(Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of South Carolina, Based on Published Records
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The Coleopterists Bulletin, 71(3): 513–527. 2017. ACHECKLIST OF THE ROVE BEETLES (COLEOPTERA:STAPHYLINIDAE) OF SOUTH CAROLINA,BASED ON PUBLISHED RECORDS MICHAEL S. CATERINO AND MICHAEL L. FERRO Clemson University Arthropod Collection Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences 277 Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson University Clemson, SC 29634-0310, USA mcateri@clemson.edu, spongymesophyll@gmail.com ABSTRACT A review of the literature revealed 17 subfamilies and 355 species of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) reported from South Carolina. Updated nomenclature and references are provided for all species. The goal of this list is to set a baseline for improvement of our knowledge of the state’s staphylinid fauna, as well as to goad ourselves and others into creating new, or updating existing, regional faunal lists of the world’s most speciose beetle family. Key Words: checklist, regional fauna, biodiversity, Nearctic DOI.org/10.1649/0010-065X-71.3.513 Staphylinidae, the rove beetles, are a megadiverse South Carolina is a rather small, yet diverse state, family of beetles containing more than 62,000 de- ranging from low-lying coastal habitats through a scribed species worldwide. The family is found in variety of mid-elevation communities to montane virtually all terrestrial habitats except in the extreme areas encompassing some of the diversity of higher polar regions. It is the most diverse family across all Appalachia. The easternmost portion of the state is animal groups. Within the Nearctic region (non- within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, a recently rec- tropical North America), about 4,500 species are ognized biodiversity hotspot (Noss 2016) that in- known (Newton et al. 2000). While some subgroups cludes coastal strand, sandhills, cypress swamps, are reasonably well known in North America (e.g., and carnivorous plant bogs. The center of the state subtribe Philonthina; Smetana 1995), the Staphylinidae, consists of the rolling hills of the Southern Piedmont even within this area, suffer from the full spectrum of with a long history of intensive agricultural use. The taxonomic inadequacies: poorly defined taxonomic Blue Ridge Mountain region in the westernmost boundaries at numerous levels from subfamily to portion of the state also hosts high diversity and species; undescribed species; inadequately described endemism (Morse et al. 1997; Jackson et al. 2009). species; nomenclatural issues; lack of any or updated The state has a reasonably strong history of study keys; poor distributional knowledge; unknown/ on its beetle fauna, thanks initially to Vernon Kirk’s poorly known immature stages; and poor knowl- (1969, 1970) South Carolina checklists, and a strong edge of natural history even at the generic level. New foundation of collections to support continuing species are regularly described in revisions of some work. This foundation has grown considerably of the smaller-bodied, litter-inhabiting groups like through several recent contributions in the ‘Biota of Pselaphinae, Scydmaeninae, and Aleocharinae. For South Carolina’ series, in which the ground beetles example, pulling only from unidentified material in (Ciegler 2000), scarab beetles (Harpootlian 2001), one supertribe in one museum, Owens and Carlton aquatic beetles (Ciegler 2003), leaf beetles (Ciegler (2016b) discovered nine undescribed species of 2007), weevils (Ciegler 2010), jewel beetles eastern USA Euplectitae (Pselaphinae). (Harpootlian and Bellamy 2014), and tenebrionoid At a regional level, rove beetle diversity is poorly beetles (Ciegler 2014) have all been thoroughly documented due to a combination of insufficient treated. At the same time, the state is woefully survey work and difficulty of identification. Only a under-collected, as revealed by the large numbers of handful of checklists exists at the state or other species reported from immediately across the bor- substantial regional levels (see Discussion for de- ders of neighboring states, yet undocumented for tails). As part of a larger goal to improve the status South Carolina. of beetle faunistics in the southeastern USA, we are We hope that the work presented here will spur compiling available literature to establish baselines further survey work on the South Carolina beetle on which to build. Here we present an initial checklist fauna, particularly the staphylinids and other more based on published literature for Staphylinidae in cryptic groups, and on the southeastern insect fauna South Carolina. in general. The Atlantic Coastal Plain’s recent 513 514 THE COLEOPTERISTS BULLETIN 71(3), 2017 recognition as a biodiversity hotspot lends further Anthobium sordidum (Erichson); Kirk 