Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification No.12 (January 2011) BRUNKE ET AL. Staphylinidae of Eastern Canada and Adjacent United States. Key to Subfamilies; Staphylininae: Tribes and Subtribes, and Species of Staphylinina Adam Brunke*, Alfred Newton**, Jan Klimaszewski***, Christopher Majka**** and Stephen Marshall* *University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, School of Environmental Sciences, 1216/17 Bovey Building, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1. [email protected], [email protected]. **Field Museum of Natural History, Zoology Department/Insect Division, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL, 60605. [email protected]. *** Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055, rue du P.E.P.S., Stn. Sainte-Foy Québec, QC, G1V 4C7. [email protected] **** Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, NS, B3H 3A6. [email protected]. Abstract. Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) are diverse and dominant in many of North America’s ecosystems but, despite this and even though some subfamilies are nearly completely revised, most species remain difficult for non-specialists to identify. The relatively recent recognition that staphylinid assemblages in North America can provide useful indicators of natural and human impact on biodiversity has highlighted the need for accessible and effective identification tools for this large family. In the first of what we hope to be a series of publications on the staphylinid fauna of eastern Canada and the adjacent United States (ECAS), we here provide a key to the twenty-two subfamilies known from the region, a tribe/subtribe level key for the subfamily Staphylininae, and a species key to the twenty-five species of the subtribe Staphylinina. Within the Staphylinina, the Platydracus cinnamopterus species complex is defined to include P. praetermissus Newton spec. nov., P. cinnamopterus (Gravenhorst) and P. zonatus (Gravenhorst). Lectotypes are designated for Staphylinus cinnamopterus Gravenhorst, Staphylinus zonatus Gravenhorst and Staphylinus badius Mannerheim. One new Canadian record, one new record from eastern Canada, and thirty-nine new provincial or state records are presented. Introduction communicates the degree of natural or human Rove beetles (Coleoptera: impact upon these systems (Pohl et al. 2008). In Staphylinidae) constitute the largest family of a recent review of the use of beetles in insects worldwide, with more than 55,440 conservation, New (2010) highlighted the critical described species (Grebennikov and Newton importance of species-level identifications in 2009) found in a great diversity of terrestrial and surveys aiming to document changes to periaquatic habitats. In Canada, more than 1400 ecosystems via human development or climate species are known and some large subfamilies change. The continued ability of insect surveys (Staphylininae, Tachyporinae) have been nearly to address important ecological and completely revised. An excellent synthesis of conservation-themed questions depends the staphylinid literature is given by Thayer primarily on the correct identification of (2005); however, our understanding of specimens, which in turn depends on the staphylinid ecology and habitat requirements is availability of effective keys. still very limited. Recent work has revealed that Although several recent works such as staphylinids are dominant organisms in Canadian Klimaszewski (2000) and Newton et al. (2000) forest ecosystems (Paquin and Duperre 2001) include keys to the genus or subfamily level, and because many species require continuous, accompanied by line drawings of important mature or old growth stands, the composition of characters, keys to most staphylinid groups are their species assemblages effectively poorly illustrated and cover broad geographic areas (e.g. North America north of Mexico). doi: 10.3752/cjai.2011.12 1 Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification No.12 (January 2011) BRUNKE ET AL. Furthermore, many important staphylinid keys the remaining groups of Staphylininae. are scattered in the primary literature and can be time-consuming or difficult to locate. These Methods obstacles can now be addressed using online, Specimen photographs were taken with a open-access publication to provide richly Visionary Digital imaging system and CombineZ illustrated, digital keys to the species of or Helicon Focus software was used to combine Staphylinidae known to inhabit eastern Canada multiple photographs into high depth-of-field and the adjacent United States (ECAS). ECAS images. Most photographs of living specimens is defined here as Ontario eastward and includes were taken with digital SLR cameras and a the following states that are adjacent to eastern 105mm macro lens, often with the addition of a