Omalodes (Omalodes) punctulatus, Moura, Daniel P. & Almeida, Lucia M., 2013

Moura, Daniel P. & Almeida, Lucia M., 2013, Three new species of Omalodes (Omalodes) (Histeridae, Histerinae) from South America, ZooKeys 335, pp. 85-99 : 91-93

Omalodes (Omalodes) punctulatus sp. n. Figs 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 7 A–G

Type material.

Holotype: Male. BRAZIL: "15.IX.1955; Barueri; S. Paulo; 5876 / K. Lenko Leg. (MNRJ) Paratypes: BRAZIL: "Itapiranga; II 55", 2 specimens (MAPA); " Itapiranga; II 55", 2 specimens (DZUP); "Est. Minas; Araguary; 5.XII.1921; Melim", 1 specimen (MNRJ); "1225; 9.IX.1954; Barueri; Leg. K. Lenko", 1 specimen (MNRJ); "29.X.1955; Barueri; S. Paulo; 6658 / K. Lenko Leg.", 2 specimens (MNRJ); "Serro Azul; 3.40", 1 specimen (MAPA); "1-44; Paraná; Monjolinho / 1628 / Coleção; F. Justus Jor.", 1 specimen (DZUP); "Pelotas; II 55", 1 specimen (DZUP).

Diagnosis.

Frons punctate with a medial fovea (Fig. 3C); dorsal elytral striae weakly indicated (Fig. 1C); propygidium almost completely covered with punctures, except for a semicircular area on anterior margin and with a pair of superficial impressions, one on each side at posterior half (Fig. 4C).

Description.

Size range: Length: 7-8mm, Width: 5-6mm. Body form (Fig. 1C): Oval, convex, piceous, covered with micropunctures. Head (Fig. 3C): Frons impressed medially, with a well delimited fovea, punctate; frontal stria complete, slightly curved close to antennal insertion, continuous to epistoma, curved reaching the medial fovea, joined with supraorbital stria laterally at posterior margin; labrum subrectangular with anterior margin nearly straight, about two and a half times as wide as long; mandibles short, without subapical teeth. Pronotum (Figs 1C, 3C): Sides rounded, narrower anteriorly; marginal pronotal stria beginning at angles, interrupted behind the head, continuous to posterior margin; lateral pronotal stria present, indicated along lateral and anterior margin, slightly shortened near posterior margin; lateral punctures covering entire lateral margin, more visible and covering a wider area at anterior third. Elytra (Fig. 1C): Marginal epipleural stria absent; epipleural stria complete; outer subhumeral stria present at posterior third; inner subhumeral stria present, indicated by few weak punctures beginning at posterior third and continuous at posterior fifth; all dorsal striae weakly indicated, first stria slightly interrupted at anterior margin, with a curvature near humerus and two weak punctures near posterior margin; second dorsal stria beginning a little after the anterior margin, continuous until and indicated by two stronger wider punctures at posterior margin, third dorsal stria weakly indicated, continuous at anterior half, with some punctures near posterior margin; fourth and fifth dorsal striae absent; few punctures close to posterior margin; sutural stria indicated by few weak punctures at posterior margin. Prosternum (Fig. 2C): Prosternal lobe rounded, marginal stria complete along anterior margin; lateral punctures of prosternal keel present; prosternal keel without carinal striae; prosternal process rounded. Mesoventrite (Fig. 2C): Marginal mesoventral stria only present at angles; mesometaventral stria absent, mesometaventral suture visible and almost straight. Metaventrite (Fig. 2C): Lateral metaventral stria continuous with recurrent stria. Abdomen (Fig. 2C): Ventrites smooth medially, punctures somewhat irregular on the sides; propygidium with pair of impressions on posterior half and almost completely covered with strong punctures laterally, weaker towards the middle and a smooth semi-circular area on anterior margin; pygidium almost completely covered with punctures except for a small smooth area along lateral and posterior margin. Male genitalia (Figs 7 A–G): Eighth sternite divided in two longitudinally elongate sclerites, base with a wide and regular emargination; eighth tergite subrectangular, with pair of anterolateral projections, a more sclerotized triangular area at apex; "spiculum gastrale" longitudinally elongate; ninth tergite divided in two longitudinally elongate sclerites, wider medially, apex without emargination; tenth tergite wider at posterior half, with deep emargination in anterior half and a wider, irregular one at apex; aedeagus elongate, cylindrical, parameres almost completely fused dorsally, except for posterior fifth, fused in anterior fifth ventrally, basal margin with medial emargination ventrally and projected dorsally in the middle; apex truncate. Female genitalia: The female genitalia of this species resemble that of Omalodes (Omalodes) rivus , but spermatheca and spermathecal gland were not prepared for examination in this species.

Etymology.

The name of this species refers to the punctures of the pronotum, which are peculiar for the subgenus.

Distribution.

The known distribution for the species is the southern and southeastern region of Brazil, ranging from Araguari, Minas Gerais; going through Barueri, São Paulo; Cerro Azul and the Monjolinho Natural Reserve, Paraná; Itapiranga, Santa Catarina until Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul.

Remarks.

Omalodes (Omalodes) punctulatus has a few punctures near the posterior margin of the elytra, and because of this, appears closely related to Omalodes (Omalodes) lucidus . However, its punctures are less numerous and more regular (maybe related to the 4th and 5th dorsal striae), while the punctures of Omalodes (Omalodes) lucidus are more numerous and irregularly distributed over the posterior margin of the elytra. Likewise the dorsal striae are weakly indicated, as in Omalodes (Omalodes) gagatinus and Omalodes (Omalodes) anthracinus , but when compared to those species, its striae are not so weakly indicated nor highly interrupted or shortened. The punctures of the propygidium resembles that of Omalodes (Omalodes) planifrons but it differs from this species by the punctures in the pronotum and its frons with a medial fovea. When compared to Omalodes (Omalodes) rivus this species has a shorter outer subhumeral stria, present only at posterior third and the frons has a medial fovea while in Omalodes (Omalodes) rivus the outer subhumeral stria is present in the posterior half and the frons is plan or only slightly concave.

The inner subhumeral stria can be present only at the posterior fifth or absent; the punctures next to the posterior margin of the elytra can vary in number and intensity; the sutural stria can be completely absent and a few specimens have the dorsal striae more strongly indicated, although never as strongly as some other species of the genus.