The aleocharine beetles (Staphylinidae - rove beetles) of New Hampshire (and Maine) - the promise and challenges for use of these rove beetles in biodiversity studies.
The largest subfamily (Aleocharinae) of the largest beetle family (Staphylinidae) is still poorly known in the United States. The biology, diversity, collecting techniques, and reasons why the subfamily has been so poorly known will be discussed, as well as the promise for expansion of knowledge for the diversity of Maine as is currently being done for New Hampshire and has been down for Canada.
Dr. Chandler
Don Chandler (left) and Jan Klimaszewski (right, Master Aleocharinae specialist)
grew up in northern California (Red Bluff at the northernmost point of the Central Valley), and started collecting insects when he was seven or so. Both parents were entomologists, so all aspects of natural history investigations were supported. Attended UC Davis (BS in Entomology), University of Arizona (MS in Entomology, mentor Floyd Werner, Anthicid beetle specialist), and Ohio State (PhD in Entomology, Chuck Triplehorn (Tenebrionid beetle specialist). From there Dr Chandler worked for Bureau of Land Management in southeastern Arizona surveying the BLM lands for insects, then serving as the Entomologist for Butte County Mosquito Abatement District in Oroville CA ( actively collecting my specialty groups of beetles while ostensibly "surveying/identifying mosquitos"). and then as professor and curator of the insect collection at University of New Hampshire since 1981. There charged with building representation of the NH insect fauna for the collection, and did so through season-long surveys of the insects of various natural/unique areas around the state using several collection techniques, followed by a period of extensive and systematic collection of aquatic insects around the state. I have been involved with the MES since (I don't know when, 2006?) by participating in several bioblitzes and leading several Winter Workshops prior to the following bioblitzes. I also was a collaborator with Chris Majka and Charlene Donahue with the book "Checklist of the Beetles of Maine, USA", and with David Manski, Charlene Donahue, and Andrei Alyokhin produced the "Biodiversity of the Schoodic Peninsula: Results of the Insect and Arachnid Bioblitzes at the Schoodic District of Acadia National Park, Maine.