Leptusa (Adoxopisalia) opaca Casey, 1893

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2003, Revision of some types of North American aleocharines (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), with synonymic notes, Zootaxa 353 (1), pp. 1-134 : 118-119

Leptusa (Adoxopisalia) opaca Casey, 1893

(Figs. 750–754 in Pace 1989)

Leptusa opaca Casey, 1893: 364 .

Leptusa seminitens Casey, 1893: 364 .

Leptusa (s. str.) opaca: Fenyes, 1920: 123 (as valid species).

Leptusa (s. str.) seminitens: Fenyes, 1920: 123 (as synonym of Le. opaca ).

Leptusa (s. str.) opaca: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 555 (as valid species).

Leptusa (s. str.) seminitens: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 556 (as synonym of Le. opaca ).

Leptusa (Adoxopisalia) opaca: Pace, 1989: 130 (as valid species).

Leptusa (Adoxopisalia) seminitens: Pace, 1989: 130 (as synonym of Le. opaca ).

Type material. Lectotype of Leptusa opaca (designated by Pace (1989)): ♂, “Penn.[sylvania]”, “ Lept. opaca ”, “TYPE USNM 39579” (red label), “CASEY bequest 1925”, “ Leptusa opaca C. det. R. Pace 1981” ( NMNH); paralectotypes: 2♀♀, “Penn.[sylvania]”, “ opaca PARATYPE USNM 39579” (red label), “CASEY bequest 1925”, “ vidit R. Pace 1981” ( NMNH).

Lectotype of Leptusa seminitens (here designated): ♀, “N.[ew] Y.[ork]”, “ Lept. seminitens ”, “TYPE USNM 39578” (red label), “CASEY bequest 1925” ( NMNH);

Additional material. UNITED STATES: Arkansas: Crawford Co.: 3 specimens, 32 km NE Van Buren, Ozark National Forest , 35º39.30'N 94º06.19'W, 500 m, under bark, 16.x.1999 (V.I.Gusarov) ; Franklin Co.: ♀, 30 km N Ozark, Ozark National Forest , 35º45.32'N 93º48.77'W, 500 m, in forest litter, Quercus , 17.x.1999 (V.I.Gusarov) ( SPSU) ; Pennsylvania: Franklin Co.: ♂, ♀, Buena Vista Spring ( NMNH (Casey collection)) ; Rhode Island: ♀, Casey farm, Boston Neck, N Kingston ( NMNH (Casey collection)) ; Wisconsin: Bayfield Co.: ♀, Bayfield (Wickham) ( NMNH (Casey collection)) .

Diagnosis. See Pace (1989).

Discussion. My examination of the lectotypes of Le. opaca and Le. seminitens confirmed the synonymy of the two species established by Fenyes (1920).

Pace (1989) designated the lectotype of Le. opaca but failed to appropriately label any of the three syntypes present now in the Casey collection. These three syntypes include one male and two females. Since, in his revision, Pace (1989) indicated that the lectotype is a male, it seems reasonable to conclude that the male syntype represents the lectotype. I attached the lectotype label to this specimen.

Distribution. Leptusa opaca is known from Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Arkansas. The records from North Carolina ( Pace 1989) are based on a closely related undescribed species which will be described elsewhere. The records from Georgia ( Pace 1989) need to be reconfirmed.