Mecistostethus loretoensis (Bruch, 1932) Bruch, 1932

Caterino, Michael S., Tishechkin, Alexey K. & Degallier, Nicolas, 2012, A revision of the genus Mecistostethus Marseul (Histeridae, Histerinae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 213, pp. 63-78 : 66-67

Mecistostethus loretoensis (Bruch, 1932) comb. n. Figs 3A4A7

Tarsilister loretoensis Bruch, 1932: 279.

Type material.

Holotype, of undetermined sex: "Tarsilister loretoensis Bruch (written by Bruch) C. BRUCH DETERM. (printed)" (label white with black frame) / "Nido de Pachycondyla striata F Sm" (handwritten) / «Typus» (handwritten) / "Est. Exp. Loreto (Misiones - Arg.) [27.32°S, 55.53°W] Dr. A.A. Oglobin" (printed); reverse: «20.ix.1931» (handwritten), MACN. Other material: 1 male, locality as for type, 15.VIII.1932, with Pachycondyla striata , MACN; 1 female: BRAZIL: Sta. Catarina: Nova Teutonia, 27°11'S, 52°23'W, Fritz Plaumann (no date), FMNH-INS0000069073.

Diagnosis.

Length 2.4-2.6mm, width 2.0-2.1mm (n=3); body completely lacking microsculpture; frontal stria/carina complete; frons and epistoma without microsculpture; anterior submarginal pronotal stria long, ends strongly recurved (Fig. 3A); pronotum with>10 discal setae, scattered on disk without well-defined submarginal row (Fig. 3A); lateral pronotal punctures numerous and conspicuous; prosternal striae present (Fig. 4A); metaventral stria complete at middle (Fig. 4A); elytral stria 1 not continuous, effaced at middle (despite presence of setae); elytral stria 2 barely abbreviated at base; male not examined.

Distribution.

Known from Atlantic forest areas of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and subtropical forests near the Rio Paraná in Misiones province, Argentina.

Remarks.

The type collection from the nest of Pachycondyla striata (Ponerinae) provides the only known host record for this genus.