Dinaraea backusensis Klimaszewski & Brunke, sp. n.

Brunke, Adam J., Klimaszewski, Jan, Dorval, Julie-Anne, Bourdon, Caroline, Paiero, Steven M. & Marshall, Stephen A., 2012, New species and distributional records of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Ontario, Canada, with a checklist of recorded species, ZooKeys 186, pp. 119-206 : 149-151

Dinaraea backusensis Klimaszewski & Brunke, sp. n. Figs 66146-149Map 66

Type locality.

Canada, Ontario, Haldimand-Norfolk Reg., 6 km W of Saint Williams, Backus Woods, Wetland trail, sugar maple-dominated mesic forest, 42°39'54"N, 80°29'34"W.

Type material.

Holotype (male): CANADA, ON:Hald.-Norfolk Reg., Backus Woods, Wetland trail, 42°39'54"N, 80°29'34"W, sugar maple-dominated mesic forest, sifted litter, 2.iv.2010, A. Brunke, debu00331025 (DEBU).

Diagnosis.

This species may be distinguished from all other Nearctic Dinaraea by the following combination of characters: postocular area slightly longer than eye; pronotum trapezoidal in form and slightly (not distinctly) transverse; antennomeres 1-3 elongate, 4-7 subquadrate, 8-10 slightly transverse; elytra flat, transverse, at suture about as long as pronotum; male tergite eight with median and lateral teeth (Fig. 147); and median lobe of aedeagus of distinctive shape in lateral view (Figs 146).

Description.

Body narrowly subparallel, flattened, length 3.1 mm, dark brown, with legs, maxillary palpi, and basal 1-3 antennomeres yellowish brown, forebody moderately glossy with strong meshed microsculpture, abdomen strongly glossy with weaker microsculpture, pubescence moderately dense, denser on pronotum and elytra than on abdomen (Fig. 66); head transverse, impressed medially, rounded laterally, postocular area slightly longer than eye, pubescence sparse and directed mediad; antennae with antennomeres 1-3 elongate, 4-7 subquadrate, 8-10 slightly transverse; maxillary palpi with penultimate article broad and last article acicular; pronotum slightly transverse, trapezoidal, basal margin arcuate, with obtuse hind angles, broadest in apical third, flattened medially, margined, pubescence sparser than that on elytra and directed laterad on disc and forming arcuate lines, pubescence at midline directed anteriad in apical portion and posteriad in basal portion, pronotum with 4 lateral macrosetae on each side; elytra flat, transverse, subequal in length to pronotum at midline, pubescence directed straight or obliquely posteriad, punctation granulose; abdomen with tergites II-IV strongly impressed and sparsely pubescent.

Male. Tergite VIII truncate apically with two lateral teeth and two median protuberances (Fig. 147); sternite VIII with apex arcuate but slightly pointed medially (Fig. 148); median lobe of aedeagus in lateral view with moderately large bulbus and short tubus with angulate apex, ventral side of tubus weakly arcuate; internal sac in lateral view with a narrow, elongate and recurved sclerite (Fig. 146).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

At present, Dinaraea backusensis is known only from southern Ontario but should occur across eastern North America, at least as far north as southern Canada.

Bionomics.

The holotype was collected in a sugar maple dominated forest with a rich diversity of other deciduous trees by sifting deep pockets of leaf litter beside large, old logs. Other native species of Dinaraea have been associated with subcortical habitats ( Lohse et al. 1990).

Etymology.

This species is named after Backus Woods, a 704-acre, old growth, Carolinian forest in Ontario, Canada where the holotypewas collected. We would like to recognize the conservation efforts of the Nature Conservancy of Canada in this region and their recent work in acquiring this property for permanent protection.

Comments.

Using previous literature, Dinaraea backusensis can be distinguished from all known Nearctic species of the genus except Dinaraea borealis Lohse and Dinaraea planaris ( Mäklin) by the distinctive shape of the median lobe in lateral view (see figures in Klimaszewski et al. 2011). The male of Dinaraea borealis has recently been discovered (to be described in a future publication) and clearly differs in the shape of the median lobe in lateral view. The aedeagus of the lectotype of Dinaraea planaris is mounted in abparameral view (illustrated in Lohse and Smetana 1985) but Dinaraea backusensis differs from Dinaraea planaris by the more elongate pronotum and male tergite VIII with median and lateral teeth (unmodified and truncate apically in Dinaraea planaris ). Dinaraea backusensis is most similar to the European species Dinaraea linearis (Gravenhorst) but differs in the following characters: median lobe in lateral view angular at apex, shorter and much broader; internal sac in lateral view with long, recurved sclerite, about as long as bulbus (much shorter and talon-like in Dinaraea linearis ); and male tergite 8 with lateral projections longer and differently shaped than medial projections (lateral and medial projections similar in shape in Dinaraea linearis ). Dissected specimens from Denmark (no specific locality) were examined (ZMUC). The two taxa are nearly identical externally.