New records, detailed distribution and abundance of rove-beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) collected between 1990 and 2015 in Azores (Portugal) with an updated checklist

Abstract

The dataset we present consists of an inventory compiling all records and knowledge about Staphylinidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) in the Azores and is part of a long-term monitoring performed between 1990 and 2015 in different habitat types of eight islands of the Azores Archipelago. Most samples come from the BALA project (Biodiversity of Arthropods from the Laurisilva of Azores) that sampled native forests in the Azores. Additional sampled habitats include exotic forests, intensive and semi-natural pasturelands, orchards, caves and lava flows. Most of the records (about 96.7%) were collected in standardised sampling campaigns, which included pitfall traps and beating transect protocols. Non-standardised records are based on hand-collecting and sifting, as well as cave, colour and malaise traps. We provide a long-term inventory of Staphylinidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) collected in the course of several standardised sampling campaigns and recorded with non-standardised methods. We collected a total of 10744 specimens belonging to 69 identified species of Staphylinidae, which represents 51% of the species known from the Azores Archipelago. Four endemic species were sampled, representing 40% of the known Azorean endemic species. From this dataset, seven species are new for the Azores: Aleochara funebris Wollaston, 1864; Amischa forcipata Mulsant & Rey, 1873; Bledius unicornis (Germar, 1825); Carpelimus troglodytes (Erichson, 1840); Cypha seminulum (Erichson, 1839); Paraphloeostiba gayndahensis (MacLeay, 1871); Tachyporus caucasicus Kolenati, 1846. We also registered a total of 66 new island records for eight Azorean islands. This contribution continues a series of publications on the distribution and abundance of Azorean arthropods. We also provide an updated list of Azorean rove-beetles (Staphylinidae) that now includes 136 species, ten of them considered Azorean endemics.

An updated checklist of Azorean arthropods (Arthropoda)

“…Multi-taxa research include also many publications (e.g. Borges et al 2018b, Arteaga et al 2020, Marcelino et al 2021, Borges et al 2022b, Tsafack et al 2022, Lhoumeau et al 2022a, Lhoumeau et al 2022b.…”

“…The dataset was published in GBIF -Portugal (Borges et al 2022c). The published data include all the taxa listed in Suppl.…”

“…The dataset was published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility platform, GBIF (Borges et al 2022c). The published data include all the taxa listed in Suppl.…”

“…6). In the last 20 years, several publications described numerous new species, including Coleoptera (Borges et al 2004, Borges et al 2007, Borges et al 2017a) and Araneae (Crespo et al 2013, Crespo et al 2014, Crespo et al 2021. The publications on the inventorying and monitoring of Azorean terrestrial arthropods have been increased since the consolidation of the Azorean Biodiversity Group and the University of the Azores.…”

“…7). Most of the endemic species are threatened in the Azores probably as a result of the spread of invasive plant species, habitat loss associated with landscape transformation or due to climate change effects (Triantis et al 2012, Ferreira et al 2016, Borges et al 2020. In particular, four endemic species are extinct in Azores and 56, 53 and 22 are critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable, respectively (Fig.…”