Operclipygus bickhardti, 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 : 65

Operclipygus bickhardti sp. n. Fig. 15DMap 5

Type locality.

PERU: Madre de Dios: Pantiacolla Lodge on Alto Madre de Dios River [12°39.3'S, 71°13.9'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "PERU: Madre de Dios, Pantiacolla Lodge, Alto Madre de Dios River, 400m 12°39'22"S, 71°13'55"W 23-26 OCT 2000; R.Brooks PERU1B00 099 ex: flight intercept trap" / "SM0263092 KUNHM-ENT" (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

This species is extremely similar to Operclipygus impuncticollis and Operclipygus britannicus , differing only in a few external characters: length: 1.68 mm, width: 1.40 mm; frontal stria complete; median pronotal gland openings nearer anterior pronotal margin, only about one-fifth pronotal length behind; lateral metaventral stria curved laterad toward metepisternum at apex; 1st abdominal ventrite with inner lateral stria very short, straight, displaced far mediad; pygidial sulcus much less strongly impressed, its depth even around apical margin, rather finely crenulate along inner edge, not more strongly impressed towards basal corners; male genitalia indistinguishable from those of Operclipygus impuncticollis .

Remarks.

The short and displaced inner lateral stria of the 1st abdominal ventrite, and the rather finely crenulate marginal pygidial sulcus (Fig. 15D) are adequate to distinguish this species.

Etymology.

We name this species in honor of Heinrich von Bickhardt (1873-1920), the German histerid specialist who established the tribe Exosternini , and many of its species.