Parocyusa rubicunda (Erichson, 1837)

Brunke, Adam J., Pentinsaari, Mikko & Klimaszewski, Jan, 2021, Integrative taxonomy of Nearctic and Palaearctic Aleocharinae: new species, synonymies, and records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 1041, pp. 27-99 : 27

Parocyusa rubicunda (Erichson, 1837) Fig. 6A-D

Tachyusa rubicunda Erichson, 1837

Chilopora americana Casey, 1906, syn. nov.

Tetralaucopora americana : Klimaszewski et al. 2018 (as valid species)

Parocyusa americana : Assing 2021 (possible synonym of P. rubicunda )

Material

(DNA barcoded specimens). Austria: Innervillgraten, Arntal , 46.8362, 12.3348, 1580 m, 22.VIII.2010, F. Koehler and J. Koehler (2, ZSM) . Canada: Ontario: Northumberland County, Peter's Woods Protected Natural Area , 44.124, -78.039, under rock in streambed, 12.IX.2011, A. Brunke and S. Paiero (1, DEBU); Crieff Bog, 3 km W Puslinch, sedge meadow, 26.VI.1987, D. Blades (1, DEBU) . United States: Connecticut: East Hartford, Two Rivers Magnet Middle School , 41.757, -72.655, 4.VI.2005, J. DeWaard (1, CBG) .

Additional non-barcoded material.

Canada: Ontario: Ancaster, 21.X.1967 (1, CNC); Rondeau Prov. Pk., Tulip Tree Trail, Carex and moss on logs in pond, 5.VI.1985, A. Davies and J.M. Campbell (1, CNC) ; Quebec: Montreal, 20.IX.1969, E.J. Kiteley, 1 (CNC); Mt. Orford Park , 20.IX.-11.X.1972, Dondale and Redner, 1 (CNC) .

Distribution.

Origin: West Palaearctic (adventive in North America). Canada: BC, ON, QC, NB, NF. United States: CT, NY, PA.

Bionomics.

In North America, most specimens of this species have been collected from near water, including a sandy creek bank, in a dried streambed and in moss near the splash zone of a waterfall ( Klimaszewski et al. 2018). Nearctic populations of this species are only known from female specimens and the species may be parthenogenetic in North America. In its native distribution, the northern and northwestern populations are also parthenogenetic ( Assing 2021) and most likely represent the source population for the Nearctic introduction.

Comments.

Parocyusa rubicunda is a widespread West Palaearctic species (Europe, European Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) ( Assing 2021). It is confirmed as established in the Nearctic region and had been previously known from North America under the synonym Tetralaucopora americana (Casey) ( Klimaszewski et al. 2018). Assing (2021) recently reported this species from BC and treated T. americana as a tentative synonym based on the results presented in this paper.

Although all available sequences of this species are partial (382-407 bp) and a BIN has not been established as that would require at least one founding member with a minimum sequence length of 500 bp, Nearctic and Palaearctic sequences form a distinct cluster with only a single variable nucleotide site. External morphology and that of the spermatheca are identical. As spermathecae are of generally poor diagnostic value (especially the distal part) in Parocyusa ( Assing 2021), the barcode evidence was quite critical for the resolution of this issue. Based on this evidence and a distribution centered around populated areas in northeastern and western North America, we here consider this species to be adventive in the Nearctic region. At the moment, it is not yet possible to determine whether the population in BC is a separate introduction from the northeastern population.

Recently, Assing (2021) revalidated Parocyusa as a genus separate from Tectusa after the discovery that Tectusa was not a monophyletic group. The type species of Parocyusa was found to be congeneric with that of Tetralaucopora , and the latter became a junior synonym of the former.

Tribe Tachyusini C.G. Thomson

Figures

Figure 6. Parocyusa rubicunda (Erichson) A habitus B spermatheca C female tergite VIII D female sternite VIII. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 0.2 mm (B-D). Illustrations after Klimaszewski et al. (2016 c).