A revision of Prespelea Park (Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)

Abstract

We revise the genus Prespelea Park, redefining and redescribing the two previously known species, P. copelandi Park and P. quirsfeldi Park, and adding ten new species:

Shedding light on dark taxa in sky‐island Appalachian leaf litter: Assessing patterns of endemicity using large‐scale, voucher‐based barcoding

“…One sub‐community that has received particularly meagre attention is the diverse arthropod fauna of the forest floor. Arthropods living in leaf litter represent critical players in nutrient cycling, assisting with mechanical and chemical breakdown of plant and fungal tissues, directly and indirectly (via subsequent fungal and bacterial digestion) replenishing soils (Kampichler & Bruckner, 2009; Lawrence & Samways, 2003; Pramanik et al, 2001), and they also represent a wealth of unknown and underappreciated biodiversity, with new species and major range extensions discovered regularly, even in relatively well‐studied areas like the south‐eastern United States (Caterino, 2022; Caterino & Vasquez‐Velez, 2017; Caterino & Vásquez‐Vélez, 2022; Draney et al, 2019; Ferro, 2010; Hedin & Milne, 2023; Marek, 2010; Marek et al, 2018; Means et al, 2021; Owens & Carlton, 2016; Park et al, 2010; Platnick, 1999; Sierwald et al, 2019; Smolis & Bernard, 2017; Sokolov et al, 2004, 2007). Arthropods residing in the leaf litter tend to be of small body size, and many of the insects have evolved to be flightless (Anderson & Ashe, 2000).…”

A review of Nearctic Lathrobium (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), with revision and descriptions of new flightless species from the mountains of the southeastern U.S.

“…Recent phylogeographic studies of southern Appalachian arthropods have repeatedly uncovered cryptic diversity among seemingly widespread flightless species (Gusarov 2002;Miller and Wheeler 2005;Carlton 2008;Ferro and Carlton 2010;Caterino and Vásquez-Vélez 2017;Caterino and Langton-Myers 2019;Caterino 2022;Caterino and Recuero 2024;Caterino and Harden 2024). A cursory examination of Appalachian Lathrobium genitalia suggested there might be cryptic diversity among three lineages endemic to southern Appalachian "sky-islands."…”

A New, Flightless Species of Medon (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) from High Appalachia, with Intraspecific Phylogeographic Analysis and Description of its Associated Larva

“…While this endemic diversity has drawn some attention from entomologists, the arthropod fauna of high Appalachia is far from fully known, with numerous arthropod species having been described over the past several years ( e.g. , Draney et al 2019; Hedin and Dellinger 2005; Hedin and Milne 2023; Marek 2010; Marek et al 2018; Park et al 2010; Sierwald et al 2019; Smolis and Bernard 2017) including many Coleoptera (Caterino 2022; Caterino and Vásquez-Vélez 2017, 2022; Ferro 2010; Owens and Carlton 2016; Sokolov et al 2004).…”