Phormiobius pseudhalli, Shen & Choi & Leschen, 2020

Shen, Jia-Wei, Choi, Su-Ho & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2020, Revision of the New Zealand endemic genus Phormiobius (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 60 (2), pp. 553-564 : 561

Phormiobius pseudhalli sp. nov.

( Figs 7 , 10 )

Type material. Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: J, card-mounted ( NZAC): ‘ New Zealand, WN, Orongorongo V., W.N. 18 Jan 1994 // hard beech forest litter, Tullgren, #39’. Pൺ*©ൺඍඒඉൾඌ (10 JJ, all NZAC): RI: 1 J, Ruahine Ra., Armstrong Saddle, 1250m, 08/02/1980, C.F. Butcher, ex. Senecio bidwillii ; 1, Ruahine Ra., Triplex, 10/02/1980, C.F. Butcher, litter, 80/16; 2 JJ [in ethanol], Ruahine forest, Around Awatere Hut, 39°58′14″S, 176°08′23″E, 580m, sifted leaf litter, moss and rotten woods, 27/11/ 2018, J. Shen, JWS083; 1 J [in ethanol], Ruahine State Forest Park, Oroua River, 19/01/2008, K. Marske, R. Leschen & T. Buckley, sifted

leaf litter,S39.57.660’, E176.00.841’, 580m, KM 211. WN: 2 JJ, Tararua Forest Park, Holdsworth, 16/04/2005, R. Leschen, leaf litter, 40.53S, 175.28E, RL976; 2, Mt. Holdsworth, start of Interior Track, 30/1/1985, H.P. McColl, litter, 85/3; 1 J [in ethanol], Summit Track, Rimutaka Hill, 23/01/2008, K. Marske, R. Leschen & T. Buckley, sifted wood and leaf litter, S41.06.897’, E175.13.700’, 509m, KM 240.

Redescription. Body ( Fig. 7A ) length 2.06–2.11 mm (J, 2.07–2.11 mm; ♀, 2.06–2.10 mm), about 2.56× as long as wide (BL/AW = 2.42–2.69). Head about 1.20× longer than wide (HL/HW = 1.15–1.25). Pronotum about as long as wide (PL/PW = 1.08–1.10). Elytra wider than long, about 0.50× as long as wide (EL/EW = 0.49–0.52), and about 0.75× as long as pronotum (EL/PL = 0.71–0.78).Abdomen about 1.21× longer than wide (AL/AW = 1.20–1.23).

Male. Eyes with 14–15 facets. Abdominal concavities ( Fig. 7B ) present on V2 and V3; C1 and C4 absent; C2 deep and polished, with lateral edges clearly demarcated and forming well-developed rims, greatest width narrower than length of metatrochanter and slightly widened posteriorly; C3 shallow, surface setose, with apical spines, greatest width wider than length of metatrochanter; ventrite 4 without concavity. Metatrochanter ( Fig. 7D ) spinate, apex of spine rounded; metatibia ( Fig. 7C ) with distinct small apical spine. Tergite 5 ( Fig. 7E ) about 1.32× wider than long, broadly rounded; ventrite 5 ( Fig. 7F ) slightly emarginated at apex. Aedeagus ( Figs 7G–I ) with basal bulb oval in dorsal view; median lobe broad and parallelsided, unilobate and apiculate in lateral view, with small dorsocentral lobe at apical one-third.

Female. Eyes with 13–16 facets.

Differential diagnosis. This North Island species was initially confused with specimens of the South Island species P. halli , but the genitalia are significantly different with those of P. halli which have the median lobe apically mulitlobate. Phormiobius pseudhalli sp. nov. can be further separated by the narrower concavity on V2, and the lack of a small apical tooth on the metatibia.

Etymology. The naming of this species refers to its similarity to P. halli ; it is a noun in genitive singular.

Distribution. North Island: RI, WN.

Figures

Fig. 7. Diagnostic characters of Phormiobius pseudhalli sp. nov.A – habitus; B – abdomen, in ventral view; C – metatibia; D – metatrochanter; E – T8; F – V8 and T9; G – aedeagus, in dorsal view; H – same, in lateral view; I – same, in ventral view. Scale bars: A–B = 0.5 mm, C–I = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 10. Geographic distribution of Phormiobius brouni sp. nov., P. graceae sp. nov., P. halli Broun, 1917, P. matau sp. nov., P. pseudhalli sp. nov. and P. ramsayi sp. nov.