Mocyta fungi (Gravenhorst)

Klimaszewski, Jan, Chandler, Donald S., Davies, Anthony & Bourdon, Caroline, 2023, Aleocharine rove beetles of New Hampshire, USA: new taxa and new records (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 5364 (1), pp. 1-141 : 56-57

101. Mocyta fungi (Gravenhorst) †

(Illustrations in Klimaszewski et al. 2015b, 2018), Table 1

References. Gravenhorst 1806. Casey 1893, 1910. Bernhauer 1907. Muona 1984. Gusarov 2003. Klimaszewski et al. 2018, 2020, 2021.

Distribution. Palearctic, adventive in North America, recorded from A/S ( Klimaszewski et al. 2021). Canada: AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, NU, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT. USA: AK, CA, ME, MA, MN, NH, NY, OR, RI, WA.

Collection and Habitat data. In NH this species was most abundant in an old-growth silver maple floodplain forest, where specimens were commonly taken by sifting old river drift and by capture with a flight intercept trap. They were also taken from grass litter, by sifting litter by a stream, in forest litter, grass sod, and on the side of a water tower. Collected from May to October. In AK found at forest edge with Populus tremuloides Michx. and Rubus idaeus L. 1753; in area of Spirea and dwarf birch; Salix leaf litter; clear-cuts; creekside/ocean beach confluence, under boards and driftwood; and under rocks ( Klimaszewski et al. 2021). In Canada (NB) found in forested wet areas such as silver maple swamps in leaf litter, in leaf litter in eastern white cedar swamps and forests, under alders in leaf litter and moss in a marsh, treading vegetation in boggy marsh and a cattail marsh, and in pitfall traps in a red spruce forest ( Klimaszewski et al. 2021). In NF taken from pitfall traps in cut and burned balsam fir, birch, spruce-poplar and riparian forests, in agricultural fields, and among vegetation on coastal sand dunes. In QC found in mixed forests and yellow birch forests ( Klimaszewski et al. 2011, 2021).

Material. USA, New Hampshire, Coos Co.: 3 mi E Stewartstown , 23.V.1982, D.S. Chandler, sift leaf litter along river edge, 1 female . Pinkham Notch , 1.VII.1982, sift grass litter, D.S. Chandler, 1 female . White Mts., Glen Ellis Falls , 1900’, 15.VIII.1976, J.M. and B.A. Campbell ( CNC), 1 female . Grafton Co.: Bedell Bridge St. Park @ Oliverian Brook , 7.VI.1992, 8 females ; 14.VII.1992, 16 females ; 2.VIII.1992, 7 females ; 26.VIII.1992, 8 females ; 8.IX.1992, 3 females ; 21.X.1991, 1 female , berlese old river drift, D.S. Chandler; 2.X.1991, sift litter by stream, D.S. Chandler, 2 females; 7–24.V.1992, 25.V–7.VI.1992, 3–19.VIII.1992, 30.IX–21.X.1991, D.S. Chandler, FITrap, 4 females. Bedell Bridge St. Park @ Oliverian Brook, Haverhill , 2.X.1991, S.T. O’Keefe, sift forest litter, 3 females . Rockingham Co.: Seabrook backdunes, 18.V.1989, D.S. Chandler, sift forest litter, 1 female . Strafford Co.: UNH Dudley Lot, 1 km W[E] Lee , 11.IX.2008, G.O. Pena, berlese grass sod, 1 female . Durham Foss Farm Rd , 15.X.1981, W.J. Morse, water tower, 1 female .

Comments. Morphologically this species is one of the most variable Mocyta species. Most adults have the elytra slightly longer than the pronotum, but some have the elytra as long as the pronotum along the midline. The spermathecal stem is also variable in shape. Only females have been found in the Nearctic Region.