Operclipygus simplicipygus, 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 : 255-257

Operclipygus simplicipygus sp. n. Figs 67 C–D 68FMap 24

Type locality.

PERU: Madre de Dios: 15 km NE Puerto Maldonado, Cuzco Amazónico Reserve [12°33'S, 69°03'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "PERU: Tambopata Prov. Madre de Dios Dpto. 15km NE Puerto"/ "Maldonado, Reserva Cuzco Amazónico 12°33'S, 69°03'W 200m, #Z2U16"/ "28 June 1989, J. S. Ashe, R. A. Leschen #316 ex. flight intercept trap" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-02212" (SEMC). Paratype (1): PERU: Madre de Dios: Manu National Park, Cocha Cashu Bio. Stn., 11°53'45"S, 71°24'24"W, 350m, 19.x.2000, fungus covered log, R. Brooks (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.97-2.00 mm, width: 1.68-1.78 mm; body rufopiceous, elongate oval; subdepressed; frons weakly depressed at middle, with fine, sparse ground punctation; frontal stria divergent between eyes, curving mediad, weakly sinuate over antennal bases, fine, complete, and arcuate across front; epistoma shallowly emarginate apically; labrum about twice as wide as long, truncate apically; pronotum lacking prescutellar impression, with fine, rather conspicuous ground punctation, with ~15 coarse lateral punctures; marginal stria broadly interrupted behind head; lateral submarginal stria complete along side, curving inward, meeting or nearly meeting anterior marginal stria at weak postocular angle, anterior marginal stria may be very weakly recurved posterad if free; median pronotal gland openings about half pronotal length behind anterior margin; elytron with two complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria complete, sinuate at middle, inner subhumeral stria present in apical half, dorsal striae 1-3 complete, striae 4-5 present in apical half, sutural stria present in apical three-fourths; elytra with weak strioles between apices of striae 1 and 2; prosternal keel outwardly produced at base, carinal striae complete, rather narrowly separated, united anteriorly and posteriorly; prosternal lobe narrowly rounded, marginal stria complete, well impressed; anterior margin of mesoventrite shallowly emarginate, with complete marginal stria; mesometaventral stria weakly arched forward at middle, reaching basal third of mesoventrite, continued by lateral metaventral stria posterolaterad toward middle of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with two complete lateral striae; propygidium with moderately dense ground punctation mostly obscured by uniformly dense secondary punctures; pygidium with dense ground punctation with numerous small secondary punctures interspersed; marginal pygidial sulcus deep, complete, not ending in basal foveae. Male genitalia: segments 8-10 very similar to those of Operclipygus subdepressus (see Figs 68 A–C), except S8 with sides weakly convergent to apex, apical guides undeveloped at base, only slightly widened in apical half to rounded apices; S9 [of only available male broken across stem near apex] with stem broader, with rounded apical emargination; tegmen (Fig. 68F) short and broad, widest about one-third from apex, with extremely large and projecting medioventral tooth; median lobe with wide gonopore, long proximal apodemes, showing weak differentiation; basal piece about one-third tegmen length.

Remarks.

Aside from marked differences in body shape (Fig. 67C), this species appears to be closely related to Operclipygus subdepressus , sharing a deep but basically simple pygidial sulcus (Fig. 67D), presence of part of the inner subhumeral stria and dense propygidial punctation, as well as some characters of male genitalia, such as the short, broad 8th tergite, possibly correlated with a short, wide aedeagus. In any case, the relative roundness and convexity of the body of Operclipygus simplicipygus will separate it easily.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to the lack of basal pygidial foveae, otherwise common in most members of the Operclipygus fossipygus group.