Operclipygus hamistrius (Schmidt, 1893) Schmidt, 1893

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Operclipygus Marseul (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 271, pp. 1-401 : 207-210

Operclipygus hamistrius (Schmidt, 1893) comb. n. Figs 4B, 6F56B, D–F57A–D, IMap 20

Phelister hamistrius Schmidt, 1893: 13.

Type locality.

Not specified beyond Mexico.

Type material.

Lectotype, here designated (ZMHB): “Mexico.”/”hamistrius” / "LECTOTYPE Phelister hamistrius Schmidt M.S.Caterino & A.K.Tishechkin des. 2010". 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. BELIZE: Cayo: 1: Las Cuevas Research Station, 16°44'N, 88°59'W, vi.2006, J. Kitson (BMNH), 1: 550m, v.1997, D. Inward (BMNH); 1: Chiquibul Forest Reserve, San Pastor, 13.xi.1994, FIT (BMNH); 1: Gran de Oro, 6.i.1995, FIT (BMNH). GUATEMALA: Baja Verapaz: 1: 7km E Purulha, 1600m, 23.v.1991, cloud forest litter, R. Anderson (SEMC); 1: 17km N Salama Hy 5, 1700m, 29. vi– 3.vii.1993, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks (SEMC); Zacapa: 2: 3.5km SE La Union, 1500m, 25-27.vi.1993, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks (SEMC, FMNH); 3: 23-25.vi.1993 (SEMC, MSCC, AKTC). HONDURAS: Atlantida: 2: 15km W La Ceiba, 15-19.vi.1996, FIT, tropical rainforest, R. Lehman (TAMU), 1: 9-30.vii.1996, Malaise trap, tropical rainforest, R. Lehman (TAMU); Cortés: 2: Parque Nac. Cusuco, El Cortecito, 361198, 1717050, 1250m, 4-7.vi.2006, FIT, mature broadleaf forest, J. Nunez-Mino (OUMNH); 1: Parque Nac. Cusuco, 15°29'N, 88°13'W, 30.viii.1995, Malaise trap, oak/pine cloud forest, R. Cave, (AKTC); 1: 15.vii.1995, FIT, R. Cordero (AKTC); 1: Parque Nac. Cerro Azul-Meambar, Los Pinos, 14°52.4'N, 87°54.7'W, 800m, 10-16.v.2002, FIT, secondary forest, S. Peck (CHND); Francisco Morazán: 1: Yuscaran Cerro Montserrat, 28.i.1994, W. Morjan (AKTC); Olancho: 1: Parque Nac. La Muralla, 15km N La Union, 15°07'N, 86°45'W, ii.1995, Malaise trap, high elevation rainforest, R. Cave (AKTC); 1: La Union, Parque Nac. La Muralla, x.1994, R. Cordero (AKTC), 2: xi.1994, I. Maradiaga (AKTC), 2: 20-31.viii.1994, R. Cordero (AKTC). NICARAGUA, Granada: 1: Volcan Mombacho, San Joaquin #3, 21.vi.1998, malaise trap, J.M. Maes (MEL); 1: Volcan Mombacho, El Progreso #3, 15.iv.1998, malaise trap, J.M. Maes (MEL); Matagalpa: 1: 6 km N Matagalpa, Selva Negra Hotel, 12°59.99'N, 85°54.53'W, 1530m, 20-22.v.2002, FIT, R. Brooks, Z. Falin, S. Chatzimanolis (SEMC); 6: Selva Negra Reserve, 13°0.3'N, 85°54.2'W, 1395m, FIT, 19-27.v.2012, A. Derunkov, DNA Extracts MSC-2334, MSC-2349, MSC-2350, MSC-2351 (SBMNH, MSCC, AKTC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.78-2.25 mm, width: 1.44-1.84 mm; body rufescent, elongate oval, outline slightly interrupted at humeri, pronotum more nearly parallel-sided, moderately convex; frons shallowly depressed at middle, with conspicuous, fine ground punctation; frontal stria weakly divergent between eyes, anterior portion varied from complete to absent between antennal bases, occasionally represented only by isolated fragments; apical margin of labrum distinctly emarginate; left mandible untoothed, right mandible with small, acute basal tooth; pronotum lacking prescutellar impression, disk with ~15 small coarse punctures at sides; marginal stria of pronotum descending from dorsal margin anteriorly to hypomeron about one-fourth behind anterior corners, markedly disrupting margin; lateral submarginal stria very close to sides, frequently weak, fragmented toward base, either continuous across front or interrupted, the central portion barely detached with its ends faintly recurved posterad; median pronotal gland openings about two-thirds pronotal length from anterior margin; elytra with two complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-4 complete, 5th stria present in apical third, sutural stria present in apical half; nearly entire venter bearing waves of microsculpture; prosternal keel weakly emarginate at base, carinal striae complete, narrowed between coxae, with faint microsculpture between, meeting in bulbous anterior arch, weak secondary striae present behind prosternal gland openings; prosternal lobe with marginal stria abbreviated at sides; anterior margin of mesoventrite weakly projecting, marginal stria complete or interrupted; mesometaventral stria strongly arched forward very close to anterior mesoventral margin, continued by lateral metaventral stria toward metacoxa, frequently interrupted in posterior half of metaventral disk; central portion of metaventral disk with conspicuous ground punctation, particularly toward posterior margin; 1st abdominal ventrite with single, incomplete lateral stria, punctures of sides of disk simple, separate, not coalescing or forming strigosity; propygidium and pygidium with very conspicuous transversely reticulate microscultpure; propygidium with sparse small, shallow punctures, separated 2 –3× their diameters; pygidium with smaller punctures separated by only about 1.5 × their diameters; marginal pygidial stria fine, present only around apical half of margin, occasionally interrupted near apex. Male genitalia (Figs 57 A–D, I): accessory sclerites well developed; T8 with sides straight, weakly convergent to near apex, with faint desclerotization and abrupt step to apex (especially evident in lateral view), basal emargination narrow, rather shallow, reaching only halfway to basal membrane attachment line, ventrolateral apodemes symmetrical along underside nearly meeting at midline; S8 rather short, with sides weakly convergent toward apex, apical guides gradually more strongly developed toward apex, apices obliquely subacute, ventral surface distinctly wrinkled, halves approximate near base, weakly diverging toward apex; T9 with sides moderately rounded, apices convergent, subacute; T10 with halves separate; S9 with broad, weakly arcuate base, narrowed apically, apex shallowly arcuate but without fine median emargination, apical flange entire; tegmen narrow, elongate, widest just beyond midpoint, apex subacute, with medioventral process thin but well sclerotized, narrowly ‘U’ -shaped, projecting beneath, about one-fourth from tegmen base; basal piece about one-third tegmen length; median lobe thin, no more than one-third tegmen length.

Remarks.

The nominate species in this group can be recognized by the combination of: simple punctures on sides of the 1st abdominal ventrite (Fig. 56E), rather than elongate gouges; the descent of the marginal pronotal stria to the hypomeron about one-fourth behind the anterior corner, usually conspicuously disrupting the margin (Fig. 56F); the frequently complete frontal stria; and the usually continuous lateral and anterior submarginal striae (Fig. 56D). The unique type specimen, from an unspecified locality in Mexico, does not correspond extremely well with specimens from parts of northern Central America, having the pronotal striae broken, in particular, but they are certainly close. More material from Mexico would help substantiate the differences, and perhaps justify the separation of populations from most of these other areas as a distinct species.