Thaumastocephalus Poggi, Nonveiller, Colla, Pavićević & T. Rađa, 2001

Hlaváč, Peter, Bregović, Petra & Jalžić, Branko, 2019, Endogean and cavernicolous Coleoptera of the Balkans. XVIII. Strong radiation in caves of the Central Dinarides: seven new species of Thaumastocephalus Poggi et al., 2001 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Zootaxa 4559 (1), pp. 90-110 : 91

Thaumastocephalus Poggi, Nonveiller, Colla, Pavićević & T. Rađa

Thaumastocephalus Poggi, Nonveiller, Colla, Pavićević & T. Rađa, 2001: 3 . Type species: Thaumastocephalus folliculipalpus Poggi, Nonveiller, Colla, Pavićević & T. Rađa, 2001

Diagnosis. Large, body length 1.8–2.2 mm, cavernicolous, anophthalmous and depigmented pselaphines placed in the supertribe Batrisitae. Thaumastocephalus can be readily separated from all other genera of Batrisitae by having a pedunculate gular process, and by the 2 nd and 3 rd palpomeres ( Fig. 9 ) bearing on their external sides a thin filament ending in a spherical appendix ( Poggi et al. 2001). The placement of Thaumastocephalus within the Batrisini is still a subject of debate but according to the extensive study of DNA of a large number of Pselaphinae it seems to be well seated in Batrisitae (Parker pers. comm.).

Figures

FIGURES 5–9. 5—Thaumatocephalus slavkoi sp. n., aedeagus, dorsal view (scale: 0.1 mm); 6—Thaumatocephalus troglavi sp. n., aedeagus, dorsal view (scale: 0.2 mm); Thaumatocephalus dahnae sp. n., 7—aedeagus, dorsal view (scale: 0.1 mm); 8— protibiae (scale: 0.1 mm); 9—maxillary palpomere (scale: 0.1 mm).