Thamiaraea corverae Klimaszewski & Webster

Webster, Reginald P., Klimaszewski, Jan, Bourdon, Caroline, Sweeney, Jon D., Hughes, Cory C. & Labrecque, Myriam, 2016, Further contributions to the Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) fauna of New Brunswick and Canada including descriptions of 27 new species, ZooKeys 573, pp. 85-216 : 149-150

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Staphylinidae

Thamiaraea corverae Klimaszewski & Webster sp. n. Figs 317-323

Holotype (male).

Canada, New Brunswick, Sunbury Co., Gilbert Island, 45.8770°N, 66.2954°W, 29.VI-11.VII.2012, C. Alderson & V. Webster, coll. // hardwood forest, Lindgren funnel trap 1 m high under Tilia americana (LFC). Paratypes: Canada, New Brunswick, Charlotte Co., 5 km NW of Pomeroy Ridge, 45.3059°N, 67.4343°W, 5.VI.2008, R.P. Webster, coll. // red maple and eastern white cedar swamp, in moss and leaf litter near small vernal pools (1 ♀, LFC). Queens Co., Grand Lake Meadows P.N.A., 45.8227°N, 66.1209°W, 4-19.V.2010, R. Webster & C. MacKay, coll. // Old silver maple forest with green ash and seasonally flooded marsh, Lindgren funnel traps (2 ♂, RWC); Jemseg, 45.8412°N, 66.1195°W, 14-28.V.2012, C. Alderson, C. Hughes & V. Webster // Hardwood woodland near seasonally flooded marsh, Lindgren funnel trap 1 m high under Quercus rubra (1 ♂, RWC). York Co., Prince William, near Magaguadavic Lake, 45.7268°N, 66.1852°W, 1.V.2004, D. Sabine & R. Webster, coll. // Red spruce & hemlock forest, in moist litter under leather-leaf (1 ♂, 1 ♀, RWC); Fredericton, at Saint John River, 45.9588°N, 66.6254°W, 22.VIII.2006, R.P. Webster, coll. // River margin, in decaying grass (1 ♂, RWC).

Etymology.

The first author of the species, Jan Klimaszewski, would like to dedicate this species to his wife, Patricia Corvera Gandullia, for her love of nature and enthusiasm for entomology.

Description.

Body length 2.8-3.1 mm, narrowly subparallel, most of antennae, head, and posterior part of abdomen dark piceous brown, pronotum slightly paler, elytra yellowish light brown, legs, maxillary palpi, and bases of antennae yellowish (Fig. 317); integument glossy with meshed microsculpture, pubescence short, dense on pronotum and elytra and sparse on head and abdomen; head slightly narrower than pronotum, approximately round, tempora slightly shorter than eye seen from above; antennae with articles V–X slightly to strongly transverse; pronotum transverse, margined laterally, slightly narrower than elytra, broadly arcuate laterally, broadest at middle of its length, pubescence directed lateroposteriad forming arcuate lines; elytra short, mod erately transverse, subparallel, hind margin approximately straight, pubescence directed obliquely posteriad; abdomen parallel-sided, three basal tergites strongly impressed basally. Male. Median lobe of aedeagus with bulbus large and tubus short, triangular in dorsal view, venter of tubus arcuate, and apex narrow, triangularly produced ventrally in lateral view, sclerites of internal sac not pronounced (Fig. 318); apical margin of tergite VIII emarginate, with two spine-like teeth near lateral margin, and two rounded ones forming median projection (Fig. 319); sternite VIII semicircularly rounded apically (Fig. 320). Female. Tergite VIII broadly arcuate apically (Fig. 321); sternite VIII broadly shallowly emarginate apically (Fig. 322); spermatheca S-shaped, with spherical capsule, and short, sinuate stem which broadens basally (Fig. 323).

Distribution.

Known only from NB, Canada.

Natural history.

This species was found in or near seasonally flooded silver maple forests and marshes, an eastern white cedar swamp, a river margin, and a wetland dominated by leather-leaf, Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.). Adults were found in moss and leaf litter, moist litter under leather-leaf, and decaying grass along a river margin. Other specimens were captured in Lindgren funnel traps. Adults were collected from May to August.

Comments.

Thamiaraea corverae may be easily separated from Thamiaraea claydeni by darker and broader body, less transverse antennal articles VII-X (Figs 310, 317), median teeth of male tergite VIII directed posteriad (Fig. 319) and not diverging laterad as in Thamiaraea claydeni (Fig. 312), and spermatheca with more sinuate stem (Fig. 323) than that of Thamiaraea claydeni (Fig. 316). From the remaining three Nearctic Thamiaraea species, the two species described here may be distinguished by the shape of the median lobe of aedeagus, shape of male tergite VIII and the shape of spermathecae. For illustrations of the other species, see Hoebeke 1988, 1994.