Operclipygus teapensis (Marseul, 1853) Marseul, 1853

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Operclipygus Marseul (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 271, pp. 1-401 : 315-318

Operclipygus teapensis (Marseul, 1853) comb. n. Figs 85 A–B86A–EMap 31

Phelister teapensis Marseul, 1853: 482.

Type locality.

MEXICO: Tabasco: Teapa [17°33'N, 92°57'W].

Type material.

Lectotype male, hereby designated: "14 Phelister teapensis M. Teapa Pilat [illegible:?Bournt?]" / "Museum Paris, Coll. de Marseul 2842-90" / “TYPE” / [handwritten label on which nothing is legible] / "LECTOTYPE Phelister teapensis Marseul, 1853 M.S.Caterino & A.K.Tishechkin des. 2010" (MNHN). 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.

COSTA RICA: Limón: 1: Hamburg farm, Reventazon, Ebene, Dung of bat, F. Nevermann, 25.iii.1928 (FMNH), 2: 26.vii.1931 (FMNH), 7: 28.ix.1928 (USNM); 1: Hamburg Farm, Siquirres, E. Reimoser (FMNH). PANAMA: Panamá: 1: Rio Chilibrillo, Bat Caves, 29.ix.1923, bat cave, Zetek, Molino & Shannon (USNM); 1:Summit, CZ, 9.i.1941, Dung of Dirias & Molossus , K.W. Cooper (FMNH). PARAGUAY: Chaco: 3: Fiebrig (FMNH). VENEZUELA: Yaracuy: 4: Minas de Aroa Tunel Polvorin, 20.xii.1998, on guano, H. Escalona (MSCC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.90-2.68 mm, width: 1.47-2.06 mm; body rufo-brunneus, elongate oval, widest at humeri, prothorax markedly narrower, sides nearly parallel; head with frons broad, flat to weakly depressed; frontal striae parallel between eyes, finely impressed, sinuate in front, complete or very narrowly interrupted at sides, continuous with complete supraorbital stria; labrum about half as long as wide, shallowly emarginate; pronotum with linear prescutellar impression, about equal in length to scutellum; lateral marginal pronotal stria continuous along sides and front, narrowly interrupted behind head in some individuals; lateral submarginal stria complete, turning inward, ending freely at front; anterior submarginal stria close to margin, crenulate, diverging from margin at sides; median pronotal gland openings inconspicuous; pronotal disk with some coarser punctures at sides, varying in number and density; elytron with two complete epipleural striae; outer subhumeral stria complete, inner weak, present in apical half in some individuals, varying to absent; dorsal striae 1-4 complete, 5th and sutural striae subequal, present in apical two-thirds; prosternal keel truncate at base, carinal striae complete, sinuate, meeting in arch near presternum; secondary carinal striae variably present between procoxae and carinal striae; prosternal lobe generally strongly reflexed, somewhat long and narrow, its marginal stria curving away from margin toward presternal suture at sides; mesoventrite truncate in front, with complete marginal stria; mesometaventral stria bent forward in a blunt angle, nearly to marginal stria, meeting lateral metaventral stria at a small angulation near mesocoxa, extending toward middle of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with two lateral striae close together, outer stria curving behind metacoxa; propygidium short, with small punctures separated by about twice their diameters intermixed with fine ground punctures; pygidium with much smaller coarse punctures amid ground punctation; pygidum rarely with fragments of apical marginal stria (mostly in Venezuelan specimens, among material available). Male genitalia (Figs 86 A–E; see discussion of variation under ‘Remarks’, below): accessory sclerites present; T8 rather short, with sides rounded, basal emargination narrow, angulate, basal membrane attachment line just distad its apex, apical emargination deep, narrow, ventrolateral apodemes small, widest near base, distant at ventral midline; S8 with apical guides widest just basad apices, narrowing gradually to base, halves fused just at base, diverging then parallel to near apex; T9 with apices narrowly rounded, ventrolateral tooth large; T10 with halves small, barely separated along midline; S9 well sclerotized in apical two-thirds, narrow in apical half, asymmetrically expanded to truncate base, apex with lateral flanges strongly elevated, slightly converging to uninterrupted apical flange; tegmen widest near base, sides rounded, narrowed in apical half, widened to apices, apex curved moderately downward; medioventral process rather weakly sclerotized, ‘U’ -shaped, projecting beneath tegmen about one-fourth from base; median lobe slender, about half tegmen length; basal piece less than one-third tegmen length.

Remarks.

This is a rather distinctive species based on external morphology, with a subquadrate body form (Fig. 85A), relatively strong ground punctation on most surfaces, a complete outer subhumeral stria, a detached but not strongly recurved anterior submarginal pronotal stria, and angulate mesometaventral stria (Fig. 85B). However, at the same time there is significant geographic variation across its range. Material from Venezuela tends to be more densely punctate than most. However, its genitalia are identical to those from Central American specimens. Three specimens from Paraguay cannot be separated from Central American specimens based on external characters, but have moderately distinctive genitalia, with an aedeagus that is shorter and wider apically than the rest. Given the sparse available specimens from South America, we keep all these together under a single name for the present.

Ranging from southern Mexico to Paraguay, this species spans a surprisingly broad geographic range for one with such apparently specialized habits. Unusually, most specimens have ecological data, and it appears that an association with bat guano in caves or other bat roosts is the primary niche. One label, on a Panamanian specimen, is even more specific, indicating dung of Dirias Miller and Molossus Geoffroy (common Neotropical bat genera).