1970. urgency to better documenting the regional insect Arpedium schwarzi Fauvel; Kirk 1970; Campbell fauna, if entomological data are to play any sig- 1984. nificant role in regional conservation work. Geodromicus brunneus (Say); Kirk 1970. Geodromicus strictus Fauvel; Kirk 1970. Coryphiini Jacobson MATERIAL AND METHODS Ephelinus guttatus (LeConte); Campbell 1978. The core of this work is based on the staphylinid Ephelinus notatus (LeConte); Herman 2001. records reported in Kirk’s two South Carolina PROTEININAE Erichson checklists. Together, the northern coastal plain (Kirk Proteinini Erichson 1969) and upstate and southern coastal plain (Kirk Megarthrus americanus Sachse; Kirk 1969, 1970) checklists reported 240 species of Staphylinidae 1970; Cuccodoro and L¨obl 1996. from the state (including what were then the fami- MICROPEPLINAE Leach lies Pselaphidae, Scydmaenidae, and Scaphidiidae, Micropeplus sculptus LeConte; Campbell 1968. now all subfamilies within Staphylinidae; Grebennikov and Newton 2009). Kirk’s works included species DASYCERINAE Reitter known personally to occur in the state, species Dasycerus carolinensis Horn;L¨obl and Calame found within regional collections (mainly, but not 1996. exclusively, the Clemson University Arthropod PSELAPHINAE Latreille Collection), and some additional species reported Faronitae Reitter to occur in South Carolina in literature published Sonoma tishechkini Ferro and Carlton; Ferro up to that time. To bring his checklist up to date, we and Carlton 2010. scoured all more recent revisionary literature for additional reports of species from South Carolina Euplectitae LeConte (adding about 120 species), updated Kirk’sno- Trogastrini Jeannel menclature, and assessed the likelihood of reports Conoplectus canliculatus (LeConte); Kirk 1969, for some species whose initial reports had been 1970. questionable. - Reported as Rhexidius canaliculatus in Kirk The checklist is presented with little further (1969, 1970). elaboration. The reference or references citing the Euboarhexius perscitus (Fletcher); Chandler species from South Carolina are indicated. Where 1997. groups have been revised subsequent to Kirk’s Euplectini LeConte works, we have added recent confirming records, to Euplectus confluens LeConte; Chandler 1997. ensure that changing species concepts have not Euplectus longicollis Casey; Kirk 1969; voided earlier records. In a few cases, the only Chandler 1997. known records remain questionable or require some Leptoplectus pertenuis (Casey); Chandler 1997. further interpretation. Such notes are indented Pycnoplectus difficilis (LeConte); Kirk 1970. following a species name. - Reported as Euplectus difficilis in Kirk (1969, 1970). CHECKLIST OF THE STAPHYLINIDAE Pycnoplectus sexualis (Casey); Kirk 1970. OF SOUTH CAROLINA - Reported as Euplectus sexualis in Kirk (1969, 1970). OMALIINAE MacLeay Mayetiini Winkler Omaliini MacLeay Mayetia pearsei Schuster, Marsh, and Park; Omalium caesum Gravenhorst; Kirk 1970. Carlton and Robison 1996. Omalium foraminosum Maklin; Kirk 1970. Omalium fractum Fauvel; Kirk 1969. Metopiasini Raffray Omalium quadripenne Casey; Kirk 1970. Rhinoscepsis bistriatus LeConte; Chandler 1997. Omalium repandum Erichson; Kirk 1970. Trichonychini Reitter Omalium rivulare (Paykull); Kirk 1970. Actiastes globifer (LeConte); Kirk 1970; Chandler Eusphalerini Hatch 1997. Eusphalerum horni (Fauvel); Kirk 1969; - Reported as Actium globifer in Kirk (1969, Zanetti 2014. 1970). Bibloplectus leviceps (Casey); Chandler 1997. Anthophagini Thomson Bibloplectus ruficeps (Motschulsky); Chandler Acidota crenata (Fabricius); Kirk 1969. 1997. THE COLEOPTERISTS BULLETIN 71(3), 2017 515 Dalmosanus mollyae (Park); Chandler 1997. Batrisodes schaefferi Park; Chandler 1997. - Reported as Pygmactium mollyae in Chandler Batrisodes schmitti (Casey); Chandler 1997. (1997). Batrisodes uncicornis (Casey); Kirk 1969. Dalmosanus steevesi (Schuster and Grigarick); Batrisodes virginiae (Casey); Kirk 1970. Chandler 1997. Amauropini Jennel - Reported as Pygmactium steevesi in Chandler Arianops carteri Carlton; Carlton 2008. (1997). Eutyphlus prominens Casey; Chandler 1997; Goniaceritae Reitter Owens and Carlton 2016a. Brachyglutini Raffray Eutyphlus similis LeConte; Owens and Carlton Anchylarthron cornutum (Brendel); Chandler 2016a. 1997. Eutyphlus thoracicus Park; Chandler 1997; Anchylarthron inornatum (Brendel); Chandler Owens and Carlton 2016a. 1997. Melba parvula (LeConte); Chandler 1997. Brachygluta corniventris (Motschulsky); Melba thoracica (Brendel); Chandler 1997. Chandler et al. 2015. Pseudactium arcuatum (LeConte); Carlton and Brachygluta dentata (Say); Chandler et al. 2015. Chandler 1994. Brachygluta floridana (Brendel); Chandler Thesiastes atratus Casey; Chandler 1997. et al. 2015. Thesiastes pumilis (LeConte); Kirk 1970; Brachygluta lareaui Chandler; Chandler et al. Chandler 1989. 2015. Thesium