Sonoma squamishorum Chandler & Klimaszewski, 2009

McLean, John A., Klimaszewski, Jan, Chandler, Donald S., Savard, Karine & Li, Agnes, 2009, Survey of rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with new records and description of a new species. Part 2, ZooKeys 22 (22), pp. 19-33 : 22-25

Sonoma squamishorum Chandler & Klimaszewski , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F37A7963-89DD-4CDF-845A-65E8D702D712

Figs 3–6

Specimens examined. Holotype. Male. CANADA: British Columbia: Vancouver, Stanley Park, Merilees Trail , CWH (49 18΄40˝N, 123 09΄02˝W), V-22/ VI-27-2008, J.A. McLean & A. Li, funnel trap 1 ( CNC). Paratype female: same park, South Creek Trail , CWH (49 18΄03˝N, 123 08΄ 25˝W), VI-27/ VII-31-2008, J.A. McLean & A. Li, funnel trap 5 ( UNHC).

Etymology. Th is species is named in recognition of the Squamish aboriginal people who are known to have lived in this area of Vancouver. It took until 2008 for the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh, who traditionally used the land that is now Stanley Park, to be physically represented at the site. Th at has now been addressed with People Amongst the People, three gateways covered with designs in threes and multiples of three to represent the three aboriginal groups, a work created by Susan Point and her team of Musqueam carvers.

Diagnosis. Body small for Sonoma ; frontal sulcus of head Y-shaped; discal foveae deeply impressed and impressions continued posteriorly to antebasal sulcus. Males with gula prominent and setose; aedeagus with phallobase separated, parameres nearly symmetrical, penis simple.

Description. Length 1.68 – 1.76 mm. Body light orange-brown ( Fig. 6 ). Head about as long as wide; tempora broadly rounded and distinct; frontal sulcus deep, abruptly widened in apical half to nearly twice basal width, forming a thick “Y”, sulcus about as long as wide, base of sulcus even with midpoint of eyes; vertexal foveae distinct, posterior to point even with hind margin of eyes; eyes with about 60 facets in both sexes. Pronotum with each discal fovea at anterior margin of slightly converging impressions that extend to antebasal sulcus, median antebasal foveae distinct, nude; antebasal sulcus broad between lateral constrictions, narrow beyond constrictions to nude lateral antebasal foveae. Elytra half again as long as pronotum; foveal pattern 4–2–4 (four foveae in sutural stria, four in discal sulcus, and two faint foveae in longitudinal line between them, foveae diffi cult to see on dried specimens). Abdomen as long as elytra in dorsal view.

Males with posterior portion of gular area transversely projecting and densely setose. Legs lacking modifications. Abdomen with complete microsetigerous line near apex of visible tergite 1 (morphological segment 4). Visible sternites 4–5 progressively more strongly medially impressed, fifth visible sternite with prominent oblique and posteriorly directed acute projections at lateral third of sternite, projections strongly setose and extending posteriorly for short distance over anterior portion of sternite 6; sternite 6 with loose cluster of elongate spines to each side of middle ( Fig. 4 ). Aedeagus of general form of Sonoma grandiceps Casey ( Fig. 3 ); parameres with apical portions symmetrical, bases appearing slightly dissimilar, with coarse punctation on lateral portion of bases; penis elongate and of nearly even width in apical two-thirds, slightly asymmetrical.

Females with gula slightly convexly curved, lacking dense setae. Abdomen with sternite 6 symmetrical, apex broadly and shallowly curved, with small granulate raised area at middle slightly projecting posteriorly ( Fig. 5 ); sternite 7 flat and granulate ( Fig. 5 ).

Distribution. Only known from Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Collection and habitat data. Both specimens were collected with funnel traps, and so the preferred habitat of this species is unknown. However, this collecting technique is particularly effective in trapping species that are associated with downed, dead, or dying trees, and the suspected habitat is in rotting wood. Several species of this genus have a strong association with downed rotting logs and are found beneath loose bark or in logs that may be torn apart by hand ( Chandler 2003).

Comments. Sonoma squamishorum appears to be closest to S. grandiceps Casey, 1893 , known only from the type series taken in Santa Cruz, California in the late 1800’s, and S. tehamae Chandler, 2003 , known only from a single site in northern California. The males of these species share a strongly basally-constricted phallobase, nearly symmetrical parameres with a row of long setae, and a densely setose and prominent gula. Sonoma grandiceps is the most similar species based on aedeagal form and the prominent setose projections of the fifth abdominal sternite, and is separated from S. squamishorum by the slightly asymmetrical apices of the large curved spine of each paramere, and the lack of the coarse lateral punctation of the parameres found in S. squamishorum . Th e apical portion of the penis is slightly more asymmetrical in S. grandiceps , and S. tehamae has a much more asymmetrical penis, and lacks the apical curved spines of the parameres and the setose projections of abdominal sternite 5.

Figures

Figure 6. Sonoma squamishorum, dorsal view (holotype). Apical part of abdomen removed.

Figures 3–5. Sonoma squamishorum. Scale line equals 0.1 mm: 3 ventral view male genitalia 4 ventral view male sternite 6 5 ventral view female sternites 6–7.