Pselaphogenius elephantus Owens

Owens, Brittany E. & Carlton, Christopher E., 2022, --- Revision- -- of- -- the- -- New- -- Zealand- -- species- -- of- -- the- -- Genus- -- Pselaphogenius Reitter- -- (Staphylinidae: --- Pselaphinae: --- Pselaphitae: --- Pselaphini) ---, Zootaxa 5155 (2), pp. 187-220 : 202

Pselaphogenius elephantus Owens ­­­&­­­Carlton,­­­sp.­­­nov.

(Fig. 11a–c)

Type­­­Material.­­­ Holotype: (1­­­male)­­­ NEW ZEALAND ND Waipoua SF Wairau Smt, 390m 14 Apr 1980 J.C.Watt // Sifted litter 80/51 ( NZAC).

Etymology.­­­ The specific epithet refers to the elongate processes on the aedeagus, which resemble the trunk of an elephant.

Diagnosis.­­­ Externally, this species is similar to other species of Pselaphogenius in New Zealand. The form of the aedeagus, with the greatly elongate ventral process, is unique.

Description.­­­ MALE holotype. ­­­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 small, composed of five facets. Frontal margin of rostrum acute with sparse suberect setae in dorsal view. Gular mound modified, longer than wide, broad anteriorly and narrowed posteriorly; area of head posterior to gular mound flattened, slightly concave, nude, maxillary palpomere IV longer than head, narrow, widened at base and distal 1/5, v-shaped sensory patches present. Thorax:­­­ pronotum basal sulcus absent, lateral antebasal foveae absent, antebasal fovea reduced to minute pit. Mesoventrite with median shield unmodified. Metaventrite afoveate, flattened, metacoxae separated by extension of ventrite I. Legs unmodified. Elytra with two basal foveae and sutural fovea present; discal stria absent, sutural striae present. Abdomen:­­­ tergites of usual form for tribe. Ventrite I covered in dense, shining setae; ventrite II with basal sulcus occupying length of ventrite, sulcus densely setose, shallow oval median depression not reaching apex, hind margin of depression with median tubercle. Genitalia: aedeagus asymmetrical. Median lobe straight, short. Lateral processes present, narrow, elongate, right process curved inwards towards left, left process gradually curving inwards towards right. Ventral greatly elongate, longer than phallobase, distally flattened and bifurcate. Parameres present, as long as ventral process.

Females.­­­Integument,­­­Head,­­­Thorax,­­­Abdomen:­­­ females of this species are unknown.

Distribution.­­­ This species is known from the holotype locality in ND