Faunistic survey of myrmecophilous and other ant-associated beetles and spiders in the Belgian province of Limburg (Araneae, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Author Berx, Peter Author Bosmans, Bart Author Dekoninck, Wouter Author Janssen, Marc Author Stassen, Eugène Author Crevecoeur, Luc text Belgian Journal of Entomology 2023 2023-10-06 141 1 61 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.12639020 2295-0214 12639020 57BE72E5-DFC7-4A81-8912-0F6623FC794D Staphylininae Latreille, 1802 Table 34. Observations of staphylinine beetles that are mentioned in the literature to be associated with ants with their correlated ant species on specific point locations in the province of Limburg.

Species	Number	UTM grid	Community	Tree	Host ant
Atrecus affinis (Paykull, 1789)	1	FS7130	Tongeren	Betula sp.	lasibrun
Atrecus affinis (Paykull, 1789)	1	FS7130	Tongeren	Picea sp.	lasifuli
Atrecus affinis (Paykull, 1789)	2	FS9526	Voeren	Quercus robur	temnaffi
Bisnius subuliformis (Gravenhorst, 1802)	1	FS7035	Kortessem	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Bisnius subuliformis (Gravenhorst, 1802)	1	FS9626	Voeren	Malus sp.	lasibrun
Gyrohypnus angustatus Stephens, 1833	1	FS9352	Maasmechelen	Populus sp.	lasifuli
Hypnogyra angularis (Ganglbauer, 1895)	2	FS4648	Halen	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Hypnogyra angularis (Ganglbauer, 1895)	4	FS5528	Sint-Truiden	fruit tree	lasibrun
Hypnogyra angularis (Ganglbauer, 1895)	2	FS7130	Tongeren	Betula sp.	lasibrun
Hypnogyra angularis (Ganglbauer, 1895)	2	FS7130	Tongeren	Fagus sp.	lasifuli
Hypnogyra angularis (Ganglbauer, 1895)	1	FS9626	Voeren	Malus sp.	lasibrun
Othius subuliformis Stephens, 1833	8	FS7130	Tongeren	Quercus sp.	lasifuli
Quedius cruentus (Olivier, 1795)	1	FS7735	Bilzen	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Quedius cruentus (Olivier, 1795)	1	FS6840	Diepenbeek	fruit tree	temnaffi
Quedius cruentus (Olivier, 1795)	1	FS6626	Heers	fruit tree	lasibrun

Species	Number	UTM grid	Community	Tree	Host ant
Quedius cruentus (Olivier, 1795)	1	FS5130	Sint-Truiden	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Quedius cruentus (Olivier, 1795)	1	FS5528	Sint-Truiden	fruit tree	lasibrun
Quedius cruentus (Olivier, 1795)	1	FS9526	Voeren	Quercus robur	temnaffi
Quedius dilatatus (Fabricius, 1787)	2	FS9526	Voeren	Quercus robur	temnaffi
Quedius fumatus (Stephens, 1833)	1	FS7130	Tongeren	Picea sp.	lasifuli
Quedius mesomelinus (Marsham, 1802)	1	FS5528	Sint-Truiden	fruit tree	lasibrun
Quedius mesomelinus (Marsham, 1802)	2	FS9526	Voeren	Quercus robur	temnaffi
Quedius mesomelinus (Marsham, 1802)	1	FS9825	Voeren	Salix alba	lasibrun
Quedius nigrocauruleus Fauvel, 1876	1	FS6732	Borgloon	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Quedius ochripennis (MÉnÉtriÉs, 1832)	1	FS6732	Borgloon	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Quedius scitus (Gravenhorst, 1806)	1	FS4648	Halen	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Quedius scitus (Gravenhorst, 1806)	3	FS9526	Voeren	Quercus robur	temnaffi
Tasgius ater (Gravenhorst, 1802)	1	FS6629	Borgloon	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Tasgius ater (Gravenhorst, 1802)	1	FS7131	Tongeren	fruit tree	lasibrun, temnaffi
Tasgius ater (Gravenhorst, 1802)	1	FS9727	Voeren	Malus sp.	lasibrun

The genus Quedius Stephens, 1829 is strongly represented in the surveyed area with 36 species. Quedius cruentus (8.0-10.0 mm) is the dominant species with 608 individuals dispersed over 66 grids, while Q. invreae (8.0-11.0 mm) and Q. maurus (6.0-9.0 mm) both with a single specimen in a single location are both reported as rare (Annex). They all are predators that seek easy prey in nests of both mammals and hymenoptera. Fig. 35. A , Atrecus affinis (Paykull, 1789) (range 6.0-7.5 mm). B , Gyrohypnus angustatus Stephens, 1833 (7.2 mm; range 6.0-8.5 mm). C , Hypnogyra angularis (Ganglbauer, 1895) (7.0mm; range 7.0-9.0 mm). D , Othius subuliformis Stephens, 1833 (6.1 mm; range 4.5-7.2 mm). E , Platydracus stercorarius (Olivier, 1795) (15.3 mm; range 13.0-18.0mm). © U. Schmidt. Ninety-two individuals of Platydracus stercorarius (Olivier, 1795) ( Fig. 35E ) have been found in 30 1 x 1 km squares, with 83 collected with pitfall traps (Annex). Platydracus stercorarius is an impressive rove beetle reaching 20 mm and is associated with Tetramorium caespitum , F. rufa and several species of the genus Myrmica and Lasius ( PÄIVINEN, 2002 ) . According to Donisthorpe (1927) this beetle penetrates the ant nests to feed on the ants and their brood. It is worth mentioning the fact that it is the only myrmecophilous beetle ever found in the nests of our rare slave-making Amazon ant Polyergus rufescens (Latreille, 1798) ( ANDRÉ, 1874 , p. 213) . Two locations where this rove beetle has been observed, Hageven in Pelt and De Teut in Zonhoven, are two of the five areas in Belgium where likewise the rare Amazon ant is found ( DEKONINCK et al ., 2001 ; VANKERKHOVEN et al ., 2021 ).