Lasconotus subcostulatus Kraus, 1912

Pentinsaari, Mikko, Anderson, Robert, Borowiec, Lech, Bouchard, Patrice, Brunke, Adam, Douglas, Hume, Smith, Andrew B. T. & Hebert, Paul D. N., 2019, DNA barcodes reveal 63 overlooked species of Canadian beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera), ZooKeys 894, pp. 53-150 : 53

Lasconotus subcostulatus Kraus, 1912

Distribution.

Native to the Nearctic region. Previously known from California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, South Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska in the United States ( Lord et al. 2011-2013).

Canadian records

(DNA barcoded specimen). Saskatchewan: Grasslands National Park 21-May-2014 to 29-May-2014 (1 ex, CBG).

Additional Canadian records.

British Columbia: Aspen Grove, 20-Oct-1936 (5 exx, CNC); Merritt, 04-Jun-1922 (1 ex, CNC); Merritt, 08-Jun-1922 (2 exx, CNC); Merritt, 09-Jun-1922 (6 exx, CNC); Merritt, 10-Jun-1922 (1 ex, CNC); Merritt, 15-Jun-1922 (2 exx, CNC); Merritt, 18-Jun-1922 (1 ex, CNC); Merritt, 14-Sep-1923 (1 ex, CNC); Merritt, 03-Jun-1924 (1 ex, CNC); Merritt, 13-May-1925 (1 ex, CNC); Merritt, 25-Jul-1925 (1 ex, CNC); Olivier, 24-May-1958 (1 ex, CNC); Olivier, 12-Jun-1958 (10 exx, CNC); Olivier, 14-Jun-1958 (6 exx, CNC); Peachland, 19-Jul-1912 (1 ex, CNC); Peachland, 13-Jul-1919 (1 ex, CNC); Summerland, 25-Mar-1932 (16 exx, CNC); Summerland, 24-Sep-1932 (5 exx, CNC); Summerland, 7-Oct-1932 (1 ex, CNC); Summerland, 10-Oct-1932 (116 exx, CNC); Summerland, 11-Oct-1932 (5 exx, CNC); Summerland, 11-Nov-1932 (51 exx, CNC); Exact locality unknown, Sep-1923 (1 ex, CNC). Saskatchewan: Crane Valley, 06-Oct-1914 (1 ex, CNC). Manitoba: Aweme, 25-Jul-1919 (5 exx, CNC); Aweme, 31-Oct-1921 (1 ex, CNC); Onah, 24-Jul-1919 (5 exx, CNC).

Diagnostic information

(based on Stephan 1989 and Lord et al. 2011-2013). Body length 2.5-2.8 mm. Pronotum with a central concave area covering 1/3 to 1/2 total width of pronotum, concave area bordered laterally by longitudinal raised ridges. Pronotum carinate anteriorly with double “U” shaped anterior margin. Elytral interstriae 5 more raised than other interstriae, forming a median concave area of the elytra typically on posterior half only. See Lord et al. (2011-2013) for a habitus photograph.

Bionomic notes.

Hackwell (1973) reported that this species is associated with galleries of several species of bark beetles where it feeds on both fungi and bark beetles during larval development. Many of the CNC specimens were collected from pine trees ( Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon, P. monticola Douglas ex D.Don, P. ponderosa Douglas ex C.Lawson). The DNA barcoded Canadian specimen was collected with a Malaise trap in a grassland.

Comments.

The single DNA barcoded specimen from Saskatchewan (the only member of its BIN, with no closely clustered neighbors) was compared with specimens of this little-studied genus in the CNC. The identification of this specimen using data in Lord et al. (2011-2013) led to the further identification of several other Canadian specimens from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Examination of specimens collected 100 years ago in three provinces suggests that this species has long been part of the Canadian fauna.