Prespelea divergens Caterino & Vasquez-Velez

Caterino, Michael S. & Vasquez-Velez, Laura M., 2017, A revision of Prespelea Park (Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae), ZooKeys 685, pp. 105-130 : 114

Prespelea divergens Caterino & Vasquez-Velez sp. n. Figs 16, 27, 39, Map 49

Type material.

Holotype male: SC: Pickens Co., Sassafras Mt., 35.0634°N, 82.7760°W, S. Myers, vi.10.2015, sifted leaf litter (CUAC000025607); deposited in FMNH. Paratype (1): male: same general locality and date as type, but at 35.0579°N, 82.7705°W (CUAC000025636; DNA extract MSC-2407). Other material: Two specimens from Macon Co., NC also appear to correspond to this species; for full details see Suppl. material 1.

Diagnosis.

Distinguishable from P. quirsfeldi only by the following characters of the male: metaventral process strongly projecting anterad, sublaminate, apically divergent; metatrochanter apically extended, with broad recurved flange whose apical corner is strongly produced and acute; antennae weakly elongate; aedeagus with sides convergent to near apex, then weakly divergent to apical corners, apical margin strongly emarginate; apicodorsal ridges divergent to near apices, apical foramen weakly closed. TL 1.83-2.04mm; Max. width (EW) 0.69-0.71mm.

Distribution.

This species is only definitely known from Sassafras Mt., South Carolina, the highest point in the state. The other possible locality near Highlands, NC lies about 30 km west.

Remarks.

This species’ morphological distinctness is supported by reasonably clear genetic divergence, at least at the one locality and specimen for which we have sequence data.