Operclipygus dubius (Lewis, 1888)

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Operclipygus Marseul (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 271, pp. 1-401 : 109-111

Operclipygus dubius (Lewis, 1888) Figs 30 A–E31A–GMap 10

Epierus dubius Lewis, 1888: 208; Pseudister dubius : Bickhardt (1917: 165); Operclipygus dubius : Wenzel (1976: 258).

Type locality.

GUATEMALA: Guatemala: El Zapote Ranch [14°28'N, 91°54'W].

Type material.

Lectotype, here designated: "Zapote, Guatemala, G. Champion" / " Epierus dubius Lewis type" / "LECTOTYPE Epierus dubius Lewis, 1888 M.S. Caterino & A.K. Tishechkin des. 2010" (BMNH). 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: Guanacaste: 1: Parque Nac. Guanacaste, Est. Pitilla [misspelled Patilla], 10°59'22"N, 85°25'33"W, 610m, 13-15.vii.2000, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, Z. Falin (SEMC); 1: Parque Nac. Guanacaste, Lado SO Vol. Cacao, 1000-1400m, 21-29.v.1992, F.A. Quesada, (INBIO); Heredia: 1: La Selva Biol. Stn., 3km S Puerto Viejo, 100m, 24.iii.1992, FIT, W. Bell (SEMC); 1: Finca Naranjo Valenciana 2km sur Pueblo Nuevo Sarapiqui, 90m, 24. vii– 22.viii.1992, M. Ortiz (INBIO); Puntarenas: 1: Est. Biol. Las Cruces, Coto Brus, 8°47'N, 82°57'W, 1000m, 1-2.iv.2002, FIT, A. Cline & A. Tishechkin (LSAM), 2: 8-10.iv.2002, FIT, A. Cline & A. Tishechkin (LSAM, AKTC); 1: Est. Biol. Las Cruces, San Vito, 1200m, 1-30.vii.1982, FIT, B.D. Gill (MSCC); 2: Las Alturas Biol. Sta., 08°56.17'N, 82°50.01'W, 1660m, 31. v– 3.vi.2004, FIT, J.S. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa (SEMC). MEXICO: San Luis Potosí: 1: 20km W. Xilitla, 1600m, 12.vi-6.viii.1983, FIT, cloud forest, S. & J. Peck (CMNC); Tabasco, 1: Teapa, i., H.H. S. (BMNH). 1: PANAMA: Panamá: Chepo-Carti Rd., 400m, vii.1982, FIT, B.D. Gill (BDGC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.44-1.59 mm, width: 1.06-1.15 mm; body rufescent, nearly parallel sided and depressed; frons depressed and finely punctate, frontal stria absent across middle or represented by few rudimentary fragments, sides forming a continuous arch with complete supraorbital stria; epistoma weakly convex along apical margin; labrum 1.5 × as wide as long; both mandibles with similar, subacute basal teeth; prescutellar impression present, elongate, almost linear, 2 –3× length of scutellum; pronotum finely punctate throughout; without coarser punctures laterally; lateral submarginal pronotal stria absent; marginal stria interrupted behind head; anterior submarginal stria present, recurved obliquely posterad about one-third to one-half pronotal length; median pronotal glands about 6 puncture widths from anterior margin, alongside recurved anterior stria; elytra with one complete epipleural stria, with outer subhumeral stria fine, present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-4 complete to base, the apices of 1st and 2nd striae slightly abbreviated in some individuals, 5th stria present in apical two-thirds, sutural stria present in apical three-fourths, widened anteriorly; prosternal keel produced and rather broadly rounded at base, carinal striae complete, connected anteriorly and basally, narrowly separated at middle; prosternal lobe subtruncate apically, with complete marginal stria; mesoventrite deeply emarginate; mesoventral marginal stria narrowly interrupted at middle; mesometaventral stria arched forward about halfway to mesoventral margin, sinuate, then angulate near mesocoxa, posteriorly nearly reaching middle of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with 2 complete striae on each side; propygidial punctures small and sparse, major punctures separated by a little more than their diameters; pygidium with ground punctures not extremely dense, separated by a puncture width or more, with slightly coarser punctures intermingled, principally in basal third; marginal pygidial sulcus complete, ranging in appearance from a connected series of deep punctures to a deeply crenulate sulcus. Male genitalia (Figs 31 A–G): as for group description above, distinguished by the broad truncate apices of S8 which bear a long series of setae, as well as by the subtriangular, hatchet-like apices of T9; S9 short, truncate at base, with broad shallow apical emargination, apical flanges widely separated; T10 poorly sclerotized; tegmen widest at base, narrowed in apical half.

Remarks.

The small size, lack of lateral submarginal pronotal stria, and long, oblique recurved anterior pronotal stria (Fig. 30B) will separate this species from any other Operclipygus known to occur in Central America.