Operclipygus vorax, 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 : 293-295

Operclipygus vorax sp. n. Figs 78 C–D 79A, C, E, GMap 28

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: Las Alturas Biological Station [8°57'N, 82°52'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, Coto Brus, Est. Biol. Las Alturas. 8°57'N, 82°52'W. 1,600m. F.I.T. #4. 5-8 Apr 2002, A.Tishechkin"/ "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00316" (FMNH). Paratypes (53): 32: same data as type, except as noted: 5: 1550m, 25-30.iii.2002, FIT, A. Cline & A. Tishechkin (LSAM), 4: 1600m, 25-30.iii.2002 (LSAM), 9: 1600m, 30.iii-4.iv.2002 (LSAM, FMNH, INBIO, MSCC, AKTC), 1: 1550m, 30.iii-3.iv.2002, FIT, A.K. Tishechkin (LSAM), 1: 1600m, 3-4.iv.2002 (LSAM), 3: 1550m, 3-4.iv.2002 (LSAM), 1: 1550m, 4-5.iv.2002 (LSAM), 2: 1600m, 4-5.iv.2002 (LSAM), 6: 1600m, 5-8.iv.2002 (LSAM), 1: 08°56.17'N, 82°50.01'W, 1660m, 31.v-3.vi.2004, FIT, J.S. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa (SEMC); 2: Est. Biol. Las Cruces, Coto Brus, 8°47'N, 82°57'W, 100m, 8-10.iv.2002, FIT, A.K. Tishechkin (LSAM), 1: 22-31.iii.2002 (LSAM), 3: 25-30.iii.2002 (LSAM), 3: 2-8.iv.2002 (LSAM), 1: 8-10.iv.2002 (LSAM); 1: Parque Nac. Amistad, Est. Las Mellizas, Fca. Cafrosa, 1300m, iii.1990, M. Ramirez & G. Mora, (INBIO); 2: Altamira Biol. Sta., 09°01.76'N, 83°00.49'W, 1510-1600m, 4-7.vi.2004, FIT, J.S. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa (SEMC); 1: Monteverde, 1520m, 25.vi-2.vii.1983, FIT, D.H. Lindeman (CHSM); 1: 24.v.1989, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Leschen (SEMC), 1: 21.ii-1.iii.1983, FIT, D. Lindemann (AKTC); 1: Est. La Casona, 1520m, 15-23.viii.1994, K.L. Martinez, (INBIO); 1: Res. Biol. Monteverde, Est. La Casona, 1520m, 5-10.x.1994, K. Martinez, (INBIO); 1: Est. Pittier, Send. Altamira, 1700-1760m, 10-20.v.1996, FIT con Carrona, A.M. Maroto, (INBIO); San Jose: 1: Cloudbridge Reserve, 2.4km ENE Sn Gerardo de Rivas, House Environs, 09°28.36'N, 83°34.51'W, 1700m, 8-11.vi.2004, FIT, J.S. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa (SEMC).

Other material.

PANAMA: Chiriquí: 3: 4km N Sta. Clara, Hartmann's Finca, 1500m, 13.vii.1982, FIT, B.D. Gill (BDGC); 2: 27.7km W. Volcan, Hartmann's Finca, 08°45'N, 82°48'W, 1450m, 14-17.vi.1995, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks (SEMC); 1: 20km N. Gualaca, Finca La Suiza, 08°39'N, 82°12'W, 1350m, 24. v– 9.vi.1995, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks (SEMC); 1: Hornito, Finca La Suiza, 1220m, 6.vi.2000, FIT, H. & A. Howden (CMNC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 2.12-2.53 mm, width: 1.84-2.18 mm; body rufobrunneus, elongate oval, sides distinctly rounded; frons and epistoma depressed at middle; frontal stria with sides rounded, interrupted over antennal bases, forming a detached arc at middle; labrum less than twice as wide as long, weakly emarginate at apex; left mandible untoothed, right with small, acute basal tooth; pronotal disk lacking prescutellar impression, with very fine, sparse ground punctation and ~18 coarse lateral punctures; marginal pronotal stria interrupted behind head; submarginal pronotal stria continuous across front of pronotum, extending along anterior two-thirds of lateral margin, obsolete at base; median pronotal gland openings situated about two-thirds pronotal length from anterior margin; elytron with two complete epipleural striae, inner and outer subhumeral striae absent, striae 1-3 complete (3rd rarely interrupted), 4th and 5th striae present only in apical third, sutural present in apical three-fourths; elytral disk lacking apical marginal striae or punctures; prosternal keel and prosternal lobe with faint microsculpture; prosternal keel broad, weakly emarginate at base, carinal striae complete, convergent and nearly united along base, united anteriorly in broad arc; prosternal lobe with marginal stria close to margin, abbreviated at sides; mesoventral margin broadly projecting, marginal stria weak and variably fragmented at middle; mesometaventral stria strongly arched forward at middle to near anterior mesoventral margin; lateral metaventral stria extending toward inner third of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with complete inner lateral stria and abbreviated outer lateral stria; postmetacoxal fovea absent; propygidium and pygidium with moderately dense, fine ground punctation; propygidium with coarser elongate punctures dense in basal two-thirds, obsolete apically; pygidium lacking coarser punctures; marginal pygidial stria absent. Male genitalia (Figs 79A, C, E, G): accessory sclerites absent; T8 short, sides subparallel in basal two-thirds, convergent to apex, apical emargination narrow, basal emargination deep, subangulate, intersecting basal membrane attachment line, ventrolateral apodemes widely separated beneath; S9 with sides convergent to narrow, subacute apices, ventral halves approximate at base, diverging weakly to apex; T9 with sides subparallel in basal two-thirds, apices narrow; T10 with halves separate; S9 narrowest at midpoint, slightly widened to rounded base, apex angulately emarginate, but without distinct median emargination, apical flange entire or narrowed medially; tegmen widest just basad middle, weakly narrowing to apex, rather thick dorsoventrally near base, narrowed to apex but not curved ventrad; medioventral process thin, contained in ventral membrane, not projecting beneath; basal piece about one-fourth tegmen length; median lobe about half tegmen length.

Remarks.

The basally abbreviated submarginal pronotal stria, usually complete elytral striae 1-3 (Fig. 78C), inconspicuous abdominal foveae, presence of two lateral striae on abdominal ventrite 1 (the outer abbreviated), and lack of coarse pygidial punctures or marginal pygidial stria (Fig. 78D) will distinguish this species. Specimens from Chiriquí, Panama generally have the 3rd elytral stria interrupted, indicating some geographic variation, so they are excluded from the type series.

Etymology.

The name of this species means ‘voracious’.