Fróðskaparrit - 01.07.2004, Page 51

FØROYSKAR VATNKLUKKUR
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Megasternum concinnum (Marsham).
Hansen (1881) reported Megasternum bo-
letophagum from the Faroes, and Sharp
(1903) noted the same taxon named from
material taken by Annandale on Nólsoy in
August 1903. Nielsen (1908) referred to
“Megasternum bolitophagum [sic] Marsh.”
as did Mjoberg (1917) in adding a record
from Trongisvágur, Suðuroy. West (1930)
noted a fossil specimen at Tórshavn, and
occurrence in a whale carcase, as well as
noting the taxon to be well distributed in
the Faroes, usually being found under
stones. H. G. Vevers and F. C. Evans (Walk-
er, 1938) found this taxon in association
with puffín burrows on Mykines. Bengtson
(1981) recorded “Megasternum obscurum
boletophagum (Marsham)” in all the is-
lands surveyed except Skúvoy and Borðoy,
a predictable result for this species, which
is readily caught in pitfall traps. Hansen
(1999) showed that the name boletophagus
Marsham did not refer to this species, and
that the other name in widespread use, ob-
scurus Marsham, was not available, neces-
sitating a new combination based on an old
name, Megasternum concinnum (Mar-
sham) to describe this species. Single males
were found in sheep dung at Kaldbak, on
Streymoy, and at Vatnsoyrar, Vágar, in June
2004.
Anacaena globulus (Paykull). Hansen
(1881) recorded Hydrobius limbatus, fol-
lowed by Nielsen (1908). Over much of
Europe this record could not be assigned to
a particular species, following van Berge
Henegouwen’s (1986) separation of Ana-
caena lutescens (Stephens) from A. limbata
(Fab.) s. str. Given that there has only been
one record of the latter in Scotland, all oth-
er material being referable to the partheno-
genetic and normally dark female form A.
lutescens, it might be reasonable to suppose
that Hansen was referring to lutescens.
However, as he did not refer to globulus, a
common Faroese species, it is safer to set
his record aside. Holdhaus (1911) first
recorded Anacaena globulus. Bengtson
(1981) reported this species from 14 sites
on 11 islands, and noted that it was usually
in small numbers in a variety of habitats.
We found this species in 30% of the sam-
ples taken in 2004. Strikingly, it was often
absent from some springfed mires, a typical
habitat in the rest of Europe, but it occurred
in numbers in the Sphagnum carpet margin
of a wind-eroded pool above Gróthúsvatn
on Sandoy, a habitat that would normally
be occupied by Enochrus affinis (Thun-
berg) over most of north-west Europe.
STAPHYLINIDAE
The majority of Stenus species are associat-
ed with wetland vegetation. It is not possi-
ble to assign names in earlier use with cer-
tainty, but we recorded only S. brunnipes
Stephens from the east side of Gróthúsvatn
on Sandoy and S. nitidiusculus Stephens in
four samples, from Eysturoy, Sandoy,
Streymoy and Vágar. Both species were
previously reported by West (1930) and
Bengtson (1981).
SCIRTIDAE
Elodes minuta L. Hansen (1881) noted
Helodes minuta, mainly collected in 1863-
1868 by Dr A. Bergh. Mjðberg (1917)