Baconia angulifrons, Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Baconia Lewis (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 343, pp. 1-297 : 251-253

Baconia angulifrons sp. n. Figs 77 A–BMap 22

Type locality.

FRENCH GUIANA: Belvèdére de Saül [3.01°N, 53.21°W].

Type material.

Holotype female: "GUYANE FRANÇAISE:Belvèdére de Saül, point de vue. 3°1'22"N, 53°12'34"W, Piège vitre, 10.xii.2010, SEAG leg." / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-01319" (MNHN). Paratype (1): BRAZIL: Pará: Jacareacanga, x.1959, M. Alvarenga (UFPR).

Other material.

1: BRAZIL: Mato Grosso:Mpio. Cotriguaçu, Fazenda São Nicolau, Mata Norte, 9°49.15'S, 58°15.6'W, 8-14.xii.2010, FIT, F. Vaz-de-Mello (CEMT). 1: PERU: San Martín: Tarapoto, v–viii.1886, M. de Mathan (MNHN).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 2.3-2.5mm, width: 1.9-2.1mm; body broadly elongate oval, sides subparallel, weakly depressed