Atheta (Thinobaena) pseudovestita Klimaszewski & Langor

Klimaszewski, Jan, Langor, David W., Bourdon, Caroline, Gilbert, Amelie & Labrecque, Myriam, 2016, Two new species and new provincial records of aleocharine rove beetles from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), ZooKeys 593, pp. 49-89 : 60-61

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Atheta (Thinobaena) pseudovestita Klimaszewski & Langor sp. n. Figs 69-76

Holotype

(female). Canada, Newfoundland, St. Teresa, 48.3976°N, 58.6201°W, 2 m altitude, 26-VI-2011, under detritus upper beach, D. Langor & G. Pohl (LFC).

Paratypes.

Canada, Newfoundland: Cape Broyle, 47.0954°N, 52.9525°W, 2 m altitude, 23-VI-2011, in vegetation and gravel on river bank, D. Langor & G. Pohl (MUN) 1 female; Cheeseman Provincial Park, 47.625°N, 59.271°W, 4 m altitude, 23-VI-2011, under beach detritus, D. Langor & G. Pohl (MUN) 1 female; Same data as before except: 47.633°N, 59.255°W, 27-VII-2011, treading marsh shore (LFC) 1 male; same data as before except: 2 m altitude, in detritus along seashore (LFC, MUN) 2 males; Searston, 47.828°N, 59.329°W, 7 m altitude, 23-VI-2011, under seaweed on sandy beach, D. Langor & G. Pohl (MUN) 1 male; Stephenville Crossing, 48.513°N, 58.454°W, 3 m, 22-VI-2011, D. Langor & G. Pohl (LFC, MUN) 2 males, 2 females.

Etymology.

Pseudovestita is a Latin adjective derived from the specific name of a very similar, adventive Palaearctic species occurring in Newfoundland - Atheta vestita (Gravenhorst) and the prefix pseudo meaning false.

Diagnosis.

Body length 3.5-3.9 mm; body moderately narrow (Fig. 69); head, antennal articles III-XI, pronotum, base of elytra, and abdomen dark brown, but legs and posterior part of elytra paler, yellowish to rust-brown; integument moderately glossy (more so than in Atheta vestita ), sparsely punctate and pubescent, pubescence short and adhering to the body, with dense meshed microsculpture, denser on forebody, sculpticells hexagonal; head round, about as wide and as long as pronotum, with eyes shorter than postocular area; antennae with articles I-V elongate and VI-X subquadrate to slightly transverse (Fig. 69); pronotum margined laterally, trapezoidal in form in dorsal view, narrowest at base, widening apically to about apical third and then abruptly narrowed apically, slightly transverse, much narrower at base than elytra; elytra flattened, slightly longer than pronotum; abdomen broad, slightly swollen medially. MALE. Median lobe of aedeagus with narrowly oval bulbus streamlined with tubus in dorsal view (Fig. 71); in lateral view tubus arcuate ventrally and with broadly triangular apex (Fig. 70); internal sac structures not pronounced (Figs 70, 71); tergite VIII truncate apically and without teeth (Fig. 72); sternite VIII elongate, broadly rounded apically (Fig. 73). FEMALE. Tergite VIII broadly rounded apically (Fig. 74); sternite VIII truncate apically and slightly emarginated medially (Fig. 75); spermatheca with short capsule bearing wide and relatively deep apical invagination, stem sinuate, bent subapically and sinuate at apex (Fig. 76).

Distribution.

Known only from Newfoundland, Canada.

Bionomics.

This species was found in Newfoundland under detritus along seashore, under seaweed on sandy beaches, in vegetation and gravel on riverbanks, and on the edge of a marsh very close to a shoreline. Adults were collected in June.

Comments.

This species is very similar externally to a Palaearctic adventive species found in NB, NS and NF. Both species may be mixed up in collections. Atheta pseudovesita may be distinguished from Atheta vestita by the following combination of characters: body distinctly more glossy, colouration darker and predominantly dark brown (light brown in Atheta vestita ), pubescence on forebody sparser and punctation more distinct, tergites and sternites VIII similar in both species, median lobe of aedeagus narrowly elongate apically in Atheta vestita (Fig. 304b in Klimaszewski et al. 2011) and broadly triangular in Atheta pseudovestita (Fig. 62); spermatheca of a completely different form, with stem bent and subparallel at 2/3 of its length and with slightly twisted subapical section (Fig. 68), while spermatheca is S-shaped in Atheta vestita (Fig. 304c in Klimaszewski et al. 2011). Apparently the two species represent sibling species. For distribution, description and illustrations of Atheta vestita , see Klimaszewski et al. 2007, 2011.