Operclipygus chiapensis, 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 : 229-231

Operclipygus chiapensis sp. n. Figs 57M59 D–EMap 22

Type locality.

MEXICO: Chiapas: Cerro El Triunfo Reserve [15°39'N, 92°50'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: “México: "Reserva Cerro El Triunfo", Mpio. Ángel Albino Corzo, Chiapas. 07/XI/2008. Bosque Mesófilo. 1500msnm, UTM 0522185 N 1734333W. Pitfall NTP80-1 Calamar. Caballero, U. Col. Ecosur-SCLC"/ " Histeridae sp. 2" / "6935 ECO-SC-E" (ECOSUR). Paratypes (2): 1: same data as type (ECOSUR); 1: MEXICO, Chiapas, 3km SE Custepec, 15.71582°N, 92.93846°W, 1700m, 17.v.2008, sifted leaf litter, secondary mesophyll forest, DNA Extract MSC-2154 (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.90-2.12 mm, width: 1.68-1.87 mm; body rufobrunneus, ground punctation rather conspicuous throughout, with microsculpture on propygidium, prosternum, mesoventrite, sides of metaventrite; elongate oval, widest at humeri; frons weakly depressed at middle; frontal stria slightly divergent at sides, complete across front; labrum rather broad, convex, emarginate at apex; pronotal disk with numerous (~20) coarse punctures at sides in addition to conspicuous ground punctation; marginal pronotal stria complete across front and along sides; submarginal pronotal stria complete and continuous along front and sides; median pronotal gland openings just over two-thirds pronotal length from anterior margin; elytra with outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-4 complete, 5th stria present in apical half, sutural stria slightly longer than 5th; elytra with few subserial punctures along apical margin; prosternal keel very weakly emarginate at base, carinal striae complete, convergent to front; prosternal lobe with dense punctures at middle, marginal stria interrupted; mesoventrite barely projecting at front, marginal stria broadly interrupted; mesometaventral stria broadly and strongly arched forward to mesoventral margin; lateral metaventral stria extending to middle of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with inner lateral stria present in basal two-thirds, outer present along inner edge of metacoxa, weakly bent laterad, strongly abbreviated apically; postcoxal fovea inconspicuous; propygidium with conspicuous microsculpture, fine sparse ground punctation, and uniform small, round punctures, separated by about 1.5 × their diameters throughout; pygidium lacking microsculpture, with ground punctures slightly denser than on propygidium, and with coarser punctures smaller than those of propygidium, more densely spaced. Male genitalic segments 8-10 indistinguishable from those of Operclipygus hamistrius (see Figs 57 A–D); tegmen (Fig. 57M) narrow, elongate, with sides subparallel in basal three-fourths, curved ventrad in apical third; medioventral process weakly sclerotized, forming a rather wide ‘U’, not projecting beneath; basal piece about one-third tegmen length; median lobe about one-third tegmen length, proximal apodemes differentiated, filamentous in proximal third.

Remarks.

Within the Operclipygus hamistrius group, this species can be recognized by its conspicuousdorsal ground punctation (Fig. 59D), complete elytral striae 1-4, presence of microsculpture on the propygidium, and the coarse punctation of propygidium and pygidium (Fig. 59E).

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to its only known state of occurrence in southern Mexico.