Pselaphogenius moerewae Owens­­­&­­­Carlton

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 : 206-207

Pselaphogenius moerewae Owens­­­&­­­Carlton ,­­­sp.­­­nov.

(Fig. 15a–c)

Type­­­Material.­­­ Holotype: (1­­­male)­­­ New Zealand: ND: Moerewa Litter , 20 Jan 1972 GW Ramsay, 72/47 ( NZAC) . Paratypes:­­­(2­­­males­­­2­­­females)­­­ holotype locality ( NZAC) .

Etymology.­­­ This species is named after the collection locality of the type series in Moerewa, Northland (ND).

Diagnosis.­­­ Externally, this species is similar to other species of Pselaphogenius . The form of the aedeagus, with the narrow and elongate left and right lateral processes, elongate and simple median lobe, and the straight, flattened 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 four 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 reduced to pits, median antebasal fovea absent. Mesoventrite with median shield unmodified. Metaventrite afoveate, medially flattened with sparse fringe of small setae on margins, metacoxae separated by extension of ventrite I. Legs unmodified. Elytra with one basal fovea 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, oval median depression deep, reaching apex. Genitalia: aedeagus asymmetrical. Median lobe simple, narrow. Right lateral process longer than median lobe, simple. Left lateral process longer than median lobe, simple, narrow. Ventral process straight, flattened. Parameres present, as long as median lobe.

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

Distribution.­­­ This species is known from the locality of the type series and two additional specimens from ND

Material­­­examined.­­­(1­­­male,­­­1­­­female)­­­ New Zealand: ND: North Cape , Te Paki Coastal Park, litter, 7 Feb 1975 JC Watt, 75/81 ( LSAM) .