The Lucifotychus of Eastern North America (Coleoptera: Pselaphidae)

During a faunal survey of an old-growth coniferous forest in northern New Hampshire, an undescribed spe6ies of Lucifotychus Park and Wagner was discovered. Subsequent examination of collections from several institutions revealed that this new species was widely distributed in the northern United States and southern Canada, with another new species being found on Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina. These two species, with L. testaceus (Casey), are the only eastern representatives of this genus that has 17 species in the Pacific Northwest and California. This particular distribution pattern is similar to that of two other large genera of Pselaphidae, Sonoma Casey and Actium Casey, with the eastern taxa of Sonoma and Lucifotychus possessing some of the most different male features in their respective genera. Lucifotychus was initially proposed by Park and Wagner (1962) to hold three species from the Pacific Northwest. They also proposed a new subgenus, Custotychus Park and Wagner, to hold a species from eastern North America, Tychus daggyi Park. Shortly thereafter Grigarick and Schuster (1962) transferred all the remaining western Nearctic taxa placed in Tychus Leach to either the western Lucifotychus (Lucifotychus) or their new genus Hylotychus, and indicated that all of the eastern species of Tychus should be placed in Lucifotychus (Custotychus) while restricting Tychus to certain Palearctic species. Park (1956) had previously reviewed the eastern species of "Tychus," and provided a key to the known species.


INTRODUCTION
During a faunal survey of an old-growth coniferous forest in northern New Hampshire, an undescribed spe6ies of Lucifotychus Park and Wagner was discovered. Subsequent examination of collections from several institutions revealed that this new species was widely distributed in the northern United States and southern Canada, with another new species being found on Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina. These two species, with L. testaceus (Casey), are the only eastern representatives of this genus that has 17 species in the Pacific Northwest and California. This particular distribution pattern is similar to that of two other large genera of Pselaphidae, Sonoma Casey and Actium Casey, with the eastern taxa of Sonoma and Lucifotychus possessing some of the most different male features in their respective genera.
Lucifotychus was initially proposed by Park and Wagner (1962) to hold three species from the Pacific Northwest. They also proposed a new subgenus, Custotychus Park and Wagner, to hold a species from eastern North America, Tychus daggyi Park. Shortly thereafter Grigarick and Schuster (1962)  In a recent treatment of the world Tychini, Chandler (1988) recognized three genera in the assemblage of tychine species from eastern North America: Custotychus Park and Wagner, a valid genus with at least ten species; Nearctitychus Chandler with a single species, sternalis (Raffray); and one species found to be an eastern member of the otherwise western Nearctic genus, Lucifotychus. This eastern species of Lucifotychus was originally described as Tychus testaceus Casey (1884), but was later synonymized by Casey (1894:491) under Tychus minor LeConte (1849) from Georgia without comment, and all subsequent treatments have followed this synonymy. Tychus minor was recognized as a member of Custotychus by Chandler (1988), and is restricted to the southeastern United States. Ecological information on testaceus, under the name of minor, has been discussed in three papers (Reichle 1966(Reichle , 1969Chandler 1987).
A second eastern species of Lucifotychus, hirsutus n. sp., was discovered during a survey of the insect fauna of an uncut spruce/fir forest at Norton Pool in northern New Hampshire. Both testaceus and hirsutus occur in New Hampshire, with testaceus largely collected from the southern half of the state, and hirsutus in the northern half at Mt. Washington and near the Quebec border. Collection records for testaceus indicate a preference for deciduous leaf litters and, to a much lesser extent, rotten deciduous logs.
The studies dealing with this species (as minor, Reichle 1966Reichle , 1969Chandler 1987) have confirmed this preference. Chandler (1987) found that testaceus was more abundant in an old-growth forest than in a 40-year old forest. Hirsutus is a more northern species found in equal numbers in New Hampshire at an oldgrowth spruce-fir forest (Norton Pool), and a 30-year old forest nearby. At both sites it was strongly associated with spruce and fir leaf litters, and rotting coniferous logs. There are a few Canadian records from moss and one from deciduous litter in New Foundland. Hirsutus appears to be more common in a colder coniferous habitat, while testaceus prefers a warmer deciduous forest habitat. All measurements are in millimeters. Illustrations were initially prepared from cleared disarticulated specimens for the two more common species, and checked when appropriate against whole specimens mounted on points. Deposition of specimens are indicated by codons that may be found associated with the names of those arranging loans in the Acknowledgements. The two codons not found there are DSC, collection of the author, and DENH, Department of Entomology, University of New Hampshire, Durham.
