Halobrecta flavipes Thomson 1861

Halobrecta flavipes Thomson, 1861

(Figs. 13, 14, 15-22)

Description

A description of Halobrecta flavipes Thomson is given in Klimaszewski et al. (2002) and Gusarov (2004). Th is marine littoral species has been previously recorded from the coasts of Europe (Smetana 2004), Inaccessible Islands, Chile, and the United States (New York, Virginia) (Klimaszewski et al. 2002; Gusarov 2004). We report this species for the first time for New Brunswick, Canada, from specimens collected in the intertidal and littoral zones.

Collection data

CANADA, New Brunswick: Charlotte Co., Maces Bay, 45°.1242 N, 66°.4732 W, 11 July 2008, R. P. Webster, coll., sea beach, intertidal zone, under 10-30 cm diameter

rocks in fine gravel/clay mix, about 4.0 m below mean high tide mark (RWC), 2 sex undetermined; Saint John Co., Black Beach, 45°.1539 N, 66°.2282 W, 11 July 2008, R. P. Webster, coll., sea beach, intertidal zone, under 20 cm diameter rock in fine gravel about 3.0 m below mean high tide mark (RWC) 1 sex undetermined; Saint John Co., Chance Harbour off Cranberry Head Road, 45°.1348 N, 66°.3438 W, 6 July 2008, R. P. Webster, coll., sea beach, intertidal zone, under 30-80 cm diameter rocks in fine gravel/clay mix, 3.0 to 5.0 m below mean high tide mark (LFC, RWC), 8 sex undetermined.

Saint John Co., Chance Harbour, 45.1156° N, 66.3610° W, 7 May 2006, leg. M. Giguère and R. Webster, sea beach, in decaying seaweed near mean high tide mark (RWC), 2 females, 1 male; Chance Harbour off Cranberry Head Road, 45.1348° N, 66.3438° W, 12 May 2008, leg. R. P. Webster, sea beach, intertidal zone, under large (30-80 cm) deep-set rocks (covered with Ascophyllum nodosum (Linnaeus) Le Jolis, Phaeophyceae, Fucales) in gravel/clay soil about 3 to 3.5 m below mean high tide mark (LFC, RWC), 5 males, 3 females, 40 sex undetermined; Dipper Harbour, 45.1154° N, 66.3720° W, 12 May 2008, leg. R.P. Webster, sea beach, intertidal zone, under deep-set rock on fine gravel, approximately 2 m below mean high tide mark (RWC), 1 male.

Bionomic notes

Fifty-seven adults of H. flavipes were collected from under large deep-set rocks 3.0 to 3.5 m below the mean high tide mark at Chance Harbour in May and July 2008. Many other adults were observed under rocks on these dates. Micralymma marinum (Ström) (Staphylinidae, Omalinae) was also common under deep-set rocks at this site, but a few individuals were also observed on the surface of the gravel adjacent to the rocks. Mating pairs of M. marinum were also observed under the rocks. Th ree adults of H. flavipes were found under decaying seaweed near the mean high tide mark on 7 May 2006. However, no adults were observed in decaying seaweed or other drift material near the mean high tide mark in 2008.