Creophilus maxillosus villosus (Gravenhorst, 1802)

Majka, Christopher, Klimaszewski, Jan & Lauff, Randolph, 2008, The coastal rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) of Atlantic Canada: a survey and new records, ZooKeys 2 (2), pp. 115-150 : 134

Creophilus maxillosus villosus (Gravenhorst, 1802)

NEW BRUNSWICK: Albert Co.: Mary’s Point, 7.VI.2006, D.S.Christie, on dead Minke Whale, (2, CGMC). NOVA SCOTIA: Antigonish Co. : Pomquet Beach, 29.VIII.2000, H.J. Watts, coastal beach, (1, STFX) ; Pomquet Beach , 6.V.2004, M.A. Rossong, coastal beach, (1, STFX) ; Pomquet Beach , 16.V.2001, B.F. Leahey, coastal beach, (1, STFX) ; Cape Breton Co.: Scatarie Island, Savage Cove , 10.VIII.2005, K.R. Aikens, sea beach under wrack, (1, CBU) ; South Bar , 3.VIII.1995, A. Brown, (1, CBU) ; Digby Co.: Brier Island, Pond Cove , 28.VII.2003, 15.IX.2004, J. Ogden & K. Goodwin, rocky shore, pitfall trap, (3, JOC) ; Mavilette Beach , 20.VII.1993, J. & T. Cook, beach dune, under driftwood, (1, JCC) ; Halifax Co.: Sable Island , 20.VI.1976, 9.VI.1977, 10.VI.1977, 12.VI.1977, 12.IX.1977, B. Wright, (17, NSMC) ; Shelburne Co.: Cape Sable Island, Daniel’s Head Beach , 18.VIII.2007, R. Gorham, on seal carcass, (1, NSMC) .

This cosmopolitan species has been known in the Maritime Provinces since 1827- 28 from collections made in Nova Scotia by Captain Basil Hall ( Kirby 1837) and Prévost and Bain (2007) found it in deposits dated 1620 in Newfoundland. Its distribution in the Maritime Provinces is shown in Fig. 15 . As the above records indicate, it is frequently encountered in coastal situations (where adults and larvae feed on maggots found on various kinds of carrion and decaying matter), however, it also occurs in many kinds of natural habitats and in synanthropic situations ( Newton et al. 2000). Newton et al. (2000) pointed out that the North American specimens of the subspecies C. maxillosus villosus , are distinguishable from the Palaearctic C. m. maxillosus . Creophilus m. villosus has a broad pre-human North American distribution, and hence can be considered a native, Nearctic subspecies.

Figures

Fig. 15. The distribution of Gyrohypnus angustatus, Creophilus maxillosus villosus, Cafius bistriatus, and Gabrius astutoides in Atlantic Canada. Note: Two sites from central Labrador (Goose Bay and Cartwright) are not shown on the map.