Lucifotychus minor, auctorum. Reichle 1966, 1969. Chandler 1987 Length 1.72-2.00. Body orange to reddish-brown, setae over dorsal portion of body relatively short and less apparent, basal angle of setae on elytra 30-40. Males with 28-31 facets in eyes; protrochanters obtusely angulate on ventral margin, protibiae with small blunt preapical tooth on mesal margin, mesotibiae with small Psyche [Vol. 98 blunt subapical tooth on mesal margin, metatrochanters with rounded angulation at base on ventral margin, metatibiae lacking any teeth; sternite VI twice as long as V, less convex at middle than preceding sternites, apex of VI slightly and very broadly emarginate along base of VII, VII twice as wide as long.
Females with 18-21 facets in eyes, lacking modifications of legs, sternite VI broadly rounded as in preceding sternites, as long as V.
Over 500 specimens examined from the following states and Canadian provinces" CANADA: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick. UNITED STATES: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota. Reichle (1966)  This species differs slightly from the definition of Lucifotychus by Chandler (1988) in possessing modified metatrochanters. It has been collected primarily from deciduous leaf litters (Chandler 1987 and collection records), and has been associated with deciduous leaf litters near bogs and swamps by Reichle (1966,1969). Several Canadian records indicate that this species may be found in mosses. In the study by Chandler (1987) of two New Hampshire forests, testaceus was most common early in the season from May to June. The ranges of testaceus and hirsutus broadly overlap in southern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, but the two species have been collected together only twice: on the Ile d'Anticosti and at Dosquet, Quebec. The two species may be readily separated by using the male features, but testaceus is also distinguished in the shorter and more depressed setae on the dorsal surface. Testaceus may be separated from quirsfeldi by the larger eyes for both sexes, as well as the male characters of the legs and aedeagus. Lucifotychus hirsutus n. sp.
(Figs. 5-7, 10) Length 1.76-2.04. Body orange to red-brown, setae on dorsal surface shaggy in appearance, 0.08-0.10 long on elytra, basal angle of setae on elytra 40-60. Males with 23-28 facets in eyes; protrochanters sharply angulate on ventral margin, protibiae with small preapical tooth on mesal margin, mesotibiae with small subapical tooth on mesal margin, metatrochanters with rounded tooth at middle of ventral margin, metatibiae with small apical tooth on mesal margin; sternite VI over twice as long as V, with deep rounded impression in apical half to margin of VII, VI at apex with narrow deep emargination, VII nearly twice as wide as long.
Females with 20-22 facets in eyes, lacking modifications of legs, sternite VI broadly rounded as in preceding segments.
Specimens examined, 34: HOIO:'E male, New Hampshire, Psyche [Vol. 98 V-24-1973, tamis sphaigne (CCC); 2 males, Ile d'Anticosti, Lac Larouche, VII-11-1973, VII-22-1973 This species is most commonly collected in conifer leaf and log litters, and has been collected in mosses in Canada. In addition to the male differences, it may be separated from testaceus by the more shaggy appearance, with the dorsal setae longer and more erect, especially on the elytra. Lucifotychus was defined by Chandler (1988) as having members possessing an apical appendix on the fourth segment of the maxillary palpi, a phallobase diaphragm, symmetrical genitalia, a complete array of the foveae that are found in the Tychini, unmodified male metatrochanters, and a number of other features. Testaceus possesses all of these features, but has weakly modified male metatrochanters. Hirsutus also has modified male metatrochanters, but the aedeagus has an asymmetrical penis and lacks a phallobase diaphragm. Since hirsutus possesses the unusual and derived feature of the appendix of the fourth segment of the maxillary palpi, it clearly belongs in or near Lucifotychus, and is placed in that genus until further work can be done on the Tychini of the eastern Palearctic region. Lucifotychus quirsfeldi n. sp.
(Figs. 8, 10) Length 1.84-2.00. Body orange brown, setae over dorsal portion of body relatively short, basal angle of setae on elytra 20-40. Males with 16 facets in eyes, trochanters not modified, protibiae with preapical spur on mesal margin, mesotibiae with blunt subapical spur on mesal margin, sternite VI twice as long as V, flattened at middle, apex of VI slightly and broadly emarginate along base of VII, VII nearly twice as wide as long.
Females with 16 facets in eyes, lacking modifications of legs; sternite VI broadly rounded as in preceding sternites, nearly as long as V.
PARA:YPE female, eutopotypical (DSC). The name for this species is taken from the collector of the series.