New Records of Featherwing Beetles (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) in North America

This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Sörensson, Mikael (2003): New Records of Featherwing Beetles (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) in North America. The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (4): 369-381, DOI: 10.1649/564, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1649/564AbstractNew continental, national, provincial and state records of 34 species of Ptiliidae reported from North America are briefly listed, 20 of which belong to Acrotrichis Motschulsky. Eight European/ Palaearctic species (Oligella foveolata (Allibert), Ptiliolum fuscum (Erichson), Ptiliola kunzei (Heer), Ptinella aptera (Guérin-Meneville), P. britannica Matthews, P. johnsoni Rutanen, Acrotrichis parva Rosskothen, A. silvatica Rosskothen) were previously not recorded on the North American continent. Fourteen species are new to Canada and 12 new to U.S.A. New or previously dubious provincial and state records are confirmed for Canada (96) and for U.S.A. (133). Acrotrichis fungi (Abdullah and Abdullah), previously established as a nomen dubium, should be removed from the Canadian list of Coleoptera. An updated checklist of North American ptiliid genera is presented. A tabulated summary of ptiliid species common to North America and either Europe or the Palaearctic is presented. Species are ordered according to their supposed origin (recent introductions or indigenous elements).Species of the beetle family Ptiliidae (Featherwing beetles) are obscure, small creatures primarily found in leaf litter and rotten organic substances all over the world. Although often common they have generally been neglected by collecting coleopterists, and larger collections of Ptiliidae are rare even among public museums.From America north of Mexico some 110 valid species (ca. 135 nominal) are known, the majority having been described more than 100 years ago (Casey, Haldeman, LeConte, Matthews, Motschulsky). The actual number of species is estimated to exceed this figure two- or even threefold. My own collection holds 160 North American species belonging to genera already described (cf. Table 1). In addition there are dozens of species which cannot be assigned to any known genus. Dybas (1978) estimated the number of species to exceed 200. Modern revisions are lacking for most genera, the exceptions primarily being H. S. Dybas’ works on Bambara Vuillet (Eurygyne Dybas) (Dybas 1966), Ptinellodes Matthews (Dybas 1978 a) and Ptiliopycna Casey (Dybas 1978 b), and Seevers’ and Dybas’ (1943) revision of the myrmecophilic genera of Cephaloplectinae. Monotypic genera (Porophila Dybas; Hydnosella Dybas; Cylindroselloides Hall, Throscoptiloides Hall) were treated by Dybas (1956, 1961) and Hall (1999). Of the taxa mentioned only Bambara occurs in the Palaearctic region.Sundt (1958) showed that most ptiliid species cannot be identified with certainty without consideration of the structure and configuration of the genitalia. He especially stressed the importance of using type specimens to establish species identities primarily based on genitalic characteristics, thereby laying an unequivocal foundation for species identification. For that reason practically all previous non-type records of American Ptiliidae cited in the literature before Seevers and Dybas (1943) cannot be uncritically accepted without thorough rechecking, which involves preparing for the genitalia and comparison with primary type specimens. In addition, works, keys and catalogues of younger age that uncritically cite older records are unreliable and thus of limited value (e.g., Arnett 1968; Poole and Gentili 1996; in part also Downie and Arnett 1996).369Table 1. Checklist of valid generic names of Ptiliidae of America north of Mexico. The genera are arranged alphabetically. Synonyms are omitted (Dilinium Casey ¼? Micridium Motschulsky; Ptiliodina Casey ¼? Pteryx Matthews; cfr. Dybas (1990); Hall (2001); Johnson (2001); Poole and Gentili (1996)).Acrotrichis Motschulsky, 1848 Paralimulodes Bruch, 1919 Actidium Matthews, 1868 Porophila Dybas, 1956 Actinopteryx Matthews, 1872 Ptenidium Erichson, 1845 Bambara Vuillet, 1911 Pteryx Matthews, 1858 Cylindrosella Barber, 1924 Ptiliola Haldeman, 1848 Cylindroselloides Hall, 1999 Ptiliolum Flach, 1888 Hydnosella Dybas, 1961 Ptiliopycna Casey, 1924 Limulodes Matthews, 1867 Ptilium Gyllenhal, 1827 Micridium Motschulsky, 1869 Ptinella Motschulsky, 1844 Millidium Motschulsky, 1855 Ptinellodes Matthews, 1872 Motschulskium Matthews, 1872 Smicrus Matthews, 1872 Nanosella Motschulsky, 1869 Suterina Dybas, 1981 Nephanes Thomson, 1859 Throscoptilium Barber, 1924 Nossidium Erichson, 1845 Throscoptiloides Hall, 1999 Oligella Motschulsky, 1869A new critically checked catalogue or checklist of North American Ptiliidae is thus needed. My own preliminary checklists of Ptiliidae of Canada and of U.S.A. have not incorporated most older records. Scanning new material reconfirmed in some instances old literature records (see list below). However, much