Malthodes pumilus ( Brebisson , 1835)

Pentinsaari, Mikko, Anderson, Robert, Borowiec, Lech, Bouchard, Patrice, Brunke, Adam, Douglas, Hume, Smith, Andrew B. T. & Hebert, Paul D. N., 2019, DNA barcodes reveal 63 overlooked species of Canadian beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera), ZooKeys 894, pp. 53-150 : 53

Malthodes pumilus ( Brebisson, 1835) Figure 28

Distribution.

Native to the Palaearctic region. Widespread in Europe, also recorded from Iran and Turkey ( Kazantsev and Brancucci 2007). Adventive in the Nearctic region (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland, Canada).

Canadian records.

British Columbia: Mount Revelstoke National Park, 19-Jun-2014 to 26-Jun-2014 (15 exx, CBG); Mount Revelstoke National Park, 04-Jul-2014 to 09-Jul-2014 (22 exx, CBG); New Afton Mine, 06-Jun-2013 to 13-Jun-2013 (4 exx, CBG); New Afton Mine, 20-Jun-2013 to 27-Jun-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Vancouver, 03-Jun-2014 to 10-Jun-2014 (4 exx, CBG); Vancouver, 17-Jun-2014 to 24-Jun-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Yoho National Park, 25-Jun-2014 to 07-Jul-2014 (1 ex, CBG). Alberta: Banff National Park, 17-Jun-2012 (1 ex, CBG); Banff National Park, 19-Jun-2012 (1 ex, CBG); Banff National Park, 15-Jun-2012 to 20-Jun-2012 (1 ex, CBG); Elk Island National Park, 22-Jun-2012 to 29-Jun-2012 (1 ex, CBG); Elk Island National Park, 01-Jul-2012 (1 ex, CBG); Elk Island National Park, 02-Jul-2012 (1 ex, CBG); Elk Island National Park, 29-Jun-2012 to 03-Jul-2012 (17 exx, CBG); Elk Island National Park, 06-Jul-2012 to 13-Jul-2012 (8 exx, CBG); Jasper National Park, 04-Jul-2012 to 11-Jul-2012 (1 ex, CBG); Waterton Lakes National Park, 27-Jun-2012 to 04-Jul-2012 (3 exx, CBG); Waterton Lakes National Park, 10-Jul-2012 to 17-Jul-2012 (4 exx, CBG); Waterton Lakes National Park, 17-Jul-2012 to 24-Jul-2012 (3 exx, CBG). Saskatchewan: Grasslands National Park, 29-Jun-2014 to 08-Jul-2014 (3 exx, CBG). Manitoba: Riding Mountain National Park, 02-Jul-2012 to 09-Jul-2012 (10 exx, CBG). Ontario: Algonquin Provincial Park, 01-Jul-2014 to 15-Jul-2014 (2 exx, CBG); Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park, 29-May-2014 to 12-Jun-2014 (6 exx, CBG); Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park, 26-Jun-2014 to 10-Jul-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Bruce Peninsula National Park, 21-Jun-2012 to 28-Jun-2012 (2 exx, CBG); Bruce Peninsula National Park, 28-Jun-2012 to 07-Jul-2012 (3 exx, CBG); Bruce Peninsula National Park, 05-Jul-2012 to 12-Jul-2012 (3 exx, CBG); Bruce Peninsula National Park, 12-Jul-2012 to 18-Jul-2012 (2 exx, CBG); Elizabethtown-Kitley, 02-Jun-2010 to 04-Jun-2010 (1 ex, CBG); Elizabethtown-Kitley, 04-Jun-2010 to 06-Jun-2010 (1 ex, CBG); Elizabethtown-Kitley, 06-Jun-2010 to 08-Jun-2010 (1 ex, CBG); Elizabethtown-Kitley, 12-Jun-2010 to 14-Jun-2010 (1 ex, CBG); Elizabethtown-Kitley, 15-Jun-2011 to 20-Jun-2011 (2 exx, CBG); Frontenac Provincial Park, 05-Jun-2014 to 19-Jun-2014 (3 exx, CBG); Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 04-Jun-2013 to 11-Jun-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 11-Jun-2013 to 18-Jun-2013 (7 exx, CBG); Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 18-Jun-2013 to 26-Jun-2013 (6 exx, CBG); Guelph, 19-Jun-2015 to 26-Jun-2015 (1 ex, CBG); Hartington, 30-May-2017 (1 ex, CBG); Hartington, 13-Jun-2017 (2 exx, CBG); Hartington, 28-Jun-2017 (1 ex, CBG); Inverhuron Provincial Park, 25-Jun-2014 to 09-Jul-2014 (4 exx, CBG); Lion`s Head Provincial Park, 26-Jun-2014 to 10-Jul-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park, 02-Jul-2014 to 16-Jul-2014 (2 exx, CBG); Murphy`s Point Provincial Park, 05-Jun-2014 to 19-Jun-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Peterborough, 24-May-2015 to 30-May-2015 (1 ex, CBG); Peterborough, 07-Jun-2015 to 13-Jun-2015 (2 exx, CBG); Pinery Provincial Park, 25-Jun-2014 to 09-Jul-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Puslinch Township, 05-Jun-2010 to 12-Jun-2010 (1 ex, CBG); Rouge National Urban Park, 03-Jun-2013 to 09-Jun-2013 (2 exx, CBG); Sandbanks Provincial Park, 05-Jun-2014 to 19-Jun-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Short Hills Provincial Park, 26-May-2014 to 09-Jun-2014 (1 ex, CBG); Sudbury, 08-Jun-2010 (1 ex, CBG); Thousand Islands National Park, 01-Jun-2012 to 08-Jun-2012 (1 ex, CBG); Thousand Islands National Park, 08-Jun-2012 to 15-Jun-2012 (5 exx, CBG); Thousand Islands National Park, 15-Jun-2012 to 22-Jun-2012 (3 exx, CBG). Quebec: Forillon National Park, 05-Jul-2013 to 15-Jul-2013 (4 exx, CBG); Forillon National Park, 15-Jul-2013 to 22-Jul-2013 (6 exx, CBG); Forillon National Park, 22-Jul-2013 to 30-Jul-2013 (4 exx, CBG); Forillon National Park, 28-Jun-2013 to 05-Jul-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, 02-Jul-2013 to 09-Jul-2013 (1 ex, CBG). New Brunswick: Fundy National Park, 18-Jun-2013 to 25-Jun-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Fundy National Park, 02-Jul-2013 to 09-Jul-2013 (22 exx, CBG); Fundy National Park, 09-Jul-2013 to 16-Jul-2013 (33 exx, CBG); Fundy National Park, 16-Jul-2013 to 23-Jul-2013 (8 exx, CBG). Nova Scotia: Cape Breton Highlands National Park, 14-Jul-2013 to 19-Jul-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Cape Breton Highlands National Park, 19-Jul-2013 to 26-Jul-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Kejimkujik National Park, 13-Jun-2013 to 20-Jun-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Kejimkujik National Park, 27-Jun-2013 to 05-Jul-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Sable Island National Park Reserve, 01-Jul-2014 to 14-Jul-2014 (3 exx, CBG). Prince Edward Island: Prince Edward Island National Park, 03-Jul-2013 to 10-Jul-2013 (1 ex, CBG). Newfoundland: Gros Morne National Park, 12-Jul-2013 (1 ex, CBG); Gros Morne National Park, 09-Jul-2013 to 16-Jul-2013 (109 exx, CBG); Gros Morne National Park, 09-Jul-2013 to 20-Jul-2013 (24 exx, CBG); Gros Morne National Park, 10-Jul-2013 to 20-Jul-2013 (6 exx, CBG); Gros Morne National Park, 23-Jul-2013 to 30-Jul-2013 (25 exx, CBG); Gros Morne National Park, 06-Aug-2013 to 13-Aug-2013 (2 exx, CBG); Terra Nova National Park, 25-Jun-2013 to 02-Jul-2013 (4 exx, CBG); Terra Nova National Park, 09-Jul-2013 to 16-Jul-2013 (37 exx, CBG); Terra Nova National Park, 24-Jul-2013 to 30-Jul-2013 (3 exx, CBG).

