Atheta (Pseudota) pseudoklagesi Klimaszewski & Webster

Klimaszewski, Jan, Langor, David W., Hammond, H. E. James & Bourdon, Caroline, 2016, A new species of Anomognathus and new Canadian and provincial records of aleocharine rove beetles from Alberta, Canada (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), ZooKeys 581, pp. 141-164 : 147

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Atheta (Pseudota) pseudoklagesi Klimaszewski & Webster Figs 13-20

Atheta (Pseudota) pseudoklagesi Klimaszewski & Webster (in Webster et al. 2016: 132)

Diagnosis.

This is a sibling species of Atheta klagesi Bernhauer and was frequenly confused with the latter in collections. It may be distinguished from Atheta klagesi by its slightly larger size, less glossy body, less intense yellowish colouration of spots on elytra, less intense yellowish colouration of legs, bases of antennae and maxillary palps and overall less contrasting body colour (Fig. 13); median lobe of aedeagus has longer tubus and slightly different shape of apex in lateral view (Fig. 14); spermatheca is very similarly shaped in the two species (Fig. 20), and females may be difficult to identify without accompanying males.

Distribution.

Natural history.

In New Brunswick, adults of this species were found in mature mixed forest, old-growth and old white spruce and balsam fir forests, a mature red spruce forest, and in a wet alder swamp ( Webster et al. 2016). Specimens were collected from coral fungi on Populus log, fleshy polypore fungi at base of a dead standing Populus , in decaying gilled mushrooms, in gilled mushrooms, and under bark of red spruce ( Webster et al. 2016). Adults were collected from May to September. The Alberta specimens were captured in July in a window-trap.

Comments.

This species is very likely broadly distributed in Canada and the northern USA, but the existing records for Atheta klagesi (except for type series) need to be revised because they may contain mixed series of Atheta klagesi and Atheta pseudoklagesi .