Operclipygus faltistrius, 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 : 363

Operclipygus faltistrius sp. n. Figs 101 C–DMap 34

Type locality.

ECUADOR: Pichincha: Rio Palenque Research Center [0°35'S, 79°22'W].

Type material.

Holotypeof undetermined sex: "ECUADOR PICHINCHA CCRP [Centro Cientifico Rio Palenque] 17 JUN 1980 SSandoval"/ "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-02213" (FMNH).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.78 mm, width: 1.47 mm; body rufescent, elongate oval, sides rounded; frons rather narrow, sides rounded, frontal stria finely impressed, complete across front, weakly sinuate over antennal bases; epistoma with ground punctation slightly denser than that of frons, weakly emarginate apically; labrum narrowed to apex, weakly emarginate; pronotal disk with very faint prescutellar impression, fine, sparse ground punctation, lacking coarse lateral punctures; marginal pronotal stria broadly interrupted behind head; lateral submarginal stria complete along side, nearly meeting anterior submarginal stria, which is very briefly recurved posterad at sides; median pronotal gland openings adjacent to ends of anterior submarginal stria; elytron with single complete epipleural stria, outer subhumeral stria complete, inner subhumeral stria absent, dorsal striae 1-3 complete, 4th stria present in apical half, 5th stria present in apical third, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds; prosternal keel weakly produced at base, with complete carinal striae subparallel throughout their lengths, connected basally and apically; prosternal lobe rather narrowly rounded, with complete marginal stria; anterior margin of mesoventrite shallowly emarginate, with complete marginal stria; mesometaventral stria weakly arched forward to near middle of mesoventrite, sinuate at side, continued posterolaterad by lateral metaventral stria toward outer third of metacoxa, weakly abbreviated apically; 1st abdominal ventrite with two complete lateral striae; propygidium with fine sparse ground punctation which becomes slightly denser toward the sides, with small, deep secondary punctures separated by their diameters or slightly more; pygidium with fine, dense ground punctation, with secondary punctures inconspicuous except along basal margin; marginal pygidial sulcus absent. Male: not known.

Remarks.

While this species seems to be closely related to Operclipygus pygidialis , which is nearly identical in body shape and striation, the absence of any indication of a marginal pygidial sulcus (Fig. 101D) distinguishes this species immediately. We attempted but were not able to dissect this lone specimen for fear of damaging it. It is hoped more material will become available to allow study of male genitalia.

Etymology.

The name of this species is a combination of the Spanish ‘falti-’ or lack, and strius, referring to its lack of a pygidial sulcus.