Acalyptomerus asiaticus, Crowson, Crowson, 1979

Results , Materials Examined and Discussion

Among bycatch from aphid suction traps in Miami-Dade Co., Florida ( Halbert and Burckhardt 2020), was a tiny enigmatic beetle collected in 2004. It was found recently in the “unknown family” material at Florida State Collection of Arthropods (FSCA), associated with a few other similar specimens from diverse localities. Upon close examination, it was discovered to represent a specimen of A. asiaticus , a species first described from Sri Lanka, and later specifically recorded from India, Malaysia, Thailand and surprisingly, from Jamaica ( Endrödy-Younga 1998). In addition to the Florida representative, additional specimens in the FSCA are from the Dominican Republic and Vietnam, which along with the previously recorded Jamaican record, indicates that this tiny animal probably is much more widely distributed in the circum-Caribbean area than is currently understood.

Very little is known of the biology of this species. Crowson (1979) said it was common in hay stacks and decaying vegetation and that it probably was distributed by human transport of animal fodder, but whether this refers to A. asiaticus specifically or the more general records for similar specimens he discussed is not clear. The few specimens examined have been taken flying – one in a suction trap and another at ultraviolet light.

The Florida specimen is associated with data maintained at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (DPI) under E2004-7933 (DPI Entomology records). This log number refers to a sample from the Kendall tall suction trap, located in Chapman Field, 13603 Old Cutler Rd., Miami, FL, USA [25.64280° N, − 80.29465° W]. The sample represents a trapping period from 24 November – 02 December 2004 and was collected by DPI Inspector Gwen Myres.

Crowson (1979) provides excellent illustrations of the adult and larva of this species, and Endrödy-Younga (1998) a key to species of adults of the genus. Leschen (2005, 2016) provides a generalized habitus of the genus. Cai et al. (2019, supplementary material fig. S4) provided an excellent photo of the Holotype, making the identification very confident.

Vouchers are deposited in the FSCA with the following data (label data verbatim following the conventions of Ivie 1985): 1 – FLORIDA: Miami-Dade ; Co. Kendall, 2-XII-2004; Susan Halbert; suction trap. NEW COUNTRY RECORD. 2 – VIETNAM: Haiphogn; Xuan Dam ( Cat Ba ; Ecolodge ) 29-V-2018; J. Heppner & L. Stange (one in MAIC). NEW COUNTRY RECORD. 1 – DOMINICAN REP.; Bonao , 29-VIII-1997; C. O’Brien, blacklight. NEW COUNTRY RECORD.