Operclipygus mortavis, 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 : 87-89

Operclipygus mortavis sp. n. Fig. 22AMap 8

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Guanacaste: Miravalles Volcano [10.72°N, 85.17°W].

Type material.

Holotype female: "C.R.: Guan.; Vol. Miravalles; S. slope, 2800' VII-2-1993; M.S. Caterino; pitfall w/dead bird and frog" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00266" (FMNH).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 3.00 mm, width: 2.81 mm; body piceous, sides rounded, moderately convex above; head with frons depressed along midline, frontal stria present in middle, interrupted at sides; supraorbital stria absent; labrum about twice as wide as long, its apical margin strongly emarginate; left mandible untoothed, right with small tooth at base of incisor; pronotum with strong plicae opposite 3rd elytral stria in basal half; marginal pronotal stria continuous, complete along anterior edge; lateral submarginal pronotal stria complete, just curved inward at front; anterior submarginal stria present, recurved posterad at sides; median pronotal gland openings laterad ends of submarginal stria; pronotal disk with numerous elongate, coarse punctures toward sides; elytra with three complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria complete, although barely broken at sinuation at middle, inner more or less complete, barely abbreviated at base and apex, striae 1-5 complete, 2-5 noteably bent inward near base, sutural abbreviated one-fourth from base; elytral disk with numerous coarse punctures near apex; prosternal keel weakly emarginate at base, with carinal stria enclosing a triangular space about two-thirds length of keel (though not meeting basally); mesoventrite projecting weakly at middle, with complete marginal stria; mesometaventral stria arched forward in middle, continued by sinuate lateral metaventral stria to middle of metacoxa; postmesocoxal stria curving forward to mesepisternum; 1st abdominal ventrite with two lateral striae, the outer abbreviated; propygidium with uniform coarse punctures separated about their diameters; pygidium with coarse punctures finer, diminishing to apex; marginal pygidial stria entire, finely but deeply impressed. Male not known.

Remarks.

In addition to the characters distinguishing this small species group, this species can be recognized by its simple (not punctate) pronotal plicae (Fig. 22A), and its complete 5th dorsal elytral stria.

Etymology.

The name of this species means 'dead bird’, to which the sole specimen was attracted, and is a noun in apposition.