Tachyusa cavicollis LeConte, 1863

Pa ṡnik, Grzegorz, 2006, A revision of the World species of the genus Tachyusa Erichson, 1837 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 1146, pp. 1-152 : 128-130

Tachyusa cavicollis LeConte, 1863 ( Figs. 132–134)

Tachyusa cavicollis LeConte, 1863: 29 .

Tachyusa carolinae Casey, 1906: 207 .

Tachyusa cavicollis: Casey, 1906: 208 .

Tachyusa (s. str.) cavicollis: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 584 (as valid species).

Tachyusa (s. str.) carolinae: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 584 (as synonym of T. cavicollis )

Type material. Tachyusa cavicollis LeConte. Holotype: ♂: Mem., cavicollis Lec. , Type 6245 ( MCZ).

Tachyusa carolinae Casey. Lectotype (here designated): ♀: North Carolina, Asheville, type USNM 38945 ( USNM). Paralectotypes: 2♂♂ and ♀: North Carolina, Asheville , type USNM 38945 ( USNM).

Additional material. CANADA. British Columbia: 13 mi W Osoyoos , 5.VI.1968, Campbell & Smetana, 2 exx ( CNC) ; 1 ex ( ISEA). UNITED STATES. Arkansas: Crawford Co., 6–15 mi SSE Winslow (Washington Co.), Bayou Creek , 26.V.1987, L. Herman, 4 exx ( AMNH) ; 1 ex ( ISEA); Franklin Co., Shores Lake, Ozark National Forest , 19.V.1986, J.M. Campbell, 1 ex ( ISEA) . Florida: Suwanee Co., Suwanee River State Park , 15.VI.1981, S. Peck, 1 ex ( CNC) . Illinois: Homer , 7.IX.1907, 2 exx ( CAS) ; Livingston Co., W Cornell, Wagner Farm , 25.VII.1967, 9 exx ( MCZ) . Indiana: Allen Co., Fort Wayne, St. Mary's River , 3.VIII.1964, J. & W. Ivie, 1 ex ( AMNH) ; Parke Co., 8,5 mi N Rockville, Sugar Creek , 4.VIII.1977, L. & N. Herman, 1 ex ( AMNH) ; Tippecanoe Co., 15.V.1971, N.M. Downie, 1 ex ( FMNH) . Kansas: Douglas Co., 7.2 km S Lawrence , 19.V.1992, Ashe, 1 ex ( SEMC) ; Leavenworth Co., VII.1937, Blackwelder, 1 ex ( AMNH) . Louisiana: Calcasieu Pa. , 4 mi W Starks, 19.IV.1976, Smetana, 1 ex ( CNC) . Maine: Belfast , 15.VIII.1936, J.W. Green, 1 ex ( FMNH) . Maryland: Baltimore , 10.VI.1909, F.E. Blaisdel, 5 exx ( CAS) ; Baltimore , 1.VI.1909, F.E. Blaisdel, 1 ex ( CAS) ; 4.VI.1909, 1 ex ( CAS) ; 5.VI.1909, 1 ex ( CAS) ; VII.1922, 1 ex ( CAS) ; 1932, 1 ex ( FMNH). Massachusetts: Blanchard , 1 ex ( FMNH) . Nebraska: Butler County, Platte River , 14 mi E Wahoo, 21.VI.1968, along edge of drying pools, L. Herman, 1 ex ( AMNH) . New Hampshire: Manchester , 3.VII.1935, J.W. Green, 1 ex ( CAS) . New Jersey: Philipsburg , 25.VII.1915, J.W. Green, 3 exx ( CAS) ; 11.VII.1934, J.W. Green, 4 exx ( CAS) ; Rahway, Siepmann , 1 ex ( AMNH) . New Mexico: Taos Co., Rio Grande State Park , 20.VI.1983, 1 ex ( CNC) . North Carolina: Guilford Co., 3.2 mi N Greensboro , 5.VIII.1991, Ashe, 1 ex ( SEMC) . Ohio: Frank Co., 2 mi NE Columbus , 27.VII.1975, Lewafrous, 1 ex ( MCZ) ; 5.IX.1975, 1 ex ( MCZ) ; Hocking Co., 7 mi S Lancaster , 31.V.1975, L. E. Watrous, 2 exx ( MCZ) ; Muskingum Co., 5 mi SE Zanesville, Muskingum River , 23.IX.1970, L. Herman, 1 ex ( AMNH) . Pennsylvania: Belfast , 9.VIII.1936, J.W. Green, 2 exx ( CAS) ; 15.VIII.1936, 5 exx ( CAS) ; Easton , 1.VIII.1933, 1 ex ( CAS) ; 21.VII.1934, 2 exx ( CAS) ; Monroe Co., Delaware Water Gap, Delaware River , 29.VI.1971, L. Herman, 1 ex ( AMNH) ; Wind Gap , 25.VI.1932, J.W. Green, 1 ex ( CAS) . South Dakota: Pennington Co., 5–7 mi SSW Hill City, Spring Creek , 5550 ft., 16.VI.1981, L. Herman, 1 ex ( ISEA) . Texas: Brazos Co., College Station , 13.VI.1974, Ashe, 2 exx ( SEMC) ; 22.VI.1975, Ashe, 1 ex ( SEMC) ; Brazos Co., Navasota River , 8.X.1974, Ashe, along mud shore, 4 exx ( SEMC) . Vermont: Royalton , 4.VI.1985, E. Kiteley, 2 exx ( CNC) . Virginia: Fredricksburg , 21.VII.1991, 1 ex ( USNM) ; Penington Gap. , 1 ex ( USNM) . Wyoming: Sheridan Co., 0.7 mi W Leiter, Clear Creek , 3750 ft., 26.VII.1978, L. & N. Herman, 1 ex ( AMNH) .

