Operclipygus limonensis, 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 : 364-365

Operclipygus limonensis sp. n. Figs 101 E–F102D–G–IMap 34

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Limón: Sector Cerro Cocori, E. Rojas Farm [10.60°N, 83.72°W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. de E. Rojas, 150 m, Prov. Limón, COSTA RICA. May 1993. E. Rojas, L-N-286000, 567500"/ “InbioCRI001349337” (INBIO). Paratypes (2): COSTA RICA: Limón: 1: Area Cons. Tortuguero, Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. De E. Rojas, 150m, v.1993, E. Rojas, (INBIO); 1: Sardinas, Barra del Colorado, 15m, 6-12.xi.1994, F.V. Araya, (INBIO).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.75-1.87 mm, width: 1.37-1.44 mm; body rufobrunneus, elongate oval, widest at humeri; frons quite convex, frontal stria fine, complete, rounded between eyes, sinuate over antennal bases, arcuate across front; labrum small, weakly emarginate; pronotal disk without coarser lateral punctures; pronotum broadly depressed at base, antescutellar fovea present, but rather ill-defined, slightly longer than scutellum; lateral submarginal pronotal stria complete and rather distant from margin, curving inward along anterior margin and just meeting anterior submarginal stria, which is barely recurved at sides; median gland openings just posterad ends of anterior submarginal stria, about 5 puncture widths from anterior margin; elytron with one complete epipleural stria, outer subhumeral stria nearly complete, but either interrupted at middle, or abbreviated from base in all specimens, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-3 complete, 4th stria present in apical half, 5th stria distinctly shorter than 4th, but somewhat varied, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds, striae not widened apically; prosternum with keel weakly produced at base, carinal striae subparallel, weakly convergent to front, meeting in broad arch short of presternal suture; mesoventrite shallowly emarginate at middle, marginal stria complete; mesometaventral stria narrowly arched forward, sinuate near mesocoxae, continued by lateral metaventral stria obliquely toward posterior third of metepisternum, abbreviated apically; 1st abdominal ventrite with single lateral stria; propygidium with ground punctation almost invisible, with large, irregularly oval, shallow punctures separated by about their diameters; pygidium with dense fine ground punctures, coarser punctures concentrated near basal margin, but sparsely scattered throughout; marginal pygidial sulcus complete, deep, with edges weakly crenulate.Male genitalia (Figs 102 D–G, I):accessory sclerites absent; T8 rather short, with sides subparallel, basal apodemes narrow, basal emargination broad, shallow, basal membrane attachment line just distad apex of basal emargination, apical emargination narrow, shallow, ventrolateral apodemes narrow, arcuate, distantly separated beneath; S8 with sides weakly divergent, guides markedly widened toward apex, subtruncate, ventral halves separate throughout, divergent to apex; T9 short, subparallel, apices broad, acute at inner margin; T10 with halves separate; S9 short, broad, base emarginate, apex with narrow emargination, apical flanges small, just at inner corners, separate; tegmen stout, widest near apex, bluntly rounded apically, medioventral process absent; basal piece short, about one-fourth tegmen length; median lobe about one-half tegmen length in total, gonopore wide, proximal apodemes strongly differentiated into short thick arms and long filamentous proximal ends.

Remarks.

The small size of this species suggests relationships with the Operclipygus hospes group, but this is not supported by the male genitalia (Fig. 102 D–G, I), which are quite isolated and unusual. It also shares many external characters with Operclipygus pygidialis , including the complete outer subhumeral stria, moderately broad lateral pronotal bead, and deep pygidial sulcus, but again differs significantly in male genitalia. Short of dissection, the species can be most readily recognized by the very short posterior arms of the anterior submarginal pronotal stria (Fig. 101E), in combination with a complete lateral submarginal pronotal stria which is distant from the margin, the more or less complete outer subhumeral elytral stria, and the rather large, very shallow propygidial punctures (Fig. 101F).

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to the sole Costa Rican province where it has been found.