Philhygra pseudolarsoni Klimaszewski & Godin

Klimaszewski, Jan, Godin, Benoit & Bourdon, Caroline, 2012, Further contributions to the aleocharine fauna of the Yukon Territory, Canada (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), ZooKeys 186, pp. 207-237 : 213

Philhygra pseudolarsoni Klimaszewski & Godin sp. n. Figs 92652-55

Holotype (male).

Canada, Yukon, Whitehorse, Paddy’s Pond, 60.7067, -135.0917, 26.V.2007, 649 m, litter sifting, mixed aspen and white spruce forest, B. Godin (LFC).

Paratypes.

same label data as the holotype (ECW) 1 male; Watson Lake, Watson Creek, 60.1272, -128.8053, 4.VI.2007,697 m, deciduous forest soil sifting, B. Godin (ECW) 1 male, 1 female.

Etymology.

This species name derives from the specific name larsoni ( Philhygra larsoni Klimaszewski and Langor), and the prefix pseudo (false) in relation to the similarity of the two species in external and, to a lesser degree, genitalic morphology.

Diagnosis.

Body narrowly subparallel, uniformly black or black with legs and sutural part of elytra reddish-brown (Fig. 9); moderately glossy, with fine, dense punctation and meshed microsculpture on forebody; head round, distinctly narrower than pronotum, with eyes as long as postocular region of head; antennae slender with articles 4-5 elongate, 6-10 subquadrate to slightly transverse; pronotum slightly transverse and almost as wide as elytra; elytra at suture as long as or slightly longer than pronotum; length 2.9-3.0 mm (Fig. 9). MALE: tergite 8 widely arcuate apically (Fig. 52); sternite 8 elongate and rounded apically (Fig. 53); median lobe of aedeagus with apex triangularly produced in lateral view (Fig. 26).

Female. tergite 8 truncate apically (Fig. 54); sternite 8 produced medially (Fig. 55); pygidium with ventral structure weakly sclerotized.

Distribution.

This species is known only from Whitehorse and Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory.

Bionomics

. This species was collected in May and June from ground litter.

Comments.

Philhygra pseudolarsoni is similar in both external morphology and genitalia to Philhygra larsoni Klimaszewski and Langor. However, it may be distinguished from Philhygra larsoni by the smaller and darker body, quadrate or transverse antennal articles 4-10 and by the median lobe of the aedeagus with a more elongate apical part of the tubus in lateral view.