Redescription. Body. Length 2.7–3.0 mm, convex, parallel­sided, glossy; head pitchy brown to black, pronotum brownish red, elytra brown with posterior margin yellow, abdomen black with three basal tergites red, legs and antennae yellow to red.

Head quadrate, flattened dorsally, broadly and moderately deeply impressed medially in male and without impression in female; eyes large, moderately protruding from lateral contours of head, length of each seen from above subequal to that of postocular region; surface of head with distinct isodiametric mesh microsculpture in male and without microsculpture in female; puncturation fine and moderately dense. Antennae long, clearly increasing in width apically, antennomere 3 shorter than 2, antennomeres 4–9 longer than wide, antennomere 10 quadrate, antennomere 11 nearly conical.

Pronotum transverse, lateral sides gradually narrowed in straight line to obtuse hind angles; before base with small and shallow transverse impression; broadly and deeply impressed medially in male and without impression in female; surface with strong isodiametric mesh microsculpture in male and without microsculpture in female; puncturation fine, moderately dense and asperate; pubescence at midline directed posteriorly.

Elytra quadrate, at suture as long as pronotal length at midline; surface lacking microsculpture; puncturation fine, dense and asperate.

Abdomen parallel­sided, bases of tergites 3–5 each with deep transverse impression, impressions with 7–8 longitudinal ridges and distinct median carina, tergal puncturation fine and dense, punctures small and well visible, surface without microsculpture.

Male. Aedeagus as in Figs. 132–133.

Female. Spermatheca as in Fig. 134.

Taxonomic notes. A comparison between the types, showed that Tachyusa cavicollis LeConte is conspecific with Tachyusa carolinae Casey. Tachyusa carolinae is here considered a junior synonym of T. cavicollis .

Remarks. Tachyusa cavicollis is similar to T. obsoleta , from which it can be distinguished by the stouter body, the paler pronotum, the male pronotum more strongly impressed medially, and particularly by the shape of genitalia.

Distribution. Tachyusa cavicollis is widely distributed throughout North America.