Operclipygus punctissipygus, 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 : 266-267

Operclipygus punctissipygus sp. n. Figs 69 C–E 70D, F, IMap 25

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Heredia: La Selva Biological Station [10°26'N, 84°1'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "COSTA RICA: Heredia, La Selva, 3.2 km SE Puerto Viejo, 100m, 17 Feb. 1992, W.Bell, ex: flight intercept trap"/ "SEMC0903633 KUNHM-ENT" (INBI). Paratypes (10): 6: same data as type, except as noted: 1: 9.ii.1992, FIT, W. Bell (SEMC), 2: 21.ii.1992 (SEMC, FMNH), 2: 1.iii.1992 (SEMC, MSCC), 1: 17.iii.1992 (SEMC), 1: 28.vi.1998, FIT, C.E. Carlton & A.K. Tishechkin (LSAM); Cartago: 1: Parque Nac. Barbilla, R.F. Rio Pacuare, Turrialba, Send. Rio Danto, 500-600m, 28. viii– 5.ix.2001, FIT, W. Arana (INBIO); Heredia: 1: Parque Nac. Braulio Carrillo, Est. Magsasay, 200m, i.1991, M. Barrelier, (INBIO); Limón: 1: Sector Cedrales de la Rita, 3km N. del Puente Rio Suerte, Ruta Puerto Lindo, 10m, viii.1996, FIT, E. Rojas, (INBIO).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.93-2.22 mm, width: 1.65-1.93 mm; body rufopiceous, slightly elongate oval, sides evenly rounded; frons depressed at middle, with fine, sparse ground punctation; sides of frontal stria divergent between eyes, interrupted over antennal bases, present as isolated arc in front; supraorbital stria absent; epistoma strongly convex; labrum narrow, about twice as wide as long, weakly emarginate with small process beneath, left of midline; pronotum lacking prescutellar impression, with ground punctation fine and inconspicuous, with ~10 coarser punctures at sides; marginal pronotal stria absent behind head, complete at sides; submarginal pronotal stria complete across front, extending along anterior half of lateral margin, obsolete in basal half; median pronotal gland openings about two-thirds pronotal length from anterior margin; elytron with two complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria very short and apical, inner subhumeral absent, striae 1-2 complete, 3rd stria very finely impressed in basal third, reaching the anterior elytral margin, and as a very short apical stria, 4th stria represented by very short apical fragment, 5th stria absent, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds; elytral disk with apical row of conspicuous punctures; prosternal keel very weakly emarginate at base, carinal striae converging, united anteriorly about one-fourth before presternal suture, weak secondary striae present between procoxa and primary carinal stria; prosternal lobe rather short, marginal stria abbreviated at sides; mesoventrite not projecting at middle, marginal stria broadly interrupted by mesometaventral stria which is arched forward along most of the mesoventral margin; lateral metaventral stria strongly abbreviated posteriorly, reaching only about middle of metaventral disk; 1st abdominal ventrite with single lateral stria present, longitudinal in basal half, interrupted near inner corner of metacoxa, continuing directly laterad behind coxa, passing through a small but distinct postcoxal fovea behind outer corner of coxa; propygidium and especially pygidium with ground punctation dense; propygidium with small, round punctures separated by about their diameters, becoming sparser apicolaterally; py gidium with only a few coarser punctures along basal margin; marginal pygidial stria absent. Male genitalia (Figs 70D, F, I): very similar to those of Operclipygus impunctipennis , differing as follows: T8 with basal emargination shallower, only reaching halfway to basal membrane attachment line; S8 with sides subparallel in basal half, weakly divergent to apices; T9 with acute lateral denticles near middle; S9 with sides more rounded to base, apex subtruncate, with very small median emargination, basolateral corners not as prominently produced; tegmen very similar to that of Operclipygus impunctipennis , but widest point slightly basad middle.

Remarks.

This species can be distinguished by its broad body outline (Fig. 69C), depressed frons with stria interrupted at the sides, submarginal pronotal stria which is continuous across the front but ending midway along the lateral margins, presence of only two complete elytral striae, transverse postmetacoxal stria with small fovea (Fig. 69E), and presence of dense ground punctation on the propygidium and pygidium (Fig. 69D).

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to the fine, dense punctures of the pygidium.