Microptilium palustre Kuntzen, 1914

Komosiński, Karol & Marczak, Dawid, 2018, Four Species of Ptiliidae (Coleoptera) New to Poland, The Coleopterists Bulletin 72 (1), pp. 151-156 : 152-154

Microptilium palustre Kuntzen, 1914

Two species of the genus Microptilium inhabit Europe: M. palustre and M. pulchellum (Allibert, 1844) , neither of which are known from Poland.

We report M. palustre in Poland for the first time. Both Microptilium species are very similar and differ slightly in terms of color. Microptilium palustre is subtly darker, black-brown. A confirmed determination of the species is based on the anatomy of the spermatheca, of which illustrations can be found in Besuchet’ s key (1971).

Microptilium palustre is found only in Europe and is reported from Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Hungary ( Sörensson 2015). It is a relatively rare species and is included on the German and Danish Red Lists ( Binot et al. 1998; Stoltze and Pihl 1998).

Both M. palustre and A. variolatum live in damp habitats and are found in Sphagnum L. ( Sphagnaceae ) moss and decaying organic matter ( Koch 1989). In Germany, it was collected in alder forests ( Esser et al. 2006).

Material Examined. Mazovian Lowland (central Poland): Kampinos National Park , Strict Protected Area Debły , forest spatial unit 242 (N 52°17 ʹ 23 ʹʹ, E 20°39 ʹ 49 ʹʹ), 1–31 VII 2015 – 2 exx., 1–31 VIII 2015 – 1 ex., collected by window trap, habitat Tilio-Carpinetum with oak trees over 140 years old; 1–31 VII 2016 – 4 exx., collected by barrier trap hanging on an alder, habitat Ribeso nigri-Alnetum with alder trees over 120 years old, leg. D. Marczak, coll. K. Komosiński; Strict Protected Area Zaborów, forest spatial unit 269 (N 52°18 ʹ 32 ʹʹ, E 20°43 ʹ 21 ʹʹ), 1–31 VIII 2015 – 1 ex., collected by window trap, habitat Tilio-Carpinetum with oak trees over 160 years old, leg. D. Marczak, coll. K. Komosiński, 1–31 V 2016 – 22 exx., 1–30 VI 2016 – 8 exx., 1–31 VII 2016 - 4 exx., 1–31 VIII 2016 – 3 exx., collected by barrier trap hanging on an alder, 1–30 VI 2016 – 54 exx., 1–31 VII 2016 – 56 exx., 1–31 VIII 2016 – 3 exx., collected by window trap, habitat Ribeso nigri-Alnetum with alder trees over 130 years old, leg. D. Marczak, coll. K. Komosiński; Strict Protected Area Sieraków ,

2) Ribeso nigri-Alnetum habitat of Actidium variolatum , M. palustre , and Ptinella britannica . forest spatial unit 121 (N 52°19 ʹ 39 ʹʹ, E 20°46 ʹ 33 ʹʹ), 1–31 VII 2016 - 1 ex, collected by window trap, habitat Ribeso nigri-Alnetum with alder trees over 120 years old, leg. D. Marczak, coll. K. Komosiński.

It is worth mentioning that in locations of occurrence M. palustre appears to be highly numerous, 159 individuals collected in one location. Our findings mirror results published by Esser et al. (2006), that M. palustre is a species connected with alder forests and peak abundance of adults occurs in June and July.