Operclipygus bosquesecus, 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 : 326-327

Operclipygus bosquesecus sp. n. Figs 88 C–E90A–B, E, GMap 31

Type locality.

ECUADOR: Manabí: Lalo Loor Reserve [0.0832°S, 80.1520°W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "ECUADOR: Manabí 0.0832°S, 80.1520°W Lalo Loor Bosque Seco Res., 21-27.v.2011, FIT, AT1304, M. Caterino, A. Tishechkin" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00599" (FMNH). Paratypes (9): ECUADOR: Los Ríos: 1: CCRP, 8.vi.1980, palma abierta, S. Sandoval (CHSM); Manabí: 6: Bosque Seco Lalo Loor, 0.0832°S, 80.1520°W, 21-27.v.2011, FIT, M.S. Caterino & A.K. Tishechkin, DNA Extract MSC-2169 (SBMNH, MSCC, AKTC, USFQ); Pichincha: 2: Rio Palenque Sta., 47km S Santo Domingo, 250m, 25.ii.1979, pan trap, S.A. Marshall (CHSM).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.81-2.22 mm, width: 1.59-1.93 mm; body piceus, broadly rounded, widest near middle of elytra; frons flat, more or less parallel-sided, with sides of frontal stria weakly rounded; central portion of frontal stria outwardly arcuate, complete or narrowly detached from sides; supraorbital stria present, detached from frontal stria; epistoma convex, labrum short, very weakly asymmetrical, with left side more strongly produced than right; left mandible untoothed, right with small, acute basal tooth; pronotal disk with small, irregular but distinct prescutellar impression, with inconspicuous ground punctation and ~10 coarser, elongate punctures toward sides; marginal stria interrupted for width of head; lateral submar ginal stria complete along side, curved inward at front nearly to anterior submarginal stria, the ends of which are perpendicularly recurved, median pronotal gland openings visible laterad its ends, about 8 puncture widths from anterior margin; elytron with three complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria present in apical half only, mostly below a humeral swelling, inner subhumeral stria weakly impressed, present in most of apical half, striae 1-3 complete, 4th stria present in apical two-thirds, 5th stria present in apical half, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds, elytra depressed along suture; prosternal keel truncate at base, carinal striae complete, well separated, converging only slightly to front, connected basally and apically; prosternal lobe with complete marginal stria; mesoventrite with anterior margin straight, marginal stria complete; mesometaventral stria arched forward to near marginal stria, continued by lateral metaventral stria toward outer third of metacoxa; postmesocoxal stria recurved to mesepimeron; 1st abdominal ventrite with single complete (inner) lateral stria and fragments of outer lateral stria, with series of small punctures along posterior margin; propygidium with fine sparse ground punctation, larger shallow punctures uniformly interspersed, separated by about one-half their diameters; pygidium with denser ground punctation and small coarse punctures irregularly but sparsely interspersed; marginal pygidial stria complete, fine, slightly crenulate. Male genitalia (Figs 90 A–B, E, G): accessory sclerites present, small; T8 elongate, sides narrowing gradually to apex, basal emargination broadly rounded, basal membrane attachment line distad by about one-half basal emargination depth from its apex, apical emargination narrow; S8 with apical guides moderately well developed, largely constant in width from base to narrowly rounded apices; T9 with apices acute, convergent, opposing; T10 with halves large, separate; S9 narrowest at middle of stem, gradually widened to subtruncate, desclerotized base, with apical emargination distinct, apical flanges small and separate, lateral flanges parallel, shallow; tegmen widest beyond midpoint, with sides rounded to apex, narrowed slightly to base, with narrow, ‘U’ -shaped medioventral process projecting beneath about one-third from base, apical third of tegmen moderately curved ventrad; basal piece short, about one-fourth tegmen length; median lobe nearly one-half tegmen length, with gonopore wide, basal apodemes separate throughout their lengths.

Remarks.

This species is best recognized by its small size, the presence of a prescutellar impression, the weak vestige of an inner subhumeral stria, and the strongly arched mesometaventral stria (Fig. 88E). There are also very few other Operclipygus on the dry western slopes of the Andes where this species occurs.

Etymology.

This species is named for the seasonally dry forest environment (in Spanish, bosque seco) where it is found.