Prespelea wagneri Caterino & Vasquez-Velez

Caterino, Michael S. & Vasquez-Velez, Laura M., 2017, A revision of Prespelea Park (Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), ZooKeys 685, pp. 105-130 : 121

Prespelea wagneri Caterino & Vasquez-Velez sp. n. Figs 22, 33, 46, Map 50

Type material.

Holotype male: "Brasstown Bald, GA, Union Co., 11.VIII.63', El. 2750', B" / "Rhododendron and softwood debris" / "H.R. Steeves, Jr., J.D. Patrick Jr. collectors" / "H.R. Steeves Jr. Collection" / "PARATYPE [not]" / " P. patricki [nom. nud.]"; DNA Extract MSC-2410; deposited in FMNH. Paratypes (13): 2 males, 1 female same data as type, deposited in FMNH, CUAC; 3 males and 3 females, same locality but collected September 8, 1963 from 'forest floor debris’, deposited in FMNH; 2 males and 1 female, same locality but collected May 31, 1964 from 'forest floor debris nr. dead wood’, deposited in FMNH; 1 female, same locality but collected October 23, 1965 from 'forest floor debris nr rotten wood’, deposited in FMNH.

Diagnosis.

This species is externally indistinguishable from P. enigma except in the following male characters: metaventral process broader and more prominent, obviously dentate in lateral view, apically rounded in posterior view, metaventrite very weakly flattened to subconcave behind; metatrochanteral process similar to that of P. enigma , with a rather narrow, recurved subapical tooth. Aedeagus with sides distinctly sinuate, wide near apex, thence apically converging, apex shallowly emarginate; apicodorsal ridges not extending to distal corners; internal sac with lateral clusters of ~8 narrow spines. Female pygidium broad, very weakly convex, without median ridge or tooth; apical ventrite with very broadly and weakly bilobed transverse median carina, concave behind. Neck weakly flattened beneath, but not carinate. TL 1.72-1.92mm; Max. width (EW) 0.59-0.69mm.

Distribution.

This species is known from several collections on Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s highest peak (though not apparently near its peak, at a stated 2750 feet on all labels).

Remarks.

The distinctive internal sac armature of the aedeagus distinguishes this species from all others with fully-eyed males, and may suggest relationships to P. myersae and P. minima , which also have internal sac armature, though our phylogenetic analyses of morphological data do not unite such a group. Despite the attempted extraction of DNA from one older specimen, we have not been successful at generating a sequence for this species.

The type specimens were initially labeled by John Wagner as ‘types’ and ‘paratypes’ of his manuscript species ' P. patricki '. We have not used his intended name, but have left his labels on the specimens.