Oligota parva Kraatz, 1858, 1862

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 : 122-123

Oligota parva Kraatz, 1858

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: Kings Co.: Launching, 26.VIII.2003, C.G. Majka, ocean beach: under coastline drift at the top of the littoral zone, (4, CGMC).

Oligota parva ( Fig. 2 ) is newly recorded in Canada ( Fig. 12 ). It has been previously recorded from California, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Texas (Moore and Legner 1975). It has been introduced to the western Palearctic and northern Africa and is now widespread there ( Horion 1967; Smetana 2004). It is found in compost, on dung, in fermenting materials, in old hay and grass, and in other decomposing situations ( Horion 1967). The ecology of Oligota species are not well known, however, at least some species prey on mites ( Frank et al. 1992). While O. parva has not previously been reported as a beach drift species, all the specimens collected on Prince Edward Island were found in this habitat. One European species, Oligota pusillima Gravenhorst, 1806 has been recorded in decaying seaweed ( Fowler 1888; Moore and Legner 1975).

Other characteristic beach drift species collected together with O. parva at Launching (PEI), include Atheta acadiensis , Strigota ambigua (see below) [ Staphylinidae ], Hypocaccus fraternus (Say, 1825) [ Histeridae ], Monotoma producta LeConte, 1855 [ Monotomidae ], and Blapstinus metallicus (Fabricius, 1801) [ Tenebrionidae ].

Figures

Figs 1-4. Dorsal habitus: Fig. 1, Acrotona avia; Fig. 2, Oligota parva; Fig. 3, Strigota ambigua; Fig. 4, Myrmecopora vaga.

Fig. 12. The distribution of Micralymma marinum, Aleochara litoralis, Oligota parva, Acrotona avia, and Strigota ambigua in Atlantic Canada.