Operclipygus prolixus, Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Operclipygus Marseul (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 271, pp. 1-401 : 186-188

Operclipygus prolixus sp. n. Figs 48P49 G–HMap 18

Type locality.

BRASIL: Minas Gerais: Boqueirão Reserve near Lavras [21°14'S, 45°0'W]

Type material.

Holotype male: "BRASIL: Minas Gerais, Municip. Ingaí, Reserva Boqueirão nr. Lavras. F.I.T., gallery forest. 29 Oct 2002, F.Freiro-Costa & F.Z.Vaz-de-Mello collrs."/ "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00796" (CEMT). Paratypes (5): 2: same data as type (FMNH, UFPR); same data as type, except as noted:1: 13.xi.2002 (CEMT), 2: 4-11.xii.2002, FIT, R.J. Silva (MSCC, AKTC).

Other material.

ARGENTINA: Misiones: 2: 15km SE Puerto Iguazú, 27.xii-6.i.1991, FIT, mature forest, roadside, S. & J. Peck (FMNH); 1: Parque Nac. Iguazú, Puerto Canaos, 180m, 8. xii– 6.i.1991, FIT, riparian forest, S. & J. Peck (FMNH). BRAZIL: Mato Grosso: 1: Cotriguaçu, Fazenda São Nicolau, Mata Norte, 9°49.15'S, 58°15.6'W, 8-14.xii.2010, FIT, F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (CEMT); São Paulo: 1: Cipo, 7.ix.1970, V.N. Alin (FMNH). PARAGUAY: Caazapá: 1: San Rafael Reserve, Hermosa, prop. Sosa family, 26°19'15"S, 55°44'55"W, 90m, 3-6.xii.2000, FIT, Z. Falin (SEMC); Itapúa: 1: San Rafael Reserve, San Pedro Mt., 26°31'24"S, 55°48'18"W, 90m, 29.xi.2000, beating treefall, Z. Falin (SEMC); 2: San Rafael Reserve, Yataí, prop. Hostettler family, 26°38'17"S, 55°39'50"W, 100m, 21-25.xi.2000, FIT, Z. Falin (SEMC), 2: 26-30.ix.2000, FIT, Z. Falin (CMNC); 3: San Rafael Reserve, Karonay, 17km W, 26°45'53"S, 55°50'37"W, 90-110m, 18-20.xi.2000, FIT, Z. Falin (SEMC). PERU: Loreto: 1: km 63, rd. Iquitos - Nauta, Rio Itaya, 4°15.205'S, 73°26.074'W, 140m, 9-13.i.2011, A.V. Petrov (AKTC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 2.22-2.65 mm, width: 1.84-2.12 mm; body piceous, elongate oval, sides of elytra nearly parallel, sides of pronotum curving inward in front, depressed; frons depressed in middle, sides of frontal striae rounded, ending above antennal cavity, absent across front; supraorbital stria complete, narrowly detached from sides of frontal stria; labrum about 2.5 × as wide as long, weakly asymmetrical at apex, left side more strongly produced; left mandible untoothed, right mandible with small, subacute basal tooth; pronotal disk faintly and narrowly impressed in prescutellar region, not broadly flattened or plicate, ground punctation fine and sparse, with numerous punctures in lateral band; marginal stria absent behind head; lateral submarginal stria continuous with anterior submarginal stria, diverging slightly from margin behind median pronotal gland opening; anterolateral gland opening closer to pronotal corner than to median opening; elytron with single complete epipleural stria, outer subhumeral stria interrupted at middle, basal fragment variably abbreviated, inner subhumeral stria nearly complete, barely abbreviated at both ends, striae 1-3 complete, 4th stria present in apical half to two-thirds, 5th stria present in apical half, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds; elytral disk usually with distinct series of very small apical marginal punctures; prosternal keel evenly but weakly produced at base, carinal stria complete, connected anteriorly and posteriorly; mesoventral margin broadly and shallowly emarginate, with complete marginal stria; mesometaventral stria subangulately arched forward at middle, reaching middle of mesoventral disk, continued posterad by lateral metaventral stria, extending to middle of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with inner lateral stria complete, outer abbreviated; propygidium with rather sparse ground punctation, coarser punctures nearly round, irregularly separated by about their diameters or slightly less; pygidium with fine, dense ground punctation, slightly coarser punctures interspersed mainly near base, frequently inconspicuous; marginal pygidial sulcus quite varied, generally fine, obsolete toward base, frequently deep apically, obsolete in basal half. Male: genitalia largely similar to those of Operclipygus farctus (see Figs 48 A–D), except T8 with midlateral desclerotization not distinct; S9 narrower at base, not obviously asymmetrical; tegmen (Fig. 48P) not as strongly narrowed to base, apices not as strongly narrowed, apical third more strongly bend ventrad.

Remarks.

This species is easily recognized in the farctus group by the absence of the central part of the frontal stria. It is also a bit larger, more elongate, and subdepressed than most of the species in this group. It is, however, quite variable in some other characters, particularly in the extent of the subhumeral striae, the density of coarse pygidial punctures, and of length of the marginal pygidial sulcus, and for this reason we limit the type series to a small region.

Etymology.

This species’ name means ‘lengthy’, though generally more in the sense of verbose than elongate, as we imply here.