Diagnostic information

(based on Wittmer 1979). Body length 1.3-1.5 mm. Habitus as in Fig. 28 . Unicolorous dark brown to black, tarsi slightly paler. Mandibles with a finely serrate additional tooth on the inner surface. Male with the last ventrite long and narrow, deeply emarginate (almost to the middle), last visible tergite likewise deeply emarginate.

Bionomic notes.

In Europe, this eurytopic species is usually found in dry, warm habitats such as exposed forest edges, dry meadows etc. ( Koch 1989b). The larvae probably live in dead wood as predators ( Koch 1989b). The Canadian specimens were collected in a variety of habitats, mainly forests, and mainly in Malaise traps.

Comments.

The minute size distinguishes this species from all other Canadian species of Malthodes except for M. parvulus (LeConte, 1851) ( Fender 1951, Pelletier and Hébert 2014). Malthodes parvulus is paler, with the first two antennomeres, pronotum, elytra and legs yellow ( Pelletier and Hébert 2014). The structure of the terminal abdominal segments in males is also quite different between these species (see Fender (1951) or Pelletier and Hébert (2014) for figures of M. parvulus ). However, all morphologically examined Canadian specimens of M. pumilus were females. It is probably a mainly parthenogenetic species, as males are rare in Europe as well ( Wittmer 1979). The genitalia and modifications of the terminal abdominal segments of males are often crucial for morphological identification of Malthodes species ( Fender 1951; Wittmer 1970). The extreme scarcity of males for morphological diagnosis combined with the lack of recent taxonomic work on the genus in North America probably explains why M. pumilus has remained undetected despite being apparently widespread and common across Canada.

Figures

Figures 27, 28. 27 Dichelotarsus lapponicus (Gyllenhal) 27 A habitus 27 B aedeagus, ventral view (everted endophallus removed) 27 C aedeagus, lateral view (everted endophallus removed) 27 D endophallus, lateral view 28 Malthodes pumilus (Brebisson), habitus, L. Borowiec. Scale bars: 2.0 mm (27 A), 0.5 mm (27 B-D), 0.3 mm (28).