Erichsonius patella (Horn, 1884)

Webster, Reginald P., Smetana, Ales, Sweeney, Jon D. & DeMerchant, Ian, 2012, New Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) records with new collection data from New Brunswick and an addition to the fauna of Quebec: Staphylininae, ZooKeys 186, pp. 293-348 : 315-316

Erichsonius patella (Horn, 1884) Map 34

Material examined.

New Brunswick, Queens Co., Grand Lake near Scotchtown, 45.8762°N, 66.1816°W, 25.V.2006, R. P. Webster, lakeshore, in drift material (1 ♂, RWC); Rees, near Grand Lake, 46.0016°N, 65.9466°W, 29.V.2007, S. Makepeace & R. Webster, coll., nest box contents of barred owl (1 ♀, NBMB). Sunbury Co., Acadia Research Forest, 45.9866°N, 66.3841°W, 19-25.V.2009, R. Webster & M.-A. Giguère, mature (110 year-old) red spruce forest with scattered red maple and balsam fir, Lindgren funnel trap (1 ♀, AFC). York Co., Charters Settlement, 45.8340°N, 66.7450°W, 15.V.2004, 30.V.2004, 10.VI.2004, 27.IV.2005, R. P. Webster, mixed forest, under conifer bark in wood pile (4 sex undetermined, RWC); same locality and collector but 45.8300°N, 66.7360°W, 20.VI.2004, R. P. Webster, mature mixed forest, in leaf litter near stream (1, RWC); same locality and collector but 45.8395°N, 66.7391°W, 28.IX.2005, mixed forest, in compost (decaying vegetables) (1 ♂, RWC); Fredericton, Odell Park, 45.9570°N, 66.6695°W, 19.VI.2005, R. P. Webster, in pile of woodchips and decaying plant materials (1 ♂, 1 sex undetermined, RWC); Nashwaaksis River at Rt. 105, 45.9850°N, 66.6900°W, 6.V.2006, R. P. Webster, upper river margin in flood debris (1, RWC); Kelly’s Creek at Sears Road, 45.8723°N, 66.8414°W, 7.VI.2008, R. P. Webster, alder swamp with red maple, in moist leaf and grass litter near vernal pool (1 sex undetermined, NBM); 15 km W of Tracy, off Rt. 645, 45.6848°N, 66.8821°W, 18.V-2.VI.2010, R. Webster & C. MacKay, mature (120-180 year-old) red pine forest, Lindgren funnel trap (1, AFC).

Collection and habitat data.

This species appears to be associated with various kinds of decaying organic materials. The few records with habitat data reported in Frank (1975) included adults collected from human dung, sifting leaves, sifting oak leaves, in ground cover in a white pine forest, ex mushrooms, funnel extract of mixed litter, Rhododendron litter, and pine-hardwood leaf litter near a stream edge. In New Brunswick, adults were found in a variety of decaying organic material, including drift material along a lakeshore, flood debris on an upper river margin, leaf litter near a stream, moist leaf and grass litter near a vernal pool, under conifer bark in a wood pile, in compost (decaying vegetables), in a pile of woodchips, and on decaying plant material. A few individuals were captured in Lindgren funnel traps. Most collections were from forested habitats. One adult was collected from the nest contents of a barred owl. Adults were collected in April, May, and June.

Distribution in Canada and Alaska.

ON, QC, NB, NS ( Frank 1975; Bishop et al. 2009).

Figures

Map 34. Collection localities in New Brunswick, Canada of Erichsonius patella.