Species Oosternum attacomis

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Range · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Staphyliniformia)

Superfamily Hydrophiloidea

Family Hydrophilidae (Water Scavenger Beetles)

Subfamily Sphaeridiinae

Tribe Megasternini

Genus Oosternum

Species attacomis (Oosternum attacomis)

Explanation of Names

Oosternum attacomis Spangler, 1962

Numbers

2 Nearctic spp. (1)

Size

Length 1.3 mm; greatest body width 0.8 mm. (2)

Range

Louisiana to C. Amer. (2)

Life Cycle

a frequent nest associate of Atta texana ants (2)(Smetana 1978)(3) as well as an asso. of A. mexicana (2)(4)

Remarks

Spangler (1962) reported that Moser submitted what became the type series of Oosternum attacomis from Louisiana for identification. They were collected from detritus cavities 2-8 feet underground in nests of the Texas leaf-cutting ant, Atta texana and were most common in moist, fresh detritus actively being broken down by inquilines (nest assocites) but some were also found in dry detritus previously broken down.

Additional specimens of this new species were also collected from detritus from a nest of the Mexican leaf-cutting ant, Atta mexicana in El Salvador. (2)

Described from ~90 spmns from Louisiana and ~30 spmns from El Salvador (2)

Print References

Marquez-Luna, J. 1994. Coleopterofauna asociada a detritos de Atta mexicana (F. Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) en dos localidades del norte de Morelos, Mexico. Tesis profesional, Fac. de Ciencias, UNAM. Mexico, D.F. 134 pp. (4)

Marquez-Luna, J. and J.L. Navarrete-Heredia. 1995. Biological notes on Oosternum attacomis (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae), from Morelos state, Mexico. Entomological News 106: 203-208.

Smetana, A. 1978. Revision of the subfamily Sphaeridiinae of America North of Mexico (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, 105: 1-217.

Spangler, P.J. 1962. A new species of the genus Oosternum and a key to the U.S. species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 75: 97-100. (2)

Works Cited

1.	American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). 2000. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

2.	A new species of the genus Oosternum and a key to the U.S. species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Spangler, P.J. 1962. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 75: 97-100.

3.	Invertebrate enemies and nest associates of the leaf-cutting ant Atta texana (Buckley) (Formicudae, Attini). Waller, D.A. & J.C. Moser. 1990. Westview Press, Boulder, CO.

4.	Coleopterofauna asociada a detritos de Atta mexicana (F. Smith) ... en dos localidades del noite de Morelo, Mexico. Marquez-Luna, J. 1994. Tesis profesional, Fac. de Ciencias, UNAM. Mexico, D.F. 134 pp.

Contributed by Mike Quinn on 20 April, 2014 - 11:54pm
Last updated 21 April, 2014 - 3:49pm

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