Pselaphodes thailandicus Huang & Li & Yin 2018, new species
Creators: name: Huang, Meng-Chi
name: Li, Li-Zhen
name: Yin, Zi-Wei
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Pselaphodes
Pselaphodes thailandicus

description: Pselaphodes thailandicus, new species
(Figs 5B, 7)
Type material (9 exs). Holotype: THAILAND: ♂, ‘ THAILAND: Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon, 2500 m, 9.XI.1985, Burckhardt-Löbl’ (MHNG). Paratypes: THAILAND: 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, same label data as holotype (MHNG); 1 ♂, ‘ Thailand, Doi Inthanon Nat. Park, Chomthong Dist., 2300 m, 29.8.1990, P. Schwendinger’ (MHNG); 1 ♂, ‘ THAILAND, 23.V.87, prov. Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon, 2300 m, P. Schwendinger’ (MHNG).
Diagnosis of male. Length 2.93–2.94 mm; antennomere IX lacking a disc-shaped process at apex; profemur with a large, blunt projection at ventral margin; metatibia slightly expanded near the apices, with a preapical setose tuft and spine.
Description. Male (Fig. 5B). Body reddish brown, BL 2.93–2.94 mm. Head about as long as wide, HL 0.59– 0.60 mm, HW 0.60–0.61 mm; each eye composed of about 30 facets; ocular canthus well-developed.
Antennomeres IX–XI (Fig. 7A) enlarged, forming distinct club. Pronotum (Fig. 7B) longer than wide, PL 0.65– 0.69 mm, PW 0.60–0.61 mm, rounded at anterolateral margins. Elytra wider than long, EL 0.76–0.79 mm, EW 1.07–1.10 mm. Metaventral processes (Fig. 7C) short. Protrochanter (Fig. 7D) with small but distinct ventral spine, profemur (Fig. 7D) with large, blunt ventral projection; protibia (Fig. 7E) with small, blunt projection near middle; mesotrochanter (Fig. 7F) with small ventral spine, mesofemur broadly thickened ventrally; metatrochanter and metafemur simple (Fig. 7G); metatibia (Fig. 7H) with preapical setose tuft and spine. Abdomen broad at base and narrowed apically, AL 0.87–0.92 mm, AW 1.12–1.15 mm. Sternite IX (Fig. 7I) semi-membranous. Length of aedeagus (Fig. 7J–L) 0.51 mm; median lobe broadened throughout length in lateral view, curved leftward at apex in dorsal view, parameres paired, almost symmetrical.
Female. Similar to male in general; each eye composed of about 30 facets; antennae and legs simple. Measurements: BL 2.84–2.86 mm, HL 0.56–0.60 mm, HW 0.57–0.61 mm, PL 0.63–0.64 mm, PW 0.57–0.59 mm, EL 0.71–0.74 mm, EW 1.07–1.12 mm, AL 0.89–0.93 mm, AW 1.25–1.26 mm.
Distribution. Thailand: Chiang Mai.
Comparative notes. The new species is most similar to P. aculeus Yin, Li & Zhao by the presence of a subapical spine on the metatibia, and a similar form of the aedeagus. These two species may be separated primarily by the absence of a disc-like process of antennomere IX, and a less expanded subapical portion of the metatibia in P. thailandicus, whereas in different populations of P. aculeus there is always a disc-like process near the apex of the antennomere IX, and the metatibia is notably thickened in apical portion (Yin et al. 2010, 2011).
Etymology. The specific name refers to the country where the species was found.
description: Published as part of Huang, Meng-Chi, Li, Li-Zhen & Yin, Zi-Wei, 2018, Four new species of Pselaphodes Westwood (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from Thailand, Laos, and China, pp. 100-110 in Zootaxa 4472 (1) on pages 107-110, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4472.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/1440024