work needs to be done before a‘ ‘clean’’ list emerges. As an example I have in preparation a revision of North, Central and South American Acrotrichis Motschulsky, the largest ptiliid genus, comprising about 20% of the total ptiliid species number in North America. The list of taxa below is a modest start and should be viewed in the light of that work.The majority of genera currently recorded from North America are of Holarctic or cosmopolitan distribution. Following Dybas (1990) and Hall (1999, 2001), also including the Cephaloplectinae (Limulodinae), only seven out of 29 ptiliid genera seem restricted to North America (cfr. Table 1). Five of these belong to the Nanosellini. These figures to a large extent reflect the influence of previous works by European nineteenth century students, who usually assigned North American species to wellknown European genera. Years ago Dybas stated that only a fraction of the actual number of North American ptiliid species had been named, and certainly some of them seemed to belong to already known genera of tropical distribution not occurring in Europe, or would need to have new genera erected. Dybas (1990) also remarked that a few North American polytypic genera possibly should be split in two.Table 1 summarizes in a brief, updated checklist the current standing on the generic level of North American Ptiliidae (incl. Cephaloplectinae). I have not attempted a systematic arrangement since the internal classification of Ptiliidae is still poorly known. The checklist builds partly on Dybas (1990), Hall (1999, 2001) and Johnson (2001) but was corrected for authors and dates. It should be contrasted with Poole and Gentili (1996) for spelling, years of description, included taxa, etc.For the last 15 years I have scanned large amounts of ptiliid material, both from main sources of larger museum collections in North America and from minor collections of other origin. I can confirm the view of Dybas as cited above, although species-rich genera such as Acrotrichis, Ptenidium Erichson, Ptinella Motschulsky and Ptiliolum Flach, do in fact share a fair number of species with the European or Palaearctic realm. As far as possible I have taken notes on records of species new to North America, Canada or U.S.A., and their provinces/states. Below is presented a condensed list of such records. I have put special emphasis on ptiliid species regarded as common to America north of Mexico and Europe or the Palaearctic region. Additionally a few strictly Nearctic species have been included. Finds from geographical localities other than those cited below were seen for many states and species and were recorded for my personal files. For practical reasons only one record per state/province is cited.Materials and MethodsMaterial for this investigation was collected during my own field trips in Canada and U.S.A. and was supplemented by samples from the profuse collections of North American public museum as well as private collections of Ptiliidae generously put at my disposal, including a few European sources. During the course of study many thousands of specimens were studied, sexed and identified. This paper accounts for a part of that work. Altogether 4,604 specimens of 34 species from Canada and U.S.A. are listed below. They are preserved as drymounts or in ethanol and were studied and identified according to modern practice, involving checking genitalia of critical species. Whole slide mounts proved unnecessary for proper species identification.Genera and species within genera as presented below are given alphabetically. Species of Acrotrichis Motschulsky are listed according to their subgeneric and species group associations. In the species list states or provinces are given in bold style followed by original label data, including brief particulars on collecting and the number of specimens (if sexed). Number of specimens (not sexed) and abbreviated name of collection(s) and preservation then follow in parenthesis.Material from the following public institutions and private collections were studied: BMNH (The Natural History Museum, London), CCC (coll. Claude Chantal, Québec), CJLC (coll. J. L. Carr, Alberta), CKS (coll. Karl Stephan, Oklahoma), CMD (coll. Michael Darby, London), CNC (Canadian National Insect Collection, Ottawa), coll. P. Paquin (Ottawa), EDNH (Entomological Museum, Durham, New Hampshire), ESNN (coll. E. Sundt, Norsk Institutt for Skogforsking at Ås, Norway), FMNH (Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago), HSLA (Public Health Service, Los Angeles), IVTA (Institut voor Taxonomie, Antwerpen), MCZ (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard), MM (Manchester Museum, Manchester), MSUL (coll. M. Sörensson, University of Lund, Sweden), WUMB (J. B. Wallis Museum, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg).ResultsOf 4,604 specimens examined 34 ptiliid species were identified: 3,306 representing 20 species belong to Acrotrichis Motschulsky. In all 1942 specimens of 30 species originate from Canada, 2,662 specimens of 28 sp

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