Pselaphaulax pauper (Sharp), 1874, 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 : 241-242

Pselaphaulax pauper (Sharp), 1874 , comb. nov.

Pselaphus pauper Sharp (1874: 492)

Pselaphus pilistriatus Broun (1880: 123) , syn. nov.

Pselaphus fuscopilus Broun (1886: 944) , syn. nov.

( Figs. 3c , 4c, 13 a–c)

Type Material Examined. After examining the type series of Pselaphus pauper , P. pilistriatus , and P. fuscopilus in the NHM and reviewing the original species descriptions of Broun and Sharp, we determined the three species to be identical; we hereby synonymize them and transfer them to the genus Pselaphaulax . We designate the following specimens from the NHM as lectotypes and paralectotypes or neotype for the original type series:

Pselaphus fuscopilus: The following specimen from the NHM is here designated the lectotype: (female) 1698.// Paparoa// New Zealand Broun Coll. Brit. Mus. 1922–482.// TYPE (red/orange paper) (lectotype). Broun’s original description of this species (1886) indicated “near Howick” as the collecting locality, and did not indicate that more than one specimen was represented. The single specimen listed here is the only specimen in the NHM bearing the manuscript number matching the one given in Broun’s original description, “1698”, but the label indicates “Paparoa” as the collecting locality. The place name “Paparoa” is an older, Maori place name for the locality that was later given the English name, “Howick”. No other specimens of Pselaphini in the NHM Broun collection bear the combination of a manuscript number, 1698, and “near Howick” as the locality. This specimen, therefore, was considered to be the lectotype.

Pselaphus pilistriatus : (1 female) 227.// Manaia// NewZealand. Broun Coll. Brit. Mus.

1922–482// TYPE (red/orange paper) (designated neotype). Broun’s original description of this species (1880) referenced a single specimen, “one mutilated individual near Whangarei

Harbour”. No specimens matching this combination of physical description, locality, or the manuscript number referenced in the original description, “227”, were found in the NHM Broun collection. “Manaia” likely refers to “Mount Manaia” at the Whangarei Heads, as Broun apparently used these place-names interchangeably (Leschen, pers. comm.). Due to the apparent absence of this specimen in the collection and its physical damage as mentioned by Broun, it is believed likely that this specimen was lost or destroyed at some point. The specimen mentioned here is designated as the neotype, as it bears the manuscript number, type locality, and physical description of the species mentioned in Broun’s original description (1880).

Pselaphus pauper : (1 female) “Type H.T.”// n. 3. Hokitika// Pselaphus pauper Type. D.S. (designated lectotype). The following specimen included in the type series is determined to be an additional specimen of this species and is here designated a paralectotype: (1 female) “n. 3.

Hokitika”// Pselaphus pauper Ind. Type. D.S. (designated paralectotype). These specimens match the locality information and description provided by Sharp regarding the syntype series in the original species description (1874).

Diagnosis. Pselaphaulax pauper can be distinguished from all other species in the genus by the bifurcate median lobe with the ventral process further divided at apex.

Redescription. MALE lectotype. 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 22 facets. Frontal margin of rostrum in dorsal view slightly rounded with tuft of sparse suberect setae. Gular mound modified, hemispherical, as long as wide, glabrous; area of head posterior to gular mound flattened, covered in scale-like setae. Maxillary palpomere IV as long as head, widened at base and distal 1/3, distal swollen area smooth, v-shaped sensory patches present, margined by carinae. Thorax: pronotum with basal sulcus faint, delimited by lateral antebasal foveae; median antebasal fovea reduced to depression, present in groove alongside basolateral pits. Mesoventrite with median shield, lacking setose pit. Metaventrite afoveate, medially depressed; metacoxae separated by extension of ventrite I. Legs unmodified. Elytra with two basal foveae, single sutural fovea; single discal stria, sutural striae present; apex with dense fringe of setae. Abdomen: tergites of usual form for tribe. Ventrite II with shallow oval median depression along length of ventrite. Genitalia: aedeagus asymmetrical. Median lobe protruding from fleshy dorsal extension, apparently bifurcate with ventral process distally divided. Ventral process downward curved, distally, about as long as median lobe, associated with accessory process dorsally serrate. Parameres present, as long as median lobe.

Females. Integument, Head, Thorax, Abdomen: similar to male except eyes slightly smaller and ventrite II lacking median ovate depression and thickened area at apex.

Distribution. This species is known from Auckland (AK), Northland (ND), and Wellington (WN) on the North Island, as well as Middle Canterbury, (MC), Westland (WD) and Fiordland (FD) regions on South Island.

Material examined. Auckland region: (1 female) New Zealand: AK: Auckland, Lynfield ground plants 20 Dec 1975, G Kuschel ( LSAM); (1 male) New Zealand: AK: Auckland, Lynfield ground plants 28 Aug 1976, G Kuschel ( LSAM); (1 female) New Zealand: AK: Auckland, Lynfield litter, 27 Jun 1976 G Kuschel ( LSAM); (1 male, slide-mounted) New Zealand: AK: Auckland, Lynfield liter, 31 Jul 1976 G Kuschel ( LSAM); (1 female) New Zealand: AK Lynfield stream bed 20 Dec 1975 G Kuschel ( LSAM); (1male) New Zealand: AK: Auckland, Tropicana Dr. Schoenus 20 Dec 1975, G Kuschel ( LSAM); (2 females) NEW ZEALAND AK Auckland Pollen I 7 Oct 1980 J.C.Watt // Litter 80/88 ( NZAC); (2 males) NEW ZEALAND AK Auckland Domain podocarp litter 31.x.2005 SE Thorpe ( NZAC); (1 female) NEW ZEALAND AK Auckland Domain podocarp litter 11.xi.2005 SE Thorpe ( NZAC); (1 female) NEW ZEALAND AK Auckland Domain litter under rimu 15.iv.2006 SE Thorpe ( NZAC); (1 female) NEW ZEALAND AK Auckland Domain podocarp litter 22.iv.2006 SE Thorpe ( NZAC); (1 male) NEW ZEALAND AK Auckland City bush under Grafton bridge, litter 14.x.2005, SE Thorpe ( NZAC); (1 female) NEW ZEALAND AK Devonport North Head long grass 2.iv.2006, SE Thorpe ( NZAC); (1 male) X Pasture Ihumateo Mangere 9.Mar 1960 8. M.May ( NZAC); (1 female) NEW ZEALAND AK Mangatani Hunua range 5Apr-5May 1977 I. Barton // ARA Kauri Seed Project pit trap 14 ( NZAC); (2 males) NEW ZEALAND AK Woodhill 8-15 Oct.1976 C.F.Butcher // Pit trap under Pannisetum clandestinum and Lupinus nr. Pinus and Eucalyptus ( NZAC). Fiordland region : (3 males, 3 females) New Zealand: FD: Eglinton V., L. Gunn Litter, 30 Oct 1966 JI Townsend, 66/357 ( LSAM); (3 males, 2 females) New Zealand: FD: L. Hauroko Litter 2, Nov 1966 JI Townsend, 66/364 ( LSAM). Middle Canterbury region: (1 male) New Zealand: MC: Banks Peninsula, Kaituna , litter 28 Aug 1964 G Kuschel, 64/81 ( LSAM). Northland region: (1 male) New Zealand: ND: Whakapara , moss 3 Nov 1967 JI Townsend, 67/257 ( LSAM). Wellington region: (1 male, 1 female) New Zealand WN Karori Reservoir 28-Mar-97// J T Nunn collection ( JN); (1 male, 1 female) New Zealand WN Smt Akatarawa Rd, 15 Oct 89 Leaf Litter ( JN); (2 males, 1 female) New Zealand WN Island Say 5.3.87 J. Nun ( JN); (2 males, 2 females) New Zealand WN Waikawa Beach 18 Mch 1990 ( JN); (1 male) New Zealand: WD 3.2 km NE Haast, 14m Haast River Walk 43'52S 169'03E, #072 ( LSAM) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Pselaphaulax species groups characters. Figure 3. Pselaphaulax sp. meso-, metaventrite and ventrite 2 characters a) P. meliusculus, ventral photograph; b) P. meliusculus, species group 1; c) P. pauper, species group 2. FIigure 4. Pselaphaulax sp. ventral head characters a) P. meliusculus, ventral head photograph; b) P. meliusculus, species group 1; c) P. pauper, species group 2