Contributions to the knowledge of the Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) in the Maritime Provinces of Canada

Abstract

Since 1970, 203 species of Aleocharinae have been recorded in the Maritime Provinces of Canada, 174 of which have been reported in the past decade. This rapid growth of knowledge of this hitherto neglected subfamily of rove beetles occasions the present compilation of species recorded in the region together with the chronology of their discovery. Sixteen new provincial records are reported, twelve from Nova Scotia, one from New Brunswick, and three from Prince Edward Island. Seven species, including Oxypoda chantali Klimaszewski, Oxypoda perexilis Casey, Myllaena cuneata Notman, Placusa canadensis Klimaszewski, Geostiba (Sibiota) appalachigena Gusarov, Lypoglossa angularis obtusa (LeConte), and Trichiusa postica Casey [tentative identification] are newly recorded in the Maritime Provinces, one of which, Myllaena cuneata, is newly recorded in Canada. A preliminary analysis of the composition of the fauna indicates that the percentage of adventive species (18.2%) is consistent with that of other groups of Coleoptera. Both Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island are comparatively faunistically under-represented, in all probability as a result of insufficient collecting effort in these areas. A species accumulation curve indicates that it is probable that further species of aleocharines remain to be documented in the region.