Morphological variation of the spermatheca of Mocyta fungi (Insecta: Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)
The variation of spermatheca of Mocyta fungi (Gravenhorst, 1806) has been studied. Mocyta fungi is a widespread Holarctic species, which by a combination of morphological and biological features belongs nowadays to the genus Mocyta (Mulsant & Rey, 1874), tribe Athetini (Casey, 1910), subfamily Aleocharinae (Fleming, 1821), family Staphylinidae (Latreille, 1802). Based on a survey of museum collections, the author’s own gatherings, and collections of Ukrainian entomologists, a total of 349 specimens from Ukraine, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Germany, Poland, and Russia have been studied. Additionally, based on the analysis of all known literature data, a wide range of variation of the spermatheca of Mocyta fungi has been compiled. The wide morphological variability of the form of the spermatheca in Mocyta fungi in different parts of the species range indicates the need for careful use of the form of the spermatheca taxonomic works, especially when describing new species based on the study of one or a few specimens. In addition, the most effective group of diagnostic features has been compiled for Mocyta fungi, which can be used to identify species quickly and reliably both in the field and during cameral identification. The information on the species’ distribution in the territory of Ukraine has been clarified and significantly supplemented by new findings. The results can be used to address a number of theoretical issues of faunistics, zoogeography, and ecology, as well as in compiling the inventory of the fauna of the Ukrainian Carpathians, for comparative faunal research, in the analysis of species distribution, in biogeographic constructions, studies of faunogenesis, ecological monitoring and prediction of consequences of the influence of human activities on natural ecosystems of the region.