The ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada: review of collecting, new records, and observations on composition, zoogeography, and historical origins

Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1590 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER G. MAJKA ◽  
YVES BOUSQUET ◽  
SUSAN WESTBY
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
New Records ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Cape Breton ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Faunal List ◽  
Historical Origins

The Carabidae of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are surveyed. The collecting history of the family in the region is reviewed. New records of 20 species are reported, 6 from New Brunswick and 15 from Nova Scotia. Six species are newly recorded in the Maritime Provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island) as a whole. Six species are removed from the faunal list of Nova Scotia and one from the faunal list of New Brunswick. Consequently, 282 species of Carabidae are now known from Nova Scotia, 273 species from New Brunswick, and 329 from the Maritime Provinces as a whole. A new and earlier timeline (1942) is reported for the introduced Palearctic carabid, Bembidion properans (Stephens), in North America. The status of Stenolophus carbo Bousquet in the region is reviewed and its presence in Nova Scotia is considered doubtful. The historical origins of the Maritime fauna are discussed based on studies of post-glacial Coleoptera. These indicate at least three colonization phases, some elements of which are still apparent in the contemporary fauna. Elements of the native Nova Scotia fauna not found in New Brunswick (26 species), may represent colonization from New England across post-glacial land bridges and island chains. Elements of the native fauna found in New Brunswick and not Nova Scotia (31 species), may represent species that have reached the eastward limit of their distribution for climatic or environmental reasons; or that have found the Northumberland Strait and/or the isthmus of Chignecto an obstacle to geographical dispersal; or represent widely distributed boreal species (6 species) that should be sought in Nova Scotia. Eighteen species of Nova Scotia carabids have been recorded only from Cape Breton Island, two of which are known in Atlantic Canada solely from there. Although Cape Breton is separated from the mainland by the 1.5 km wide Strait of Canso, the number of flightless, native carabids present is proportionally greater than that in Nova Scotia overall, or the Maritime Provinces as a whole. Despite differences in land mass and distance to the neighbouring mainland, the faunas of Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, and insular Newfoundland, exhibit similarities in size and composition, although Newfoundland's fauna has twice the proportion of Holarctic species. Cape Breton's carabid fauna is diminished compared to the neighbouring mainland, having only 57% of the native species. This may represent an island-associated diminution, the paucity of collecting, or a combination of both, although in comparison with other groups of Coleoptera the Carabidae appear relatively well represented. Within Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick has the lowest proportion (8.8%) of introduced carabids and the highest proportion (83.2%) of native, Nearctic species. Given the potential utility of carabids as bioindicators, and the wide range of disturbance to which the environment of the Maritime Provinces has been subjected, further research on this diverse group of beetles would be desirable.

The Erotylidae and Endomychidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada: New records, zoogeography, and observations on beetle-fungi relationships and forest health

Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1546 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER G. MAJKA
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
New Records ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Prince Edward Islands ◽  
Cape Breton ◽  
History Of

The Erotylidae and Endomychidae of the Maritime Provinces are surveyed. Fifteen species are now known from the region, fourteen in Nova Scotia, seven in New Brunswick, and four on Prince Edward Island. Thirteen new provincial records (seven from Nova Scotia, three from New Brunswick, and three from Prince Edward Island) are reported. Four erotylids, Dacne quadrimaculata (Say), Triplax dissimulator (Crotch), Triplax flavicollis Lacordaire, Triplax macra LeConte; and two endomychids, Rhanidea unicolor (Ziegler) and Lycoperdina ferruginea LeConte, are newly recorded in the Maritime Provinces as a whole. New records of the rare endomychid, Hadromychus chandleri Bousquet & Leschen, are reported. The fauna is examined in a regional zoogeographic context, paying particular attention to the insular faunas of Cape Breton and Prince Edward Islands. Attention is also drawn to the number of species that have been very rarely collected. This apparent scarcity may be related to the long history of forest management in the region, in particular the effects of intensive forestry on the communities of forest fungi on which these species feed and depend. Attention is drawn to the importance of ongoing research to monitor their populations and assess how these species may be employed as indicators of the overall health forest ecosystems.

The Ciidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada: new records, distribution, zoogeography, and observations on beetle-fungi relationships in saproxylic environments

Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1654 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER G. MAJKA
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
New Records ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Host Use ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
Cape Breton

The Ciidae of the Maritime Provinces of Canada are surveyed. Fifteen species are now known to occur in the region, thirteen in Nova Scotia, six in New Brunswick, and two on Prince Edward Island. Ten new provincial records  are reported. Seven species including Ceracis sallei Mellié, Ceracis thoracicornis (Ziegler), Cis creberrimus Mellié, Cis pistoria Casey, Cis subtilis Mellié, Malacocis brevicollis (Casey), and Orthocis punctatus (Mellié) are newly recorded in the Maritime Provinces as a whole. Cis americanus Mannerheim and Cis levettei (Casey) are newly recorded on Prince Edward Island, the first records of this family from the province.Collecting effort on Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island, and in New Brunswick has apparently been insufficient to fully document the ciid fauna of these areas. Some local and regional distribution patterns of ciids in the mainland of Nova Scotia and in the Maritime Provinces are suggested from the present data, but further collecting is required to confirm these. Zoogeographically, most of the region's ciids are members of either a boreal fauna (9 species) with Holarctic affinities, or a southeastern North American Nearctic fauna (5 species). The Maritime Provinces ciid fauna has representatives of five of the six known ciid host-use groups. Records of host fungi indicate that there are suitable hosts for all species of ciids found in the region in all three Maritime Provinces, indicating that ciids in the region appear not to be limited by availability of suitable host-fungi. However, Cis horridulus Casey, Cis striolatus Casey, and Cis subtilis Mellié, the three species in the Trametes host-use group, are very infrequently collected and apparently rare.Forests in Maritime Provinces have been greatly affected by forestry and disease, and such activities are known to impact fungal communities. Consequently such practices could have important repercussions for groups like the Ciidae that are reliant on fungi as both a food source and a habitat

The Elateridae (Coleoptera) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada: faunal composition, new records, and taxonomic changes

Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1811 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER G. MAJKA ◽  
PAUL J. JOHNSON
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
New Genus ◽  
New Records ◽  
New Combination ◽  
Palaearctic Species ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Taxonomic Changes ◽  
Faunal List

The Elateridae in the Maritime Provinces of Canada is surveyed. One hundred and twenty-five species have been recorded, 110 in Nova Scotia, 98 in New Brunswick, and 48 on Prince Edward Island. Of these, 117 are Nearctic, four are Holarctic, and four are introduced Palaearctic species. Twenty-four species are newly recorded in Nova Scotia, 13 in New Brunswick, and 27 on Prince Edward Island, for a total of 64 new provincial records. Fourteen species including Dalopius gentilis Brown, Dalopius pennsylvanicus Brown, Ampedus areolatus (Say), Ampedus laesus (LeConte), Ampedus nigricollis (Herbst), two undescribed species of Ampedus, Aeolus mellillus (Say), Athous posticus (Melsheimer), Athous productus (Randall), Athous scapularis (Say), Hypoganus sulcicollis (Say), Sylvanelater mendax (LeConte), and Negastrius exiguus (Randall) are newly recorded in the Maritime Provinces as a whole, and one species, Dalopius pennsylvanicus, is newly recorded in Canada. Two species are removed from the faunal list of New Brunswick and two from the faunal list of Nova Scotia. Taxonomic changes proposed are: Anostirus vernalis (Hentz), new combination; Anostirus bipunctatus (Brown), new combination; Anostirus exclamationis (Fall), new combination; Beckerus new genus; Beckerus appressus (Randall), new combination; Beckerus barri (Lane), new combination; Corymbitodes dorothyae (Knull), new combina-tion; Corymbitodes elongaticollis (Hamilton), new combination; Corymbitodes moerens (LeConte), new combination; Corymbitodes pygmaeus (Van Dyke), new combination; Corymbitodes tarsalis (Melsheimer), new combination; Corymbitodes xanthomus (Horn), new combination; Metanomus blaisdelli (Van Dyke), new combination; Metanomus insidiosus (LeConte), new combination; Metanomus shastensis (Van Dyke), new combination; Nitidolimonius new genus; Nitidolimonius appalachius (Van Dyke), new combination; Nitidolimonius breweri (Horn), new combination; Nitidolimonius resplendens (Eschscholtz), new combination; Nitidolimonius weidtii (Angell), new combination; Paractenicera new genus; Paractenicera exilis (Notman), new combination; Paractenicera fulvipes (Bland), new combi- nation; Pseudanostirus hamatus (Say), new combination; Sylvanelater, new genus; Sylvanelater cylindriformis (Herbst), new combination, Sylvanelater furtivus (LeConte), new combination; Sylvanelater limoniiformis (Horn), new combination; Sylvanelater mendax (LeConte), new combination; and Elater viridis Say is regarded as a nomen dubium.

scholarly journals The Derodontidae, Dermestidae, Bostrichidae, and Anobiidae of the Maritime Provinces of Canada (Coleoptera: Bostrichiformia)

Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1573 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER G. MAJKA
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Dinoderus Minutus ◽  
Saproxylic Species ◽  
Faunal List ◽  
Wood Boring

The beetle families of the Bostrichiformia—the Derodontidae, Dermestidae, Bostrichidae, and Anobiidae – in the Maritime Provinces of Canada are surveyed. Seventy-four native and established introduced species are now known to occur including 30 found in New Brunswick, 65 in Nova Scotia, and 29 on Prince Edward Island. Seven species are newly recorded from New Brunswick, 24 from Prince Edward Island, and 37 from Nova Scotia for a total of 68 new provincial records. A total of 31 species are newly recorded in the Maritime Provinces as a whole, three of which, Dinoderus minutus (Fabricius), Ernobius filicornis LeConte, and Ernobius granulatus LeConte, are newly recorded in Canada. Two species, Ptilinus pruinosus Casey and Caenocara oculata (Say), are removed from the faunal list of New Brunswick, and one subspecies, Attagenus unicolor unicolor (Brahm), is removed from the faunal list of Prince Edward Island since no specimens or published records could be found to support their presence.        Additional records of six other exotic species intercepted at ports and points in the region, but not established here, are also reported. A specimen of the Palearctic Ptinus bicinctus Sturm collected in 1915 in Nova Scotia, establishes a new early timeline for this species in North America. The fauna of the region is distinguished by the very large proportion (37 of 74 species, i.e. 50%) of which is introduced. It is also distinguished by the large proportion (22 of 37 species, i.e. 60%) of the indigenous, native fauna that is apparently rare, perhaps as a result of the historical impact of forest management practices on these wood-boring, saproxylic species. The fauna is further evaluated from both zoogeographic and ecological perspectives.

The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada: new records, biogeographic notes, and conservation concerns

Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1154 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER G. MAJKA ◽  
DAVID B. MCCORQUODALE
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
New England ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
New Records ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Adventive Species ◽  
Disjunct Populations

New records of Coccinellidae in the Maritime Provinces of Canada are reported. The known fauna of the region consists of 47 species: 41 in Nova Scotia, 39 in New Brunswick, and 21 in Prince Edward Island. Of these, records are provided for 13 species newly recorded from Nova Scotia and 14 from Prince Edward Island. Two species, Diomus amabilis (LeConte) and Naemia seriata seriata Melsheimer, are newly recorded in Canada. Didion punctatum (Melsheimer) is removed from the fauna of PEI, and Coccidula lepida LeConte is removed from the fauna of NS, and Scymnus impexus Mulsant is removed from the faunas of NS and NB. Records of two adventive species not established in the region are also reported. Collecting effort in the three provinces and their sub-regions is briefly analyzed and compared. Biogeographic observations are provided in relation to the composition of the fauna as a whole, and of disjunct populations of six Nova Scotia coccinellids, several of which appear to be members of a coastal plain fauna that extends from New England to southern Nova Scotia. The potential vulnerability of the coccinellid fauna is discussed in the context of both adventive species in the region, and habitat loss and conservation.

The weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) of the Maritime Provinces of Canada, II: New records from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and regional zoogeography

2007 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Majka ◽  
Robert S. Anderson ◽  
David B. McCorquodale
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
Biogeographic Patterns ◽  
Cape Breton ◽  
Faunal List ◽  
First Time

AbstractSeventy-nine species of weevils are newly reported in Nova Scotia and 66 species are newly reported on Prince Edward Island, increasing the known provincial weevil faunas to 244 and 92 species, respectively. Thirty-six species are recorded for the first time in the Maritime Provinces; of these, Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus (Marsham), Listronotus dietzi O'Brien, Corthylus columbianus Hopkins, and Orchidophilus aterrimus (Waterhouse) are recorded for the first time in Canada. Orchidophilus aterrimus has been collected only in exotic domesticated orchids and is not established in the wild. Fourteen species previously recorded on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, are reported from the provincial mainland. Four species — Curculio sulcatulus (Casey), Ceutorhynchus squamatus LeConte, Tachyerges niger (Horn), and Ips calligraphus (Germar) — are removed from the faunal list of Nova Scotia, and three species — Temnocerus cyanellus (LeConte), Curculio nasicus (Say), and Cryphalus ruficollis ruficollis Hopkins — are removed from the faunal list of Prince Edward Island. The combined known weevil fauna of the Maritime Provinces now totals 290 species. The adequacy of collection effort is discussed and in Nova Scotia, where collection effort has been greatest, distribution patterns of selected groups of species are examined. Island faunas are discussed with respect to those of Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton Island. Regional biogeographic patterns of species are also discussed, including possible disjunct populations in Nova Scotia and species that may not have crossed the isthmus of Chignecto to colonize Nova Scotia. Attention is drawn to the long history of introduced species in the region and to ongoing introductions through an examination of the earliest records for the 60 introduced species found in the region.

Introduced Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in the Maritime Provinces of Canada

2008 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Majka ◽  
Jan Klimaszewski
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Rove Beetles ◽  
Early Introduction ◽  
Introduced Populations ◽  
Taxonomic Research ◽  
Faunal List ◽  
First Time

AbstractThe fauna of introduced rove beetles (Staphylinidae) in the Maritime Provinces of Canada is surveyed. Seventy-nine species have now been recorded. Of these, 73 have been found in Nova Scotia, 29 on Prince Edward Island, and 54 in New Brunswick. Twenty-five species are newly recorded in Nova Scotia, 16 on Prince Edward Island, and 10 in New Brunswick, for a total of 51 new provincial records. Of these, 15 species, Tachinus corticinus Gravenhorst, Mycetoporus lepidus (Gravenhorst), Habrocerus capillaricornis (Gravenhorst), Aleochara (Xenochara) lanuginosa Gravenhorst, Gnypeta caerulea (C.R. Sahlberg), Atheta (Microdota) amicula (Stephens), Cordalia obscura (Gravenhorst), Drusilla canaliculata (Fabricius), Deleaster dichrous (Gravenhorst), Coprophilus striatulus (Fabricius), Carpelimus subtilis (Erichson), Leptacinus intermedius Donisthorpe, Tasgius (Rayacheila) melanarius (Heer), Neobisnius villosulus (Stephens), and Philonthus discoideus (Gravenhorst), are newly recorded in the Maritime Provinces. Two of these, Atheta (Microdota) amicula and Carpelimus subtilis, are newly recorded in Canada. Leptacinus intermedius is removed from the faunal list of New Brunswick and Philhygra botanicarum Muona, a Holarctic species previously regarded as introduced in North America, is recorded for the first time in the Maritime Provinces. An examination of when species were first detected in the region reveals that, on average, it was substantially later than comparable dates for other, better known families of Coleoptera — an apparent indication of the comparative lack of attention this family has received. Some introduced species appear to be associated with the dry-ballast mechanism of introduction to the continent, while others are synanthropic and may have been inadvertently introduced in connection with agriculture, horticulture, or other processes associated with human activities. A substantial number are now established and well distributed, seemingly indicative of an early introduction into the region, the ability to successfully colonize a habitat and disperse within it, or a combination of these factors. Other species appear to be local in distribution, perhaps indicative of more recent introductions, more restricted ecological tolerances, a lesser ability to disperse, or a combination of these factors. These recent discoveries are discussed briefly in the context of the importance of taxonomic research and ongoing monitoring in order to detect and identify exotic species and monitor for new introductions and changes in existing native or introduced populations — all important in terms of assessing the risk of introductions to, and their impact on, native faunas and habitats.

New records of Melyridae (Coleoptera) from the Maritime Provinces of Canada

2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Majka
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
North American ◽  
New Records ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
The North ◽  
The World

The Melyridae (soft-winged flower beetles) are a diverse, abundant, and widespread family of beetles found throughout the world, with more than 300 genera and 6000 species worldwide (Mayor 2002). Melyrids are particularly abundant in dry, temperate regions of the world. Mayor's (2002) synopsis of the North American fauna includes 58 genera and 520 species. Bright (1991) tabulates 49 species in 14 genera in the Canadian fauna. Only one species, the introduced Palearctic Malachius aeneus (L.), was reported for Atlantic Canada, with records in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

scholarly journals The Hydradephaga (Coleoptera, Haliplidae, Gyrinidae, and Dytiscidae) fauna of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada: new records, distributions, and faunal composition

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 897 ◽  
pp. 49-66
Author(s):  
Yves Alarie
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
New Records ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Faunal Composition ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Cape Breton ◽  
As Species ◽  
First Time

The Haliplidae, Gyrinidae, and Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada were surveyed during the years 2006–2007. A total of 2027 individuals from 85 species was collected from 94 different localities, which brings to 87 the number of species recorded for this locality. Among these, Heterosternuta allegheniana (Matta & Wolfe), H. wickhami (Zaitzev), Hydroporus appalachius Sherman, H. gossei Larson & Roughley, H. nigellus Mannerheim, H. puberulus LeConte, Ilybius picipes (Kirby), and I. wasastjernae (C.R. Sahlberg) are reported for the first time in Nova Scotia. The Nearctic component of the fauna is made up of 71 species (81.6%), the Holarctic component of 16 species (18.4%). Most species are characteristic of both the Boreal and Atlantic Maritime Ecozones and have a transcontinental distribution but 19 species (21.8%), which are generally recognized as species with eastern affinities. In an examination of the Hydradephaga of insular portions of Atlantic Canada, it was shown that the island faunas of Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island are very similar (87 and 84 species, respectively) despite differences in composition suggesting that more Hydradephaga species have yet to be found on Cape Breton Island.

Latridiidae (Coleoptera) of Atlantic Canada: new records, keys to identification, new synonyms, distribution, and zoogeography

2009 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Majka ◽  
David Langor ◽  
Wolfgang H. Rücker
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Cape Breton Island ◽  
New Synonyms ◽  
Cape Breton

AbstractThirty-five species of Latridiidae are reported in Atlantic Canada as a whole, 17 in New Brunswick, 14 in Newfoundland, 31 in Nova Scotia, and 14 on Prince Edward Island. Fifty-six new provincial records are reported (11 in New Brunswick, 9 in Newfoundland, 23 in Nova Scotia, 13 in Prince Edward Island). Twenty-two species are newly recorded for Atlantic Canada. Of these, Cartodere (Aridius) bifasciata (Reitter), Enicmus histrio Joy and Tomlin, Latridius consimilis (Mannerheim), Corticaria elongata (Gyllenhal), C. impressa (Olivier), C. saginata Mannerheim, Corticarina longipennis (LeConte), Melanophthalma helvola Motschulsky, and M. inermis Motschulsky are newly recorded in Canada, and C. bifasciata, E. histrio, and C. saginata are newly recorded in North America. Dienerella filiformis (Gyllenhal) is removed from the New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island lists. Corticaria dentigera LeConte is removed from the Labrador and Atlantic Provinces lists. Melanophthalma inculta Motschulsky syn. nov. and M. signata Belon syn. nov. are designated as a junior synonyms of M. inermis Motschulsky and M. picta (LeConte), respectively. Melanophthalma helvola Motschulsky is reinstated as a valid species. Lectotypes and paralectotypes of M. helvola and M. americana (Mannerheim) are designated. Approximately half of the species are adventive (16 Palaearctic, 1 Australian) and half are native (13 Nearctic, 3 Holarctic). Two species are of uncertain zoogeographic status. Although some species are synanthropic, several have colonized native habitats. Nova Scotia has the largest number of adventive species, probably as a result of trans-Atlantic shipping. New Brunswick has the fewest, at least in part because of insufficient collecting there. Early detection dates and introduction processes are discussed. The native faunas on Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, and Newfoundland appear diminished (33%–40%) compared with those of the neighbouring mainland. Although all latridiids are mycetophagous, many in the region show clear habitat preferences; however, the ecological role of those species requires further investigation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document