Canada: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 2X teleconverter or extension rings, but live New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and photographs were also contributed by a number Maine. Although broader regions have been of collaborators using a variety of equipment used in previous works (i.e., Northeastern North (see acknowledgments). Online keys were America of Downie and Arnett (1996)), ECAS created with Adobe Creative Suite 3 software, corresponds well to a naturally delimited including Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver staphylinid fauna and has allowed the and Fireworks. Maps of species distributions simplification of the keys through exclusion of were prepared using ARC MAP, with records southern or western taxa. previous to 1970 mapped separately from those Despite the largest and some of the occurring on or after this year in order to most conspicuous species being in the highlight possible distribution changes over time Staphylinina (Staphylininae: Staphylinini), the (this was not done for common species). Most taxonomy of this subtribe is currently far from species in potential decline reviewed herein settled. The largest genus, Platydracus C. G. showed a noticeable change beginning around Thomson, remains under revision by the second 1970, with a few species ‘declining’ in records author and thus no working key exists for the after 1980. Thus, 1970 was chosen as a standard fauna of ECAS. To remedy this, we provide a division point with special cases discussed under regionalized Platydracus key in advance of the those species. Measurements were taken with an upcoming revision and describe a new species eyepiece micrometer using various dissecting that occurs in ECAS. Multiple accidental microscopes. A list of institutions from which introductions (Newton 1987; Majka and material was examined and a list of contributing Klimaszewski 2008), a history of incorrect photographers are given in the names (Newton 1987), inadequate species acknowledgements. Throughout, ‘abdominal descriptions, colour variation, and the presence segments 1-6’ corresponds to the segments of several rare or typically ‘southern’ species has numbered as visible and therefore represent further complicated the recognition of anatomical segments 2-8. Unless otherwise Staphylinina in this region. Despite this, we stated, we follow the higher classification of show here that most Staphylinina can be easily Newton et al. (2000). identified to species using high-resolution photographs of readily visible characters. In this first publication we provide an overview of, and a key to, the twenty-two staphylinid subfamilies occurring in ECAS, and then review the tribes and subtribes of Staphylininae and the twenty-five species of Staphylinina occurring in ECAS. Keys presented here will also work for the fauna of Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. We envision this first key as a nexus for future keys to link to, thus creating an integrated guide to the Staphylinidae of ECAS. Future publications are planned, with the most immediate ones covering 2 doi: 10.3752/cjai.2011.12 Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification No.12 (January 2011) BRUNKE ET AL. Identification Keys 1. Key to the subfamilies in ECAS 1 Body with one of the distinctive shapes and all corresponding important features: Oxyporinae (Fig. 1.1.1-1.1.2): Mandibles about as long as head, protruding forward and crossing; last segment of labial palpi crescent shaped (examine ventral surface of head) Scaphidiinae (Fig. 1.2.1-1.2.3): Head partly concealed from above; less than half the abdomen extending past the elytra; antennae originate between the eyes Micropeplinae (Fig.1.3.1): Antennae with 9 antennomeres, the last enlarged to form a club; entire dorsal surface with sculpturing of ridges and pits; body elongate oval in shape Pselaphinae (Fig. 1.4.1): Characteristic body shape: elytra and abdomen appear as an ‘apical section’, always distinctly wider than head and pronotum; elytra far from reaching the apex of the abdomen; antennae often clubbed; often with deep pits on the dorsal surface Scydmaeninae (Fig. 1.5.1): Body characteristically ant-like; posterior of head without ocelli, elytra reaching or nearly reaching apex of abdomen; always smaller than 2.5mm - Body unlike the shapes shown above......................................................................................................2 2 Dorsal surface of elytra with ridges (Fig. 1.6.1, 1.7.1); pronotum approximately equal in width at base and apex ..................................................................................................................................................3 - If elytra with ridges (rarely), then pronotum distinctly narrower at apex OR at base .............................4 3 With ridges on both pronotum