Operclipygus occultus, 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 : 118-120

Operclipygus occultus sp. n. Figs 34B, D–FMap 11

Type locality.

ECUADOR: Orellana: Tiputini Biodiversity Station [0°38.2'S, 76°8.9'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "ECUADOR: Orellana, Tiputini Biodiversity Station 0°38.2'S, 76°8.9'W. Flight intercept FIT7-1. 27-31 July 2008. A.K.Tishechkin" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00283" (FMNH).

Diagnostic description.

This species is very similar to Operclipygus dubius , differing mainly in the following characters: length: 1.59 mm, width: 1.12 mm; frons weakly depressed, frontal stria complete; pronotal disk with prescutellar impression short and very narrow, few coarse punctures posterolaterad ends of anterior stria; lateral submarginal pronotal stria fine, present in anterior corners only; anterior submarginal pronotal stria fine, recurved posterolaterally to about one-third from anterior pronotal margin; elytra with dorsal stria 1 obsolete in apical third, striae 2-3 complete, 4th stria present in only apical half; prosternal keel with carinal striae subparallel in apical three-fourths, only weakly divergent basally; marginal mesoventral stria complete; metaventrite with shallow longitudinal depression; propygidium with dense, small, rather deep punctures; pygidium with fine dense ground punctation, coarser punctures dense along basal margin, sparsely scattered in apical two-thirds; marginal pygidial sulcus deep, coarsely crenulate. Male genitalia (Figs 33B, D–F) as for group description, the apices of S8 strongly narrowed, with only a couple inconspicuous inner apical setae, curved to ventral apex, bearing 4 or 5 long apical setae, with distinct submarginal sclerotization along apical margins; T9 with apices elongate subtriangular, inner edges parallel; T10 not divided; S9 not desclerotized along midline, truncate at base, with shallow, equilateral apical emargination; tegmen widening to near apex, narrowed to truncate apex; median lobe narrowed proximad gonopore.

Remarks.

This species can only confidently be recognized by the male genitalia (Figs 33B, D–F). The elongate apical arms of T9 and the narrow, subacute apices of S9 are both highly distinctive in the group. A few other characters, such as the median longitudinal depression of the metaventrite and the complete frontal stria may be helpful, but with only a single available specimen it is impossible to ascertain their significance.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to the fact that hidden characters must be observed for identification.