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Platydracus maculosus (Gravenhorst 1802)
 

Figure 7.7.1 Platydracus maculosus (Gravenhorst), pronotum. 11.14.1 P. maculosus, dorsal habitus. 11.14.2 P. maculosus, from early-stage carrion.

 
 

Platydracus maculosus can be easily distinguished from all other species of Staphylinina in ECAS (LeConte) by its large size (22-35 mm) and the distinct, dark and elongate spots on its elytra (Fig. 11.14.1). It can also be differentiated from the similar P. comes by the incomplete impunctate median line of the pronotum (Fig. 7.7.1) and from P. femoratus by its smaller eyes (Fig. 11.14.1).

 
 

This species is widespread in eastern North America, ranging south to the Florida panhandle. Its range in ECAS is given in Map 18.

Eastern Canada: ON, QC
Adjacent U.S.: MI, IN, OH, PA, NY, VT, NH, ME (All ECAS states)

Platydracus maculosus has been collected in ECAS from January to November, with a large peak in abundance in May and a second, smaller increase in September.

 
   
 

Platydracus maculosus is the largest and one of the most commonly encountered Platydracus species in ECAS. It primarily inhabits deciduous forests and open areas, where it occurs on carrion (Fig. 11.14.2), on dung, in leaf litter and sometimes in rotting fungi. A few individuals have been collected under bark and at lights. They are often observed in flight and their dark blue hindwings give them a wasp-like appearance. Adults overwinter under logs and rocks and can be found there in the late fall and early spring (Voris 1939). Smetana and Davies (2000) noted that P. maculosus had an older synonym, P. viduatus (Fabricius, 1801), and used that as the valid name for this species, but P. maculosus was conserved as the valid name by Opinion 2039 of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 2003).

 
 
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