Operclipygus lissipygus, 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 : 277

Operclipygus lissipygus sp. n. Figs 73 A–CMap 26

Type locality.

BELIZE: Cayo:Las Cuevas Research Station [16°44'N, 88°60'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "Las Cuevas Belize" / "FIT 11, 5.08.94"/ "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00324" (BMNH). Paratypes (14): 12: same data as type, except as noted: BELIZE: Cayo: 3: Las Cuevas Research Station, 16°43.99'N, 88°59.20'W, 550m, 22.v.2000, sifted under rotting fruit, M.S. Caterino, DNA Extract MSC-0066 (MSCC, AKTC), 1: 30.v.2000, FIT (FMNH), 1: v.1996 (BMNH), 2: 550m, v.1997, D. Inward (BMNH), 2: 11.viii.1994, FIT (BMNH), 1: 5.viii.1994, FIT (BMNH), 2: 16.ix.1994, FIT (BMNH); 1: New Maria, 20.i.1995, FIT (BMNH).

Diagnostic description.

This species is extremely similar to the preceding differing only as follows length: 1.81-1.87 mm, width: 1.56-1.62 mm; frontal stria complete over antennal bases; lateral submarginal pronotal stria continuous along front and sides, not interrupted; pronotal disk with <10 lateral punctures; elytra with 2 epipleural striae, striae 1-2 complete, 3rd stria present in basal third as very fine stria, and a short apical fragment, striae 4-5 absent, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds; apical margin of elytra lacking stria or punctures; prosternum not strongly depressed; marginal stria of mesoventrite broadly interrupted; inner stria of 1st abdominal ventrite not extending beyond basal half, ending very close to or meeting inner end of transverse postmetacoxal stria; deep fovea present behind posterolateral corner of metacoxa; propygidium with rather small punctures concentrated along basal margin, sparser to absent in apical half; pygidium with few or no punctures aside from very fine, inconspicuous ground punctation; marginal pygidial stria very fine, present only on extreme pygidial apex. Male genitalia indistinguishable from those of Operclipygus latifoveatus (see Figs 72 E–G, K).

Remarks.

The presence of a deep fovea behind the metacoxa (Fig. 73A) in combination with the fine, abbreviated 3rd dorsal stria, absent 4th dorsal stria (Fig. 73B), lack of marginal elytral stria, smooth pygidium and few propygidial punctures (Fig. 73C) complete frontal stria, and small number of lateral pronotal punctures will distinguish this species from others in this group.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to the very smooth, almost impunctate pygidium.