Sonoma brasstownensis, Ferro & Carlton, 2010

Ferro, Michael L. & Carlton, Christopher E., 2010, Fifteen new species of Sonoma Casey from the eastern United States and a description of the male of Sonoma tolulae (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (137), pp. 1-44 : 11-12

4. Sonoma brasstownensis new species

Fig. 4 , 21 ; Map 3

Description. Holotype, male. Measurements: head 0.31 long, 0.37 wide; pronotum 0.37 long, 0.44 wide; elytra 0.67 long, 0.35 wide; antennomeres 1-11 total 0.85; total length 2.04.

Head. Eyes large, maximum length in dorsal view 9/10 length of first antennal segment, with approximately 25 facets. Antennomere 2 approximately 7/10 width of 1; 3 smallest.

Thorax. Elytra with row of 4 sutural foveae in basal 1/3, first fovea large, distance from 2 nd to 3 rd fovea 3x distance from 3 rd to 4 th; single fovea lateral to second sutural fovea; central row of 5 foveae in basal 2/5. Winged.

Abdomen. Thick transverse row of microtrichia narrowly interrupted at midline. No abdominal foveae. Basal pubescence present on all visible ventrites.

Aedeagus. Asymmetrical. Left paramere: swollen at base, lobed internally (scoop shaped); apex blunt with long curved lateral spine; single thick distolateral seta adjacent to apical spine, single thick mesal subapical seta; truncate mesal setose process with 5 thick apically finely bifid setae on distal margin. Endophallus: lateral digitate process long and wide, ventrad from right paramere, strongly curved dorsally; strongly curved ventrally in distal 1/3 with apically expanded lamina. Right paramere: dorsolateral setose process near base, long, apex rounded, with 5 thick apical setae; lateral constriction at level of digitate process of endophallus; apex blade-like, acute. Tubercles weak and sparse concentrated on lateral and ventral surface of left paramere, and absent from right paramere.

Type Material. Holotype, male: * USA: Georg., Towns Co., 1 mi. S Brasstown Bald, (4000’), 15-V-1981, FMHD #81-169 , ex litter under rhododen. on hillside 20 stream edge, L. Watrous ( FMNH) (1M). Deposited in FMNH.

Paratypes (n=5). UNITED STATES: GEORGIA: Towns Co.: * USA: Georg., Towns Co., 1 mi. S Brasstown Bald, (4000’), 15-V-1981, FMHD #81-169, ex litter under rhododen. on hillside 20 stream edge, L. Watrous ( FMNH) (1M). * USA: Georg., Towns Co., 1 mi. S. Brasstown Bald, 15-IV-1981, FMHD #81- 172, ex damp litter at base of steep incline, L. Watrous ( FMNH) (1M). Union Co.: *Brasstown Bald, GA.

Union Co. 8.IX.63 El. 2,750’ / Forest floor debris / H. R. Steeves,Jr. J.D.Patrick, Jr. Collectors / H. R. Steeves Jr. Collection / [male symbol] ( FMNH) (1M) ; same data, ( FMNH) (1M) SLIDE. * Brasstown Bald Union Co., GEORGIA 9.VIII.1965 / Moss on log W.Suter leg. / [male symbol] ( FMNH) (1M) .

Geographical Distribution. Sonoma brasstownensis is only known from Brasstown Bald, which is bisected by Towns and Union counties in northeastern Georgia, 830 - 1220 m elevation.

Comments. Specimens were collected during April, May, August, and September from litter under rhododendron, damp litter at the bottom of an incline, and from moss on a log.

Sonoma brasstownensis has aedeagal characters unlike any other Sonoma . The apically expanded lamina of the distal 1/3 of the endophallus will serve to distinguish this species from all others in the genus.

Etymology. This species is named for the type and only known locality, Brasstown Bald, Georgia.

Figures

Figure 1-5. Habitus images. 1) Sonoma cygnus, holotype. 2) Sonoma parkorum, holotype. 3) Sonoma baylessae, holotype. 4) Sonoma brasstownensis, holotype. 5) Sonoma nicholsae, holotype. Scale lines equal 1.0 mm.

Figure 20-23. Aedeagus images. 20) Sonoma baylessae, aedeagus (dorsal view). 21) Sonoma brasstownensis, aedeagus (dorsal view). 22) Sonoma nicholsae, aedeagus (dorsal view). 23) Sonoma gilae, aedeagus (dorsal view). Scale lines equal 0.1 mm. Right side of figure is anatomical left.