Tachyusa arida Casey, 1906

Pa ṡnik, Grzegorz, 2006, A revision of the World species of the genus Tachyusa Erichson, 1837 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 1146, pp. 1-152 : 126-128

Tachyusa arida Casey, 1906 ( Figs. 129–131)

Tachyusa arida Casey, 1906: 211 .

Tachyusa ohioana Casey, 1911: 174 , syn. n.

Tachyusa (s. str.) arida: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 584 (as valid species).

Tachyusa (s. str.) ohioana: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 584 (as synonym of T. cavicollis )

Type material. Tachyusa arida Casey. Lectotype (here designated): ♀: California, Yuma , type USNM 38956 ( USNM). Paralectotypes: 5♂♂ and 3♀♀: Cal., type 38956 ( USNM).

Tachyusa ohioana Casey. Holotype: ♂: Cincinnati, Dury , Ohio, type USNM 38946 ( USNM).

Taxonomic notes. A comparison between the types, showed that Tachyusa arida Casey is conspecific with Tachyusa ohioana Casey , and is here considered a junior synonym of T. arida .

Additional material. UNITED STATES. Arizona: Yuma, Wickham, 7 exx ( CAS) ; 6.V.1911, A. Fenyes, 1 ex ( DEI) ; 2 exx ( USNM). Illinois: Winnebago Co., Rockford , 30.VIII.1988, R. Baranowski, 1 ex ( MZLU) . Ohio: Frank Co., 2 mi NE Columbus , 27.VII.1975, L. E. Watrous, 1 ex ( FMNH) .

Redescription. Body. Length 2.6–2.9 mm, convex, parallel­sided, glossy; body colour testaceous, head reddish brown, abdomen black with three basal tergites red, legs red, antennae brown with antennomeres 1–3 yellow.

Head circular in outline; convex, eyes large, moderately protruding from lateral contours of head, length of each seen from above subequal to that of postocular region; surface of head with fine isodiametric mesh microsculpture; puncturation fine and dense. Antennae long, clearly increasing in width apically, antennomeres 2 and 3 subequal in length, antennomeres 4–7 longer than wide, antennomeres 8–10 quadrate, antennomere 11 nearly conical.

Pronotum quadrate, lateral sides narrowed in straight line to obtuse hind angles; before base with small and shallow transverse impression; surface with fine transversely stretched isodiametric mesh microsculpture; puncturation fine, dense and asperate; pubescence at midline directed posteriorly.

Elytra subquadrate, at suture as long as pronotal length at midline; surface lacking microsculpture; puncturation fine, dense and asperate.

Abdomen parallel­sided, bases of tergites 3–5 each with deep transverse impression, impressions with 7–8 longitudinal ridges, tergal puncturation very fine and very dense, punctures small but well visible, surface without microsculpture.

Male. Aedeagus as in Figs. 129–130.

Female. Spermatheca as in Fig. 131.

Remarks. Tachyusa arida is similar to T. cavicollis , from which it can be distinguished by the lighter body colour, the antennomeres 2 and 3 subequal in length, the quadrate pronotum, the denser abdominal puncturation and by the shape of the aedeagus.

Distribution. Tachyusa arida seems to be widespread in the United States, but its distribution is poorly documented. It is known from Arizona, California, Illinois and Ohio.