Leptagria perexilis and Myllaena audax (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Florida

Leptagria perexilis Casey (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Falagriini) is known from North America from two records: 1) south-central New York, and 2) southern Texas (Hoebeke 1985). We report here 60 specimens collected by sifting horse dung on Big Pine Key (together with specimens of the staphylinid Aleochara notula Erichson, a known member of the dung fauna). Probably L. perexilis is widely distributed across the entire eastern United States. Its habitat is poorly known, though Hoebeke (1985) recorded it from cow dung and by a pond. Collection data are: USA, Florida, Monroe Co., Big Pine Key, 15.XII.1986, J. Klimaszewski & S. B. Peck, sifting horse dung (2 males, 6 females, and 52 specimens of undetermined sex). Specimens are in the Canadian National Collection, Florida State Collection of Arthropods, and in the collections of J. Klimaszewski and J. H. Frank. Myllaena audax Casey (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Myllaenini) is known mainly from western North America, with a few records from the northeast and still fewer from the southern USA (Klimaszewski 1982, Klimaszewski & Genier 1986). Its habitat is the banks of rivers, streams and lakes. We report here the first record from Florida: USA, Florida, Putnam Co., Ordway Preserve, Mill Creek Ford, 12.X.1985, J. H. Frank, in wet leaves at stream edge, 1 female (in collection J. H. Frank). Six other species of Staphylinidae have been added to the Florida list since Frank's (1986) checklist. Cephaloxynum rambouseki Bierig was reported from Dade Co. by Newton (1988); it was known previously only from Cuba, but may have occurred in southern Florida since prehistoric times as a component of the West Indian biota of the Florida Keys and adjacent mainland. Neohypnus coloratus Smetana and Oxybleptes meridionalis Smetana were described as new (Smetana 1988) from a few specimens from north-central Florida and southeastern Florida respectively; at present they must be considered as precinctive to Florida (i.e., occurring only in Florida). Lepitacnus pallidulus (LeConte) was reported from Florida by Smetana (1988) and is now known in the southern tier of states west to California. Atheta troglophila Klimaszewski & Peck and Atheta lucifuga Klimaszewski & Peck are known only from caves in the southern USA, including Florida (Klimaszewski & Peck 1986). Field work by S. B. & J. Peck and J. Klimaszewski was supported by a grant to S. B. Peck from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. We thank M. C. Thomas and R. E. Woodruff for reviewing a manuscript draft. This is University of Florida, Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences, journal series no. 9967.