Actenicerus Kiesenwetter, 1858

Majka, Christopher G. & Johnson, Paul J., 2008, The Elateridae (Coleoptera) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada: faunal composition, new records, and taxonomic changes, Zootaxa 1811, pp. 1-33 : 19-20

Actenicerus Kiesenwetter, 1858

The North American species of Actenicerus Kiesenwetter are in need of taxonomic revision. They were last treated as separate species by LeConte (1853), but he was unable to place Elater viridis Say, 1825 , the Say specimen of which was apparently lost earlier. Later, LeConte (1883) interpreted E. viridis to be the female of Corymbites appressifrons Say , a synonym of Ctenicera cylindriformis (Herbst) (see Sylvanelater below). Say’s E. viridis seems to have been largely overlooked after LeConte (1853) until its listing as a synonym of Ludius sjaelandicus by Schwarz (1906). Leng (1920) listed Say’s species as a variety of Ludius resplendens Eschscholtz , but this is a confusion with Corymbites viridis Germar ( Candèze 1863) , that was continued by Gurjeva (1989). Schenkling (1927) listed E. viridis in Actenicerus as a synonym of A. sjaelandicus , along with Co. micans and Co. cuprascens . Van Dyke (1932) treated E. viridis and Co. cuprascens as synonyms of L. sjaelandicus , but did not mention Co. micans . Subsequent taxonomists largely ignored E. viridis and Co. micans and presented inconsistent treatments. For example, Dietrich (1945) used only Ct. sjaelandica, Brooks (1960) used Ct. cuprascens, Gurjeva (1989) listed Co. micans as a synonym of A. sjaelandicus without mention of the other species, Tarnawski (1996) listed Co. micans and Co. cuprascens as synonyms of A. “ siaelandicus ”, Downie and Arnett (1996) used the combination Ct. cuprascens , and Johnson (2002) noted only A. viridis and A. cuprascens . Catt (2007) followed the traditional usage of treating all these names as synonyms of A. sjaelandicus .

The female type of Co. cuprascens was studied and specimens of both sexes were compared with the type. A male specimen was compared with the type of Co. micans by M.C. Lane and his comments on the type (unpubl. notebook at USNM), specimens representing A. sjaelandicus from various European localities, and numerous specimens attributable to A. viridis and A. cuprascens from various North American localities were re-examined for this study. These examinations reveal that Co. micans and Co. cuprascens are very similar externally, and quite similar to several Eurasian species on sculptural and pubescence pattern characteristics, but the males of each nominal species possess distinctive aedeagal morphology. The aedeagus of Co. micans has the median lobe very narrow throughout its length and possesses a deflexed apex, and the apex of the lateral lobe is broadly obtuse and laterally hooked. In contrast, the aedeagus of Co. cuprascens has the median lobe planar throughout its length, and the lateral lobes are sagittate, with extended apices. Unfortunately, Say’s (1925) description of E. viridis cannot be unequivocally applied to any recognized species.

Our conclusion is that pending further revisionary efforts Elater viridis Say is not satisfactorily referable to Actenicerus , nor to Ct. cylindriformis , and is best treated as a nomen dubium ( ICZN 1999). As such A. cuprascens and A. micans remain for now the only names available for native North American species.

Actenicerus cuprascens ( LeConte, 1853)

Corymbites cuprascens LeConte, 1853: 444

Ludius sjaelandicus ; Schwarz, 1906, in part, Van Dyke, 1932, in part Actenicerus sjaelandicus (O.F. Müller) ; Schenkling, 1927, in part Ctenicera sjaelandica ; Dietrich, 1945, in part

Based on primary type comparison information and aedeagal morphology, the New Brunswick specimens included in this study are considered to be A. cuprascens .

Anostirus vernalis (Hentz, 1827) New Combination

Elater vernalis Hentz, 1827

Corymbites vernalis ; Germar, 1843; LeConte, 1853 Ludius vernalis ; Van Dyke, 1932

Ctenicera vernalis ; Dietrich, 1945

Anostirus vernalis (Hentz) is a readily recognized species in the northeastern quarter of the United States and southeastern Canada. The weakly convex body, shiny black body with elytra yellow to orange-yellow with black macula, strongly serrate antennae, and ecarinate pronotal hind angles, are diagnostic within the North American elaterid fauna and help place this species generically. Reviews and catalogs of Anostirus Binaghi by Gurjeva (1989) and Tarnawski (1996) overlooked this species. We take this opportunity to clarify the taxonomy of this species. Two other species attributable to Anostirus are known from North America , A. bipunctatus (Brown, 1936) , new combination, and A. exclamationis (Fall, 1910) , new combination, both from California; all other species are Palaearctic. Anostirus species are often found on flowers of various early spring Rosaceae and Umbelliferae.

NEW BRUNSWICK: Saint John Co.: Saint John, 26.v.1901, W. McIntosh, (2), NBM; Saint John, 26.v.1901, W. McIntosh, (2), NBM; Yo r k C o.: Charters Settlement, 45.84ºN, 66.72ºW, 29.iv.2000, R.P. Webster, RWC.

Newly recorded from New Brunswick. In Nova Scotia collected in apple ( Pyrus malus L.) orchards and deciduous forests (unpublished data).