Operclipygus punctipleurus, 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 : 338-340

Operclipygus punctipleurus sp. n. Figs 92 E–F93C–D, F, HMap 32

Type locality.

PERU: Madre de Dios: 15 km NE Puerto Maldonado, Cuzco Amazónico Reserve [12°33'S, 69°03'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "PERU: Tambopata Prov. Madre de Dios Dpto. 15km NE Puerto"/ "Maldonado, Reserva Cuzco Amazónico 12°33'S, 69°03'W 200m, Plot #Z2U16"/ "2 July 1989, J. S. Ashe, R. A. Leschen #366 ex., flight intercept trap" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00258" (SEMC). Paratypes (15): PERU: Loreto: 1: Iquitos, 90m, 7.v.1992, FIT, J. Danoff-Berg (SEMC); 4: 15km. From Ucayali on R. Calleria, Colónia Calleria, 13.x.1961, B. Malkin (FMNH, MSCC, AKTC); Madre de Dios: 1: 25.x.1982, litter along river, L. Watrous & G. Mazurek (FMNH); 2: Manu National Park, Zona res., Rio Manu, Cocha Juarez trail nr. Manu Lodge, 18-24.ix.1991, FIT, A. Hartman (FMNH); 1: Tambopata, Reserva Cuzco Amazonico, 15km NE Pto. Maldonado, 12°33'S, 69°03'W, 200m, 17.vi.1989, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Leschen (SEMC), 1: 2.vii.1989, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Leschen (SEMC), 2: 30.vi.1989, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Leschen (SEMC), 1: 4.vii.1989, FIT, J. S. Ashe, R. Leschen, D. Silva (CHSM), 1: 13.vii.1989, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Leschen (CHSM), 1: 19.vii.1989, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Leschen (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.84-2.22 mm, width: 1.68-2.03 mm; body rufo-piceous to piceous, sides rounded, subdepressed, dorsum rather flat; frons strongly depressed in middle, frontal stria present only as short median fragment, detached from lateral portions; supraorbital stria present only as isolated median fragment; pronotum with lateral submarginal stria obsolete in basal half, curved inward anteriorly, but not meeting anterior submarginal stria, the ends of which are barely recurved at sides; marginal stria continuous on lateral and anterior margins, rarely interrupted at middle; median pronotal gland openings present between ends of lateral and anterior submarginal striae; prescutellar impression distinct, oval; pronotal disk with numerous coarse punctures at sides; elytron with single complete epipleural stria, with subhumeral interval strongly elevated, enlarging the epipleural region, which bears 15-20 coarse punctures in basal half, outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, dorsal striae broadly, crenulately impressed toward their bases, striae 1-4 complete, 5th stria present in apical half, sutural stria nearly complete, diverging from suture, with basal puncture (which may represent vestige of arch between sutural and 5th striae); prosternum broad, emarginate at base, carinal striae joined anteriorly and posteriorly; mesoventrite projecting anteriorly, marginal stria complete, mesometaventral stria broadly angulate to middle of mesoventrite; central portion of metaventral disk lacking coarse punctures; abdominal ventrite 1 with numerous coarse punctures on each side, with 2 lateral striae, outer stria abbreviated behind metacoxa; propygidial disk with uniform coarse, shallow punctures separated by about one-third their widths; pygidium with dense, fine ground punctation, with barely larger punctures sparsely interspersed; marginal pygidial stria very fine, obsolete in basal corners. Male genitalia (Figs 92 C–D, F, H): accessory sclerites present, very small; T8 with sides more or less parallel in basal two-thirds, angled to narrow apex, desclerotized at angle, basal apodemes oblquely truncate, basal emargination rounded, basal membrane attachment line distad emargination by about one-half its depth, ventrolateral apodemes short, distantly separated ventrally; S8 with sides convergent, apical guides gradually increasing in width from base to apex, rounded apically, ventral halves separate at base, gradually divergent to apex; T9 with basal apodemes parallel-sided, sides slightly widened at basal third, convergent in apical two-thirds; apices narrow, subacute, not converging; T10 with halves separate; S9 with stem narrowest near apex, widened to basal fourth, then narrowed to rounded apex, head rather small, apically arcuate, lacking distinct median emargination, apical flange continuous; tegmen with sides rounded, widest at middle, evenly narrowed to base and apex, apex appearing truncate from above, with ventrally directed acute, membraneous processes projecting from outer corners, somewhat walrus tusk-like in appearance; medioventral process narrowly ‘U’ -shaped, weakly projecting beneath about one-fourth from base; basal piece nearly one-half tegmen length; median lobe about one-fourth tegmen length, filamentous part of proximal apodemes inconspicuous.

Remarks.

This is a very distinct species, most easily recognized by the elevated and punctate epipleuron (Fig. 92F). The presence of punctures on the first ventrite in combination with an impunctate metaventrite is also rather unusual (members of the Operclipygus sejunctus group also have punctures in both places), although the following, probably related, species also exhibits them. The tusk-like apical processes of the aedeagus (Fig. 93H) are unusual, exhibited also by Operclipygus siluriformis . In most other respects, however, both externally and genitalically, these two species show few significant similarities.

Etymology.

This species is named for the punctures of the elytral epipleuron.