Staphylinidae of Eastern Canada and Adjacent United States Part 1

Pseudopsis Newman can be recognized by its distinctive habitus (Fig. 9.16.2), longitudinal ridges on the pronotum and elytra (Fig. 1.6.1), and a last (sixth visible) abdominal tergite that is notched apically with an apical comb of setae (Fig. 9.16.1).

This genus is widely distributed in North America, with two northern transcontinental species (Herman 1975). Two species of Pseudopsis (P. subulata Herman and P. sagitta Herman) are known from ECAS and can only be separated by differences in male genitalia. However, individuals south of Canada are most likely to be P. subulata. Two undescribed species were reported from boreal forest in Québec but no diagnosis was given to distinguish them from described species (Paquin and Duperre 2001). In ECAS, Pseudopsis has been collected from sifted leaf litter and from underneath dung. Elsewhere the genus has been found in mammal burrows, fungi, mouldy pine cones, and in streamside litter (Herman 1975). One species, P. sagitta, was found to be dependent on old growth forests (Spence et al. 1997) and both species are collected in numbers in mature forests (A. Brunke personal observations). The feeding habits of Pseudopsis are unknown.