A REVISION OF THE GENUSTACHYPORUSGRAVENHORST (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE) OF NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Abstract

The 35 species of the genus Tachyporus Gravenhorst (Staphylindae: Tachyporinae) of North and Central America are revised. Eighteen new species are described: neomexicanus, fenyesi, and howdenorum from the southwestern United States; sharpi from Mexico and the western United States; blomae from Mexico; nigripennis from California; dimorphus, pacificus, and stacesmithi from the Pacific northwest; rulomoides and browni from southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States; and borealis, canadensis, nimbicola, inornatus, ornatus, lecontei, and flavipennis, which are transcontinental in the United States and Canada. Two European species are reported for the first time from North America: abdominalis (Fabricius) and transversalis Gravenhorst. The following new specific synonymy is proposed: tehamae Blackwelder (= californicus Horn); temacus Blackwelder, oregonus Blackwelder, and alleni Blackwelder (= mexicanus Sharp); and acaudus Say, maculipennis LeConte, and chrysomelinus var. infuscatus Bernhauer (= jocosus Say). The genus is divided into 2 subgenera of which Palporus (type species Staphylinus nitidulus Fabricius) is described as new. The subgenus Tachyporus is divided into 12 species groups. Each species is described and its distribution is mapped. The male aedeagus and the pattern of elytral chaetotaxy are illustrated for each species. Major generic characters are illustrated with the aid of scanning electron photomicrographs. Neotypes are designated for the Say species faber, jocosus, and acaudus and lectotypes are designated (when needed) for the North and Central American species described by Erichson, LeConte, Horn, Sharp, and Blatchley and for a variety described by Bernhauer. A diagnostic key for all the species is given.

Tachyporus nitidulus (Fabricius, 1781) (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Tachyporinae): first record from the state of Florida, USA

“…1) (Campbell 1979). The typical habitat of T. nitidulus is moist areas like leaf litter or decaying wood (Campbell 1979), and the presence of the specimen reported here in a rural yard is congruent with 1 previous study noting the species in suburban lawns in Kentucky, USA (Cockfield and Potter 1984). Given that the species has been recorded from Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina, and now Florida, it is likely also present in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia.…”

“…The new record is approximately 500 km from the nearest previous record (Fig. 1) (Campbell 1979). The typical habitat of T. nitidulus is moist areas like leaf litter or decaying wood (Campbell 1979), and the presence of the specimen reported here in a rural yard is congruent with 1 previous study noting the species in suburban lawns in Kentucky, USA (Cockfield and Potter 1984).…”

“…1) Identification. Identification was performed according to Campbell (1979) and confirmed by Dr J. Howard Frank…”

“…This predatory species is considered adventive to the Nearctic (Majka and Klimaszewski 2008), where it was first recorded from Indiana, USA by Say (1834). Despite its now extensive distribution, T. nitidulus has never been recorded from the state of Florida, USA (Campbell 1979;Peck and Thomas 1998). Here, we present the first record of the species in the state of Florida based on a single adult female from Glen Saint Mary, Baker County, Florida, USA.…”

“…Campbell (1979) subsequently revised the Tachyporus of North and Central America, including comprehensive distribution summaries. One of the widest distributed species, Tachyporus nitidulus (Fabricius, 1781), was recorded in much of the United States and Canada, with a single specimen tentatively recorded from Mexico.…”