Pselaphodes Westwood 1870
Creators: name: Yin, Zi-Wei
name: Li, Li-Zhen
name: Zhao, Mei-Jun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Staphylinidae
Pselaphodes

description: Key to Chinese species of Pselaphodes Westwood, 1870 (males)
In the genus Pselaphodes, like in many other pselaphine genera, examination of male secondary sexual characters is necessary for correct species identification. It is impossible to identify most species based only on female specimens, as females of related species are too similar and have very few characters that can be used in taxonomical work. This is why the key presented below is based on males only.
Males can be distinguished from females mainly by the presence of a pair of long or short basal metaventral processes, which are absent in females; abdominal tergite VIII and sternite VIII in males always bear a median emargination, while the posterior margins of tergite VIII and sternite VIII are completely flat in the females.
1 Antennal club (VII–XI) with strong modifications (Figs. 90, 91, 92, 97, 99)............................................................. 2
- Antennal club (VII–XI) without strong modifications (Figs. 93, 94, 95, 96, 98, 100, 101) ....................................... 6
2 Antennomere VII strongly modified, with a basal denticle on inner side (Fig. 97). Habitus: Fig. 8. China (Sichuan) ......................................................................................................................................................... P. hlavaci sp. nov.
- Antennomere VII normal, less modified, without denticle (Figs. 90, 91, 92, 99)........................................................ 3
3 Pronotum in apical one-third with lateral protuberance on each side. Habitus: Fig. 4. China (Shanxi, Henan)............ ........................................................................................................................................................ P. nomurai sp. nov.
- Pronotum in apical one-third expanded or rounded, but without lateral protuberance ............................................... 4
4 Scape with sensory fovea laterally, antennomere X strongly excavated mesally (Fig. 99). Habitus: Fig. 10. China (Zhejiang) .................................................................................................................................... P. declinatus sp. nov.
- Scape without sensory fovea, antennomere X not deeply emarginate mesally (Figs. 90, 91) .................................... 5
5 Antennomere IX nearly triangular, curved apicomesally; X transverse, slightly narrowed from middle to apex (Fig. 90); profemur with small spine posteromedially, protrochanter with large apical spine (Fig. 52); mesotrochanter with
two small apical spines (Fig. 53). Habitus: Fig. 1. China (Zhejiang, Jiangxi) ....................... P. walkeri (Sharp, 1892) - Antennomere IX nearly quadrate, protuberant mesoapically, with apical hook; X elongate, gradually expanded from base toward apex (Fig. 91); profemur with large spine posteromedially, protrochanter with smaller apical spine (Fig. 54); mesotrochanter with apical spine (Fig. 55). Habitus: Fig. 2. China (Guizhou) ................... P. miraculum sp. nov.
6 Legs extremely elongate and slender, without any spines or protuberances (Figs. 75–77). Habitus: Fig. 12. China (Yunnan).................................................................................................................................... P. subtilissimus sp. nov.
- Legs normally elongate, trochanters, femora or tibiae always with some spines or protuberances (Figs. 58–65, 68– 70, 73, 74) .................................................................................................................................................................... 7
7 Mesofemur very thick (Figs. 59, 69), pro-, meso- or metatibia with mesoapical protuberance (Figs. 58, 59, 68–70) 8
- Mesofemur somewhat slender (Figs. 61, 63, 65, 74), tibiae without protuberance mesally (Figs. 60–65, 73, 74) ..... 9
8 Body dark. Pro- and mesotibia with strong apical protuberances (Figs. 58, 59). Apical margin of elytra weakly angulated (Fig. 16). Habitus: Fig. 3. China (Qinghai) .................................................................................. P. torus sp. nov.
- Body yellowish-brown. Pro- and mesotibia without protuberances (Figs. 68–69), metatibia with subapical protuberance (Fig. 70). Apical margin of elytra strongly angulate (Fig. 23). Habitus: Fig. 11. China (Yunnan) ....................... ......................................................................................................................................................... P. aculeus sp. nov.
9 Mesotrochanter close to apex with three spines (Fig. 62). Habitus: Fig. 6. China (Fujian, Jiangxi) ............................. ........................................................................................................................................................ P. wuyinus sp. nov.
- Mesotrochanter without spines or only with one or two spines at mid length .......................................................... 10
10 Mesotrochanter lacking spines at mid length .................................... P. yunnanicus (Hlaváċ, Nomura & Zhou, 2000)
- Mesotrochanter bearing one or two spines at mid length (Figs. 61, 65, 74) ............................................................. 11
11 Body yellow. Basal half of maxillary palpomere II nearly straight (Fig. 144). Habitus: Fig. 7. China (Zhejiang) ...... ................................................................................................................................................. P. tianmuensis sp. nov.
- Body reddish-brown. Basal half of maxillary palpomere II strongly curved (Figs. 142, 146) .................................. 12
12 Antenna with antennomere VI slender and elongate, twice as long as wide, antennomere IX strongly asymmetrical (Fig. 94). Abdominal tergite VIII narrowed from middle to apex (Fig. 110), sternite VIII deeply emarginated at middle of apex (Fig. 111); aedeagus with median lobe expanded through length in lateral view (Fig. 158), curving rightward in dorsal view (Fig. 159). Habitus: Fig. 5. China (Henan) .................................................... P. cornutus sp. nov.
- Antenna with antennomere VI nearly quadrate, one and one-fourth as long as wide, antennomere IX nearly symmetrical (Fig. 98); tergite VIII narrowed from apical one-third to apex (Fig. 118), sternite VIII (Fig. 119) with apex shallowly emarginated at middle, aedeagus with median lobe extremely broadened, curved in lateral view (Fig. 166), expanded, and then pointed at apex in dorsal view (Fig. 167). Habitus: Fig. 9. China (Zhejiang) P. latilobus sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Yin, Zi-Wei, Li, Li-Zhen & Zhao, Mei-Jun, 2010, Taxonomical study on the genus Pselaphodes Westwood (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from China. Part I., pp. 1-25 in Zootaxa 2512 on pages 2-3, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.294046