Pselaphogenius dismukesi, Owens & Carlton, 2022

Owens, Brittany E. & Carlton, Christopher E., 2022, --- Revision- -- of- -- the- -- New- -- Zealand- -- species- -- of- -- the- -- Genus- -- Pselaphogenius Reitter- -- (Staphylinidae: --- Pselaphinae: --- Pselaphitae: --- Pselaphini) ---, Zootaxa 5155 (2), pp. 187-220 : 215-216

Pselaphogenius dismukesi ­­­Owens­­­&­­­Carlton,­­­sp.­­­nov.

(Fig. 21a–c)

Type­­­Material.­­­ Holotype:­­­(1­­­male)­­­ New Zealand: ND: Waipoua SF Te Matua Ngahere, litter, 4 Feb 1975 JC Watt, 75/94 ( NZAC) . Paratypes:­­­(1­­­male,­­­3­­­females)­­­ holotype locality ( NZAC) .

Etymology.­­­ This species is named in honor of Dr. David Dismukes, for his support of this project as member of the first author’s advisory committee.

Diagnosis.­­­ Externally, P. dismukesi is similar to other species in the genus. The form of the aedeagus, with a median lobe enlarged, ventral process simple and two lateral processes simple and curved dorsally is unique.

Redescription.­­­ MALE. ­­­Integument: head, pronotum, elytra, abdomen, and appendages light brown, palpi lighter in color. Head:­­­ width between eyes equal to ½ length of head from base of vertex to apex of rostrum. Eyes rounded, composed of 15 facets. Frontal margin of rostrum straight in dorsal view. Gular mound modified, as wide as long, broad anteriorly and rounded posteriorly; area of head posterior to gular mound flattened, slightly concave, nude, maxillary palpomere IV as long as head, narrow, widened at base and distal ½ to 1/3, v-shaped sensory patches present. Thorax:­­­ pronotum basal sulcus absent, lateral antebasal foveae present, median antebasal fovea reduced. Mesoventrite with median shield unmodified. Metaventrite afoveate, medially flattened, bearing short, fine setae, metacoxae separated by extension of ventrite I. Legs unmodified. Elytra with two basal foveae and single sutural fovea present; discal stria absent, sutural striae present. Abdomen:­­­ tergites of usual form for tribe. Ventrite I covered in dense, shining setae; ventrite II with basal sulcus occupying length of ventrite, sulcus densely setose, oval median depression shallow, reaching apex. Genitalia: aedeagus symmetrical. Median lobe enlarged, produced in thickened extension from phallobase. Lateral processes curved dorsally, narrowed and simple. Ventral process ventrally curved, distally, longer than median lobe. Parameres present, as long ventral process.

Females.­­­Integument,­­­Head,­­­Thorax,­­­Abdomen:­­­ Females are similar to males except eyes slightly smaller and ventrite II lacking median ovate depression.

Distribution.­­­ This species is only known from collection events in Northland (ND) and Westland (WD).

Material­­­examined.­­­(18­­­males,­­­25­­­females)­­­ New Zealand: ND: Waipoua Stm , 100m Litter 19 May 1978, SB Peck ( LSAM); (3­­­males,­­­5­­­females) New Zealand: ND: Omahutu S.F. Litter, 18 Mar 1978 SB Peck ( LSAM); (5­­­males,­­­7­­­females) ­­­ New Zealand: ND: Waipoua S.F. Litter, 4 Feb 1975 SE Nichols, 75/84; (1­­­male,­­­1­­­female)­­­ New Zealand: ND: Waipoua S.F., Te Matua Ngahere , litter, 75/19 4 Feb 1975, JC Watt ( LSAM); (10­­­males,­­­5­­­females) New Zealand: WD: Hokitika Gorge 19 Jan 1978 SB Peck ( LSAM); (6­­­males,­­­6­­­females) New Zealand: WD: Okuku Scenic reserve 46.7 km W Otira, 75 m 42’43S 171’14E, #050// zelandiae leaf litter Berlese, 12 Jan 1998 C.Carlton, R.Leschen ( LSAM) .