D.H. Murray (5, MMUE) ; NOVA SCOTIA: Halifax Co.: Halifax , September 7, 1972, D.H. Murray (2, MMUE) ; Halifax , July 1988, P.M. Hammond (1, BMNH) ; Lunenburg Co.: Bridgewater , June 30, 1965, B. Wright, red oak, window trap (1, NSMC) ; Queens Co.: Medway River , July 13, 1993, J. & T. Cook, car net (2, JCC) .

Atomaria apicalis is newly recorded in insular Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Atlantic Canada (Fig. 16). We have examined the holotype of Atomaria ovalis Casey 1900 deposited in the Smithsonian Institution and have found it to be identical in all respects to A. apicalis Erichson. We therefore designate A. ovalis syn. n. as a junior synonym of A. apicalis .

In North America this species has previously been reported from Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Manitoba, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Québec ( Blatchley 1910; Britton 1920; Leng 1920; Procter 1946; Bousquet 1991; Downie and Arnett 1996; Chandler 2001). It is widely distributed in the Palaearctic region being found throughout Europe and North Africa, east across Siberia to the Russian Far East, across the Middle East, to Central Asia, Mongolia, and Fujian in China ( Johnson et al. 2007). Johnson (1993) reported that it was, “a grassland species which has been recorded especially around farms, gardens and parks but often occurs in other habitats. It has been collected in man-made heaps of refuse, especially cut vegetation, grass, compost and dung heaps, flood debris, and more rarely on carrion and rotting fungi.”

Description: A variable species; head, pronotum, and elytra piceous to castaneous or (more rarely) black; elytra sometimes paler in apical 2/5. Legs, prosternum, and abdominal sterna reddish-testaceous. Pronotum weakly constricted from middle to base; from middle to apex even more strongly. Rarely, in males the basal half of the pronotum is parallel-sided, or very weakly constricted basally. Punctures of the pronotum and elytra very variable; on the base of the pronotum, interspaces between punctures ̴ 1.0 times the diameter of puctures. Punctation of elytra similar to that of pronotum, or finer and shallower, but always less dense. Distance between furrows of prosternal process approximately half the width of the prosternal process. Body strongly convex in cross-section (Fig. 2). Antennae: antennomere 1 swollen, slightly longer than 2; 3 as long as 2 but narrower; 4–8 short and bead-like; club distinct, antennomeres 9 and 10 slightly transverse (Fig. 1.1). Body: width/length ratio, 0.41; length, 1.3–1.6 mm.