Operclipygus plaumanni, 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 : 41

Operclipygus plaumanni sp. n. Fig. 9CMap 2

Type locality.

BRAZIL: Santa Catarina: Nova Teutonia [27°11'S, 52°23'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "Nova Teutonia, Sta. Catharina, BRAZ. X:16:52, Fritz Plaumann leg." / "bei Acromyrmex " / “FMNH-INS0000069312” (FMNH). Paratypes (25): all from same locality, dates as follows: 3: 3.vi.1941, 13: 3.i.1949, 1: 4.x.1952, 1: 5.x.1952, 1: 9.x.1952, 1: 10.x.1952, 1: 13.x.1952, 2: 21.ix.1952, 1: 27.x.1952, 1: no date (FMNH, UFPR, MSCC, AKTC).

Diagnostic description.

This species is very similar in most characters to Operclipygus mirabilis and is only described to the extent that it differs from the above. Length: 1.62-1.93 mm, width: 1.37-1.65 mm; pronotum with well developed basal plicae; anterior submarginal pronotal stria present, recurved with ends divergent; anterior marginal stria complete or barely interrupted at middle; male with divergent, sublinear depression on each side laterad and parallel to divergent arm of anterior submarginal stria, these depressions bearing median pronotal gland openings near their posterior-most ends; lateral submarginal pronotal stria similarly complete in both sexes; elytron lacking inner subhumeral stria, sutural stria obsolete in basal third, not meeting basal arch of 5th stria; pygidium with marginal stria faintly impressed along apical third of margin, rarely obsolete. Male with apical guides of S8 slightly narrower apically than in Operclipygus mirabilis ; aedeagus more strongly hooked at apex.

Remarks.

The males of Operclipygus plaumanni and Operclipygus sinuatus have unique pronotal modifications, with the median pair of gland openings born at the end of a shallow, sinuate channel extending posterad or posterolaterad from anterior pronotal margin. In Operclipygus plaumanni this channel is shorter and extends more laterally than posteriorly (Fig. 9C). Its marginal pygidial sulcus is also very faint, barely detectable around the apex.

Etymology.

The species is named for famed German collector Fritz Plaumann (1902-1994), who made his home in Nova Teutonia, Santa Catarina.