Thamiaraea claydeni Klimaszewski & Webster

Webster, Reginald P., Klimaszewski, Jan, Bourdon, Caroline, Sweeney, Jon D., Hughes, Cory C. & Labrecque, Myriam, 2016, Further contributions to the Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) fauna of New Brunswick and Canada including descriptions of 27 new species, ZooKeys 573, pp. 85-216 : 146-149

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Thamiaraea claydeni Klimaszewski & Webster sp. n. Figs 310-316

Holotype (male).

Canada, New Brunswick, Queens Co., Jemseg, 45.8412°N, 66.1195°W, 21.VIII-7.IX.2012, C. Hughes & K. Van Rooyen // hardwood woodland near seasonally flooded marsh, Lindgren funnel trap in canopy of Quercus macrocarpa (LFC). Paratypes: Canada, New Brunswick, Queens Co., Jemseg, 45.8412°N, 66.1195°W, 2-14.V.2012, C. Hughes & R. Webster // hardwood woodland near seasonally flooded marsh, Lindgren funnel trap 1 m under Quercus macrocarpa (1 ♂, RWC); Grand Lake meadows P.N.A., 45.8227°N, 66.1209°W, 31.V-15.VI.2010, R. Webster & C. MacKay, coll. // Old silver maple forest with green ash and seasonally flooded marsh, Lindgren funnel trap (1 ♀, LFC); same data but 15-31.V.2010 (1 ♂, 1 ♀, RWC); same data but 29.VI-12.VII.2010, R. Webster, C. MacKay, M. Laity & R. Johns, coll. (1 ♂, RWC). Sunbury Co., Burton, Sunpoke Lake, 45.7665°N, 66.5545°W, 15.V.2004, R.P. Webster, coll. // Old maple forest, in leaf litter (1 ♂, RWC). York Co., Fredericton, at Saint John River, 45.9588°N, 66.6254°W, 22.VIII.2006, R.P. Webster, coll. // River margin, in decaying (moist) grass (1 ♀, RWC); 8.5 km W of Tracy, off Rt. 645, 45.6821°N, 66.7894°W, 6.V.2008, R.P. Webster, coll. // wet alder swamp, in leaf litter & grass on hummocks (1 ♂, RWC).

Etymology.

Named for Dr. Stephen Clayden, Curator and Head, Botany and Mycology Section of the New Brunswick Museum, whose collaboration in a joint project studying Coleoptera and lichens in old-growth eastern white cedar forests in NB resulted in the discovery of a number of new species.

Description.

Body length 2.5-2.7 mm, narrowly subparallel, uniformly dark piceous brown except posterior part of elytra near suture and basal tergal impressions slightly paler, legs, maxillary palpi and bases of antennae light yellowish brown (Fig. 310); integument glossy with meshed microsculpture, pubescence short, dense on pronotum and elytra and sparse on head and abdomen; head narrower than pronotum and elytra, approximately round, tempora about as long as eye seen from above; antennae with articles V–X slightly to strongly transverse; pronotum transverse, margined laterally and basally, narrower than elytra, obtusely angular posterolaterally, broadest at middle of its length, pubescence directed lateroposteriad forming arcuate lines; elytra moderately short, moderately transverse, subparallel, hind margin straight laterally, inwardly arcuate toward suture, pubescence directed obliquely posteriad; abdomen parallel-sided, three basal tergites strongly impressed basally. Male. Median lobe of aedeagus with large bulbus and short tubus, venter of tubus with tooth medially, apex narrow, produced ventrally in lateral view, sclerites of internal sac not pronounced except for strong apical folds (Fig. 311); apical margin of tergite VIII emarginate, with two spine-like lateral teeth and two diverging, more rounded ones at middle (Fig. 312); sternite VIII rounded apically (Fig. 313). Female. Tergite VIII truncate apically (Fig. 314); sternite VIII broadly rounded apically (Fig. 315); spermatheca S-shaped, with broad, spherical capsule, and short, broad, sinuate stem (Fig. 316).

Distribution.

Known only from NB, Canada.

Natural history.

This species occurs in very similar habitats to Thamiaraea corverae ; in silver maple and maple forests near seasonally flooded marshes, a river margin, and in a wet alder swamp. Adults were found in moist leaf litter and moist decaying grass along a river margin. Other specimens were captured in Lindgren funnel traps. Adults were collected from May to September.