Boreophilia islandica (Kraatz, 1857)

Klimaszewski, Jan, Sikes, Derek S., Brunke, Adam & Bourdon, Caroline, 2019, Species review of the genus Boreophilia Benick from North America (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Athetini): Systematics, habitat, and distribution, ZooKeys 848, pp. 57-102 : 57

2. Boreophilia islandica (Kraatz, 1857) Figs 16-23

Homalota islandica Kraatz, 1857: 284. Smetana 2004: 396, Klimaszewski et al. 2011: 184, 2018: 567. Syntypes: Island, Krüper, coll. Kraatz, syntypus, islandica mihi (DEI) 1 male; 1 female. Examined.

Diagnosis.

Body broad, forebody moderately and abdomen strongly glossy (Fig. 16); length 2.8-3.5 mm; uniformly black with paler, reddish brown appendages, or head, pronotum and VI-VII basal segments of abdomen dark brown, remainder of the body reddish brown, appendages light brown, sometimes elytra with some reddish tinge; antennomeres VIII-X subquadrate; pronotum as long as elytra at suture, maximum width of pronotum distinctly less than maximum width of elytra; elytral length variable, as long as pronotum or slightly longer. Male. Tubus of median lobe of aedeagus with two basolateral and slightly angular apically projections in dorsal view (Fig. 18), and one rounded projection in lateral view (Fig. 17); bulbus moderately broadly oval with two elongate sclerites of internal sac in dorsal view (Fig. 18); tergite VIII arcuate apically (Fig. 19); sternite VIII elongate, parabolic apically (Fig. 20). Female. Spermatheca: capsule pitcher-shaped basally with tubular apical projection moderately long and narrowed apically, stem coiled posteriorly, there is great variability in the shape of capsule (Fig. 23); tergite VIII arcuate apically (Fig. 21); sternite VIII rounded apically, antecostal suture strongly sinuate in most examined specimens (Fig. 22). For the differences between this and previous species see diagnosis of B. eremita .

Distribution.

Holarctic species; recorded from Fennoscandia, Estonia, Faeroe Islands, Great Britain, Iceland, Russia (North European Territory); Canada: LB, NF, NT, NU, YT; USA: AK.

Collection data.

Habitat [new data]: Betula , Salix litter; Salix tundra hillside; Salix / Betula / Alnus /grasses; black/white spruce, willow; vegetation at lakeshore pond; subalpine habitat with Veratrum , Calamagrostis , and Leymus , Heracleum , Angelica . Collecting methods: hanging Malaise trap, pitfall traps, sweeping with net. Collecting period: May to August.

Comments.

Females of this species may be confused with other species of Boreophilia and particularly those of closely related B. eremita . Associating females with males is considered here to be the most reliable way of identifying females of this and the previous species. At present, B. islandica is considered a somewhat variable species. Specimens vary from moderately robust and narrower to more robust and broader, with elytra as long as pronotum or slightly longer, all with the same morphology of genitalia. The BIN BOLD:ABX3767 formed a sister group to B. islandica in our analysis and was represented by a single female from Finland. The capsule of its spermatheca is curved at an angle of nearly 90 degrees and was among those shapes included in the illustrations of B. islandica by Palm (1970). BIN BOLD:ABX3767 may represent an undescribed species, or one of the described species not included in our DNA dataset, but corresponding males should be examined. A separate DNA based study is recommended to examine specimens of B. islandica sensu lato from a broad Holarctic distribution, including males and females.

Additional material examined.

NEARCTIC: Canada, Newfoundland, Long Range Mts., Portland Cr. Hill, 12-13.VIII.1982, Belland, Larson, McDonald (LFC) 1 female; Northwest Territories, 10.VI.1956, R.E. Leech (LFC) 1 male; Northwest Territories, Aklavik, 14.VI.1956, RE Leech (MHNG) 1 male, 1 female.

USA, Alaska: Anaktuvuk Pass, 647 m el., 68.14049N, 151.74091W, +/- 250 m, Salix , sweeping, 19.V.2016, D Sikes, K Daly, UAM100427773 (UAM) 1 male; Alaska, Aguttu Is., 15 m el., 52.473083N, 173.59065E, +/- 30 m, beach, Heracl. lanatum , 5 pitfalls, 5-19.VI.2008, L Kenney, R Kaler, UAM100029353 (UAM) 1 male; Aiktak Is., 10-20 m el., 54.18549N, 164.8432W, +/- 50 m, Leymus , Heracleum , maritime tundra, 5 pitfalls, 17-31.VIII.2009, A.L. Larned, UAM100321897, UAM100321780 (UAM) 2 males; same data except: Leymus , Heracleum , Angelica , 11-29.VII.2009, UAM100321769 (UAM) 1 female; UAM100321861 (UAM) 1 female; 54.18356N, 164.82793W, +/- 1 km, maritime tundra, Leymus , Heracleum , 5 pitfalls, 9-24.VI.2009, AL Larned, UAM100322546 (UAM) 1 female; 24.VI-11.VII.2009, S. Sapora, UAM100323153, UAM100323220 (UAM) 2 females; 54.11036N, 164.50500W, +/- 5 m, streamside, Leymus , 2 pitfalls, 26.VI-14.VII.2008, BA Drummond, UAM100030104, UAM100030117 (UAM) 2 females.

Females without male association, tentatively included as B. islandica :

USA, Alaska: White Mtns. Rec. Area, 180 m el., 65.33469N, 146.83969W, +/- 10 m, b. & w. spruce, willow, hanging Malaise, 10-17.VI.2016, J Hagelin, UAM100407456 (UAM) 2 females; S. Chilkat Pen., pl. 19, 652 m el., 58.42509N, 135.14229W, +/- 30 m, subalpine, Veratrum , Calamagrostis , hand coll., 9.VII.2010, DS Sikes, UAM100277138 (UAM) 2 females; Kasatochi, 42 m el., 52.16869N, 175.52475W, +/- 34 m, under rocks, Talus, cliff base, 11.VI.2008, DS Sikes, UAM100031453, UAM100031445 (UAM) 2 females.

PALEARCTIC: Czech Republic: Bohemia occ., Frant. Láznê-Soos, 1961, Smetana (MHNG) 2 females. Denmark: Helsinge, 6.V.1915, Häkan Lindberg (MHNG) 1 female. Finland: Kittilä, Renkonen (MHNG) 1 female; Lapp., Petsamo, 3.VII.1929, Häkan Lindberg (MHNG) 1 female; Oa Lappfiärd, 3.V.1944, Harald Lindberg (MHNG) 1 female. Germany: I. b. Grönau, Lübeck, 27.III.12, G. Benick (MHNG) 1 female; Brocken, 15.V.32, Foln .… [not clear] (MHNG) 1 female; Brocken, Heineman (MHNG) 1 female; Brocken Harz, 15.VII.1935, Fehse, Thale, G Benick (MHNG) 1 female. Island: Island, VII.1969, G Benick (MHNG) 1 male. Norvay: Lakselv Po, A Strand (MHNG) 3 females. Sweden: Lule Lappmark, Vietas 20, 27.VI.1967, TE Leiler (MHNG) 1 female; Moen M. elev., A Strand (MHNG) 1 female; Ő Torne, T Palm (MHNG) 1 female; Imtl. Frost-viken, Palm (MHNG) 1 female.

DNA Barcode data.

Our data included one sequence identified as B. islandica from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and one sequence identified as Boreophilia sp. collected from Churchill, Manitoba, which are the only members of BIN BOLD:AAH0226. BOLD reports these sequences are 2.79% distant from their nearest neighbor.