Operclipygus kerga (Marseul, 1870)

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Operclipygus Marseul (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 271, pp. 1-401 : 48-51

Operclipygus kerga (Marseul, 1870) Figs 11 A–B12A–C, FMap 3

Phelister kerga Marseul, 1870: 77; Pseudister kerga : Bickhardt 1917: 165; Operclipygus kerga : Wenzel 1976: 259.

Type locality.

Unspecified, somewhere along the Amazon in Brazil.

Type material.

Lectotype, here designated, of undetermined sex: " Phelister kerga , Amazon" / "LECTOTYPE Phelister kerga Marseul 1870, M.S.Caterino & A.K.Tishechkin des. 2010" (MNHN). This species was described from an unspecified number of specimens, and the lectotype designation fixes primary type status on the only known original specimen.

Other material.

BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz: 6: 4-5km SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora y Fauna, 17°29.9'S, 63°39.1'W, 15-24.xii.2003, FIT, S. & J. Peck (AKTC); 2: [country record only] (ZMHB). BRAZIL: Pará: 1: Monte Alegre, 3°9'S, 52°3'W, 17.vi.1992, 3.vii.1992, FIT (CHND); 1: 10-27.vi.1992, FIT (CHND). 5: Tucuruí, 3°45'S, 49°40'W, 10-29.vii.1985, FIT (CHND); 1: 19.vi.1986, 7.vii.1986, FIT (CHND). FRENCH GUIANA: 1: Belvèdére de Saül, point de vue, 3°1'22"N, 53°12'34"W, 30.xi.2010, FIT, SEAG (CHND). PERU: Cusco: 1: Cock of the Rock Lodge, NE Paucartambo, 13°3.3'S, 71°32.7'W, 1120m, 4.xi.2007, 9.xi.2007, FIT, D. Brzoska (SEMC). 1: Manu rd. km 165, Consuelo, 10.x.1982, beating dead branches, L. Watrous & G. Mazurek (FMNH); 1: 12.x.1982, rotten palm, L. Watrous & G. Mazurek (FMNH). Junín: 4: Pampa Hermosa Lodge, 22km N San Ramon, 10°59.3'S, 75°25.5'W, 1220m, 24-27.xi.2007, FIT, D. Brzoska (SEMC). 1: 11km NE Puerto Ocopa, Los Olivos, 11°7.00'S, 74°15.52'W, 1200m, 26-28.iii.2009, Window trap, A.V. Petrov (AKTC); 1: 24-26.iii.2009, Window trap, A.V. Petrov (MUSM). 1: 7.5km NE Puerto Ocopa, Cananeden, 11°4.9'S, 74°16.1'W, 1180m, 11.i.2007, A.V. Petrov (AKTC); 1: 15km NW Satipo, Rio Venado, 11°11.709'S, 74°46.119'W, 1150m, 17-24.v.2012, A.V. Petrov, DNA Extract MSC-2322 (AKTC). Loreto: 2: km 63, rd. Iquitos - Nauta, Rio Itaya, 4°15.205'S, 73°26.074'W, 140m, 10-14.ii.2010, A.V. Petrov (AKTC). 1: 9-13.i.2011, A.V. Petrov (MUSM). Madre de Dios: 1: Los Amigos Field Sta., Luisa Bamboo forest, 12.5422°S, 74.1170°W, 274m, 2-11.i.2007, pitfall, bamboo forest, J. Jacobs (CASC). 1: Manu National Park, Zona res., Rio Manu, Cocha Juarez, trail nr. Manu Loge, 18-24.ix.1991, FIT, A. Hartman (FMNH). 16: Manu National Park, Pantiacolla Lodge, Alto Madre de Dios River, 12°39.3'S, 71°13.9'W, 420m, 14-19.xi.2007, FIT, D. Brzoska (SEMC). 1: Manu National Park, Pantiacolla Lodge, 5.5km NW El Mirador Trail, Alto Madre de Dios River, 12°39'10"S, 71°15'28"W, 500m, 23-26.x.2000, FIT, R. Brooks (SEMC). 6: Manu National Park, Cocha Cashu Bio. Sta., 11°53'45"S, 71°24'24"W, 350m, 17-19.x.2000, FIT, R. Brooks (SEMC). 2: Manu National Park, Cocha Salvador, 12°0'12"S, 71°31'36"W, 310m, 20-21.x.2000, FIT, R. Brooks (SEMC). 2: Tambopata, Reserva Cuzco Amazonico, 15km NE Puerto Maldonado, Quebrada Mariposa, 12°33'S, 69°03'W, 200m, 13.vi.1989, FIT, R. A. Leschen (SEMC). VENEZUELA: Monagas: 11: Caripe Cueva Guácharo, 700m, 20-30.vii.1987, malaise trap, forest over coffee, S. & J. Peck (FMNH).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 2.40-2.87 mm, width: 2.18-2.46 mm; body rounded at sides, moderately convex dorsally; frons slightly convex; frontal stria interrupted on each side; supraorbital stria complete across vertex, barely separated from portion of frontal stria in front of eyes; pronotum with lateral submarginal stria complete, free anteriorly; anterior submarginal pronotal stria present; median pronotal gland openings slightly behind anterior margin, near apices of recurved submarginal stria; pronotal disk with few or no coarse lateral punctures; antescutellar fovea present, small, ovoid; elytra with outer subhumeral, inner subhumeral, and striae 1-3 complete, striae 4 and 5 usually subequal, present in apical third to one-half, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds; prosternal keel striae convergent and connected anteriorly, keel project ing posteriorly; marginal mesoventral stria complete; mesometaventral stria outwardly arcuate, nearly in contact with marginal mesoventral stria at middle; central portion of metaventral disk impunctate, small fragment of secondary lateral metaventral stria gen erally present; propygidium uniformly covered with round punctures separated by one-fourth their diameters; pygidium with dense, fine ground punctation, with small but coarser punctures sparsely intermingled, apical marginal stria complete, finely crenulate. Male genitalia (Figs 12 A–C, F): accessory sclerites present; T8 short, basal emargination broad, apical emargination narrow, basal membrane attachment line separated from basal emargination by one-third its depth, ventrolateral apodemes not meeting at midline, most strongly developed basally, narrowed toward apex; S8 with narrow apical guides gradually widened to apex, halves approximate in basal half, weakly diverging to apex; T9 with apices bluntly rounded, ventrolateral tooth well developed, just beyond midpoint; T10 halves separate; S9 narrowest near apex, expanded toward base, parallel sided in basal fourth, base truncate to weakly emarginate, lacking apical emargination, apical flanges separate; tegmen with sides evenly rounded to base and apex, medioventral process fine, narrowly rounded, weakly projecting beneath just basad midpoint; basal piece just less than one-third tegmen length; median lobe about one-half tegmen length.

Remarks.

Of two specimens in ZMHB, one bears a label 'Phelister bimarginatus’, apparently in Bickhardt's handwriting. However, this is a nomen nudum. Presumably, Bickhardt intended to describe this species before deciding it was Operclipygus kerga .

The type locality is merely the Amazon region. Beyond that it is widespread in much of the Amazonian basin, except where it is replaced by its close relatives, described below.