Atheta fungi

This was found in a vane trap in my garden and subsequently identified from its spermatheca. The photos of the abdomen were taken in case I needed to key it properly (if the spermatheca proved not to be conclusive) and required detail of the abdomen that would have been lost on clearing it to access the spermatheca. As it turned out the spermatheca appears to be distinctive.

female Atheta fungi showing abdomen from above and below and spermatheca (3 orientations), North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 2nd May 2024

I had retained this one from my moth trap in 2019, a bit randomly as I wasn't routinely attempting rove beetles then. I hadn't managed to get far with it at the time and more recently I worked out that it was Aleocharinae and pended it until Duff was published. Unfortunately when I examined it post Duff the spermatheca broke (I assume as a result of my mishandling although it appeared to be broken before I opened the abdomen out to extract it). I think if it hadn't been a very common species or I hadn't recorded the species at this location on another occasion then I might have exercised more caution in view of the breakage, but although there are species with quite similar spermathecae I'm minded to think this is good enough for a repeat record of a very common species.

female Atheta fungi showing broken spermatheca, North Elmham (Norfolk, UK), 16th July 2019