Atheta klimschi ( Bernhauer, 1909 )

Gusarov, Vladimir I., 2002, A revision of Nearctic species of the genus Earota Mulsant & Rey, 1874 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), Zootaxa 92, pp. 1-16 : 14

Atheta klimschi ( Bernhauer, 1909)

Atheta (s. str.) klimschi Bernhauer, 1909: 523 (publication date: July 1, 1909). Atheta sulcata Blatchley, 1910: 355 (publication date: September 20, 1910), syn. nov. Atheta (Hypatheta) klimschi: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 653 (as valid species). Atheta (Earota) sulcata: Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 655 (as valid species). Stethusa klimschi: Seevers, 1978: 267 (as valid species).

Earota sulcata: Seevers, 1978: 271 (as valid species).

Type material. Lectotype of Atheta klimschi (here designated),, “Opelousas, La. June”, “ Klimschi Brh. Typus. Klimsch” (yellow label), “ Earota klimschi Brnh. Typ. Klimsch. det. Bernh.”, “Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection” ( FMNH); paralectotype ,, “Opelousas, La. June”, “Klages”, “ Klimschi Brh. Cotypus. Klimsch” (yellow label), “Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection” ( FMNH).

Lectotype of Atheta sulcata (here designated),, “ TYPE ” (red label), “Posey Co. Ind. W. S.B. 4­22­09 ”, “3618 det. A.Fenyes”, “11”, “Purdue Blatchley collection”, “ Atheta sulcata sp. nov. ” ( PURC).

Additional material., “Opelousas, La. May”, “ Klimschi Bernh. Cotypus. Klimsch” (yellow label), “Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection” ( FMNH);, “Opelousas, La. May”, “als pedicularis von Klimsch”, “ Klimschi Brh. Cotypus. Klimsch” (yellow label), “Chicago NHMus M.Bernhauer Collection” ( FMNH).

Discussion. The two males listed as additional material were labeled by Bernhauer as cotypes. In his description of A. klimschi Bernhauer indicated that the specimens were collected in June. Therefore, the males collected in May had not been included in the type series of A. klimschi and cannot be considered the paralectotypes.

The types of A. klimschi and A. sulcata are identical in external characters and male genitalia. Although A. sulcata was included in Earota by Bernhauer and Scheerpeltz (1926) and Seevers (1978), this species has narrow mesosternal process, characteristic of Atheta , unlike both E. reyi and E. dentata which have mesocoxae widely separated by broad mesosternal process. Therefore, A. klimschi (= A. sulcata ) cannot be included in the genus Earota and this species is considered here to be a member of Atheta . A detailed redescription of A. klimschi will be given in a separate paper.