Operclipygus pauperculus, 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 : 269-271

Operclipygus pauperculus sp. n. Figs 71 A–B72A–C, HMap 25

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: Quebrada Bonita Station [9°50'N, 85°0'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "Est. Quebrada Bonita, R.B. Carara, Prov. Punta., COSTA RICA, 50m. Ago 1994, R.M. Guzmán, L N 194500_469850 #3163"/ "INBIO CRI002037795" (INBIO). Paratypes (7): 1: same data as type; 5: same data as type, except as noted: 2: 200m, iv.1990, R. Zuniga, (INBIO, AKTC), 1: iv.1994, R. Guzman (INBIO), 2: 50m, ix.1994, J.C. Saborio, (INBIO, FMNH), 1: 50m, 1-29.vii.1992, R. Guzman, (MSCC).

Other material.

COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: 1: Rincon, 7.viii.1967, dead Smooth-billed Ani, J.R. Holman (FMNH); 1: Parque Nac. Manuel Antonio, Quepos, 80m, vii.1991, R. Zuniga, (INBIO); Alajuela: 1: San Jose, F Nevermann, La Caja B., Schmidt (FMNH); Heredia: 1: La Selva Biol Sta., 10.4306°N, 84.0064°W, 10.vi.2012, FIT, OTS Beetle Course, DNA Extract MSC-2308 (LSAM). BELIZE: Stann Creek: 1: Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, 16°46.830'N, 88°27.543'W, 80m, 30-31.v.2008, B. Ratcliffe, R. Cave, M. Jameson, J. Orozco (UNL). HONDURAS: Cortés: 1: Lago Yojoa, 650m, 23-28.viii.1994, FIT, tropical, evergreen forest, S. & J. Peck (CMNC); 2: Yojoa Lake, Deer Island, 14°55'N, 87°58'W, 670m, 19-21.vi.1994, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC), 4: 22-26.vi.1994, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

This species is extremely similar to both the preceding two, differing principally in the following characters: length: 1.65-1.67 mm, width: 1.40-1.44 mm; frontal stria usually complete, but may be interrupted over antennal bases; submarginal pronotal stria continuous across front, complete along lateral margin; pronotal disk with few, ~8 coarse lateral punctures; elytron with outer subhumeral stria absent, 1st dorsal stria slightly abbreviated from base, 2nd stria complete, 3rd stria with fine basal scratch and apical appendix, 4th stria usually absent, may be represented by short apical fragment, 5th stria absent, sutural stria present in apical three-fourths, sinuate, connected to crenulate stria along apical elytral margin; prosternal striae complete, close, parallel in anterior half, united by narrow arch; male metaventrite not impressed or densely punctate; sterna with faint microsculpture at sides; 1st abdominal ventrite with near complete longitudinal lateral stria in addition to transverse postcoxal stria, postcoxal stria ending in distinct fovea behind outer corner of metacoxa; propygidium with faint microsculpture, pygidium without; propygidial punctures small, separated by about their diameters, present only in basal half to two-thirds; pygidium with fine ground punctures only; marginal pygidial stria finely impressed along extreme apex or absent. Male genitalia (Figs 72 A–C, H): accessory sclerites strongly reduced or absent; T8 with sides more or less evenly convergent from base to apex, apical emargination narrow, basal emargination deep, nearly reaching basal membrane attachment line, ventrolateral apodemes not meeting along midline, extending only along middle third of segment; S8 strongly divergent to apex, apical guides well developed, bearing distinctly darkened maculae near apex; T9 lacking lateral denticles; T10 long, halves separate; S9 short, slightly widened toward truncate base, apex with narrow median emargination, rounded on each side, basolateral corners strongly produced proximally; tegmen widest near middle, sides gently curved to base and subacute apex, medioventral process not evident; basal piece about one-third tegmen length; median lobe about half tegmen length, proximal apodemes differentiated medially into thick and filamentous portions.

Remarks.

The presence of propygidial microsculpture in this species is unusual for the impunctipennis group, and this, in combination with the uninterrupted submarginal pronotal stria that excludes it from the frequently microsculptured Operclipygus hamistrius group, is almost sufficient to recognize it. It is also characterized by a small but distinct abdominal fovea behind the posterolateral margin of the metacoxa (Fig. 71B), a complete stria along the posterior margin of the elytra (Fig. 71A), and the presence of only two complete elytral striae (1st and 2nd, the 1st rarely abbreviated slightly from apex). Given some variation in propygidial punctation, density of microsculpture, and completeness of various striae, we restrict this type series to specimens from a small area of Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Etymology.

This species’ name is based on its small size and secondarily its reduced (depauperate) elytral striation.