Pselaphaulax intermedius Owens & Carlton, 2022

Owens, Brittany E. & Carlton, Christopher E., 2022, Revision of the New Zealand species of the Genus Pselaphaulax Reitter (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Pselaphitae: Pselaphini), Zootaxa 5155 (2), pp. 221-244 : 226

Pselaphaulax intermedius Owens & Carlton , sp. nov.

( Fig. 5a–c )

Type Material. Holotype: (male) New Zealand: CO: Rock and Pillar Ra., 1158 m Swards, 13 Nov 1969 J McBurney, 69/208 ( NZAC) . Paratypes: (1 male, 1 female) New Zealand: CO: Old Man Ra., 1432 m, Litter and debris, 24 Feb 1974 JC Watt, 74/11 ( NZAC) .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the species’ intermediate status between species groups 1 and 2.

Diagnosis. Externally, Pselaphaulax intermedius can be distinguished from all others in the genus by possessing a combination of characters of species groups 1 and 2: gular mound rounded posteriorly (group 2); pronotum with median antebasal foveae well-developed, mesoventral shield with setose foveae (group 1). The form of the genitalia is also unique, with the median lobe large and complex, lateral processes absent, and ventral process simple and short.

Description. MALE holotype. Integument: head, pronotum, elytra, abdomen, and appendages light brown, palpi lighter in color. Head: wide, width between eyes greater than ½ length of head from base of vertex to apex of rostrum. Eyes rounded, composed of 16 facets. Frontal margin of rostrum in dorsal view straight with sparse suberect setae. Gular mound narrowed apically and rounded posteriorly, swelling as long as wide, glabrous; area of head posterior to gular mound flattened, slightly concave, nude. Maxillary palpomere IV as long as head, widened at base and distal 1/3, v-shaped sensory patches present, margined by carinae. Thorax: pronotum with basal sulcus faint, delimited by lateral antebasal foveae; median antebasal foveae margined by small longitudinal carinae, present in groove alongside basolateral pits. Mesoventrite with median shield bearing patch of spongeose setae in small concavity behind margin of procoxae. Metaventrite afoveate; metacoxae separated by extension of ventrite I. Legs unmodified. Elytra with one basal fovea and single sutural fovea; discal stria absent, sutural striae present; apical fringe of setae present, sparse. Abdomen: Tergites of usual form for tribe. Ventrite II with median area slightly flattened at base, apically margined by short, sparse setae. Genitalia: aedeagus asymmetrical. Median lobe distally large and complex. Ventral process short, downward curved, distally, much shorter than median lobe. Lateral processes absent. Parameres present, as long as median lobe.

Females. Integument, Head, Thorax, Abdomen: similar to male except eyes slightly smaller.

Distribution. Pselaphaulax intermedius is known only from the type localities in Central Otago (CO).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Pselaphaulax intermedius, sp. nov. a) localities where specimens have been collected; b) aedeagus, lateral; c) aedeagus, dorsal.