Pselaphogenius gibbus, Owens & Carlton, 2022

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 : 216-217

Pselaphogenius gibbus ­­­Owens­­­&­­­Carlton,­­­sp.­­­nov.

(Figs. 5e, 22a–c)

Type­­­Material.­­­ Holotype:­­­(1­­­male)­­­ NEW ZEALAND, ND Unuwhao, 270m 25 Nov 1982 G. Kuschel // sifted litter and decayed wood 82/125 ( NZAC) . Paratypes:­­­(3­­­females)­­­ holotype locality ( NZAC); (1­­­male,­­­1­­­female)­­­ New Zealand, ND Kohuronaki, 270m 24 Nov 1982 G. Kuschel // Litter and decayed wood 82/123 ( NZAC) .

Etymology.­­­ The specific epithet refers to the humped form of the median lobe on the aedeagus of males of this species.

Diagnosis.­­­ Externally, the median depression on ventrite II margined by carinae and the presence of a small median projection angled anteriorly at the hind margin of ventrite II distinguishes this species from all others in the genus in NZ. The form of the aedeagus with a large dorsal hump at the base of the median lobe is also unique.

Redescription.­­­ MALE. ­­­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 15 facets. Frontal margin of rostrum rounded in dorsal view. Gular mound modified, as wide as long, broad anteriorly and rounded posteriorly; area of head posterior to gular mound flattened, slightly concave, bearing dense setae. Maxillary palpomere IV shorter than head, narrow, widened at base and distal 1/3, v-shaped sensory patches present. Thorax:­­­ pronotum basal sulcus absent, lateral antebasal foveae and median antebasal fovea reduced. Mesoventrite with median shield unmodified. Metaventrite afoveate, median flattened area declined posteriorly, margins thickened, metacoxae separated by extension of ventrite I. Legs unmodified. Elytra with single basal foveae and single sutural fovea present; discal stria present, short, 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, circular median depression reaching apex, margined by carinae, apex of ventrite bearing small median projection angled anteriorly. Genitalia: aedeagus symmetrical. Median lobe simple, slightly curved dorsally at distal end with large dorsal hump-like process at base. Lateral processes absent. Ventral process simple, gently curved. Parameres short, extending about half the length of the median lobe, bearing elongate distal setae reaching margin of median lobe.

Females.­­­Integument,­­­Head,­­­Thorax,­­­Abdomen:­­­ Females are similar to males except eyes slightly smaller and ventrite II lacking median ovate depression.

Distribution.­­­ This species is only known from the type series.