Baconia purpurata, Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Baconia Lewis (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 343, pp. 1-297 : 261-263

Baconia purpurata sp. n. Figs 82 A–BMap 22

Type locality.

FRENCH GUIANA: Montagne des Chevaux [4.72°N, 52.40°W].

Type material.

Holotype female: "GUYANE FRANÇAISE: Montagne des Chevaux, 4°43'N, 52°24'W, Piège d’interception 22.i.2011, SEAG leg."/ "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-02501" (MNHN). Paratypes (2): FRENCH GUIANA: 1: Bélvédère de Saül, 3°1'22"N, 53°12'34"W,14.ii.2011, FIT, SEAG (CHND). 1: GUYANA: Region 8, Iwokrama Forest, Kabocalli Field Stn., 60m, 4°17'4"N, 58°30'35"W, 3-5.vi.2001, R. Brooks, Z. Falin (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 2.0-2.2mm, width: 1.7-1.9mm; body elongate oval, sides subparallel, weakly depressed, glabrous; pronotum and elytra uniformly metallic violet-bronze, head, pygidia and venter rufo-piceous; frons weakly elevated above antennal bases, slightly depressed at middle, interocular margins strongly convergent dorsad, ground punctation fine, secondary punctures small, sparse, slightly denser toward vertex, frontal stria present along inner margin of eye, curving mediad but absent across front; supraorbital stria absent; epistoma weakly convex along apical margin; labrum about 4 ×wider than long, weakly bisinuate apically; each mandible with acute basal tooth; antennal scape short, club asymmetrically oblong; pronotal sides subparallel in basal half, abruptly arcuate to apex, depressed in anterior corners, marginal stria complete along lateral and anterior margins, slightly crenulate in front, lateral submarginal stria absent, ground punctation of pronotal disk very fine, secondary punctures uniformly interspersed in lateral thirds; elytra with 2-3 complete epipleural striae, the outer variably abbreviated apically, outer subhumeral stria absent, inner subhumeral stria present as short basal fragment, dorsal striae 1-2 more or less complete, 3rd stria nearly complete to significantly abbreviated apically, 4th stria ab breviated from apex, but generally more nearly complete than 3rd stria, 5th stria absent, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds, elytral disk with few coarse punctures in apical fourth; prosternum rather narrow, distinctly convex, keel shallowly emarginate at base, carinal striae complete, convergent at middle but separate throughout; prosternal lobe about half keel length, apical margin broadly rounded, marginal stria nearly complete, faintly obsolete at sides; mesoventrite sinuate to weakly produced, marginal stria complete, mesometaventral stria weakly arched forward, crenulate, continuous at sides with lateral metaventral stria, which curves posterolaterad toward middle of metacoxa, outer lateral metaventral stria present, short, divergent from base of inner stria, metaventral disk impunctate at middle; abdominal ventrite 1 with single lateral stria more or less complete, middle portion of disk impunctate; protibia 4-5 dentate, basal denticles weak, outer margin serrulate between teeth; mesotibia with two marginal spines; outer metatibial margin smooth; propygidium without basal stria, with ground punctation very fine, inconspicuous, discal punctures rather small, ocellate, separated by their diameters or slightly less in basal half, smaller and sparser apically; propygidial gland openings conspicuous nearly one-half from anterior and one-fourth from lateral margins; pygidium with ground punctation fine, secondary punctures small, very uniformly interspersed throughout. Male: not known.

Remarks.

This species’ color pattern is distinctive, with strongly violet metallic pronotum and elytra (Fig. 82A), but with the head and pygidium similarly colored to non-metallic venter. It is similar and apparently closely related to Baconia aenea , which is much more commonly collected in French Guiana - both lack the frontal stria, and may be generally violet in color. However, Baconia purpurata is more richly violet in color, lacks the transverse basal propygidial stria, has a narrower frons, a rather small labrum (Fig. 82B), and lacks a basal arch representing the 5th elytral stria.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to its metallic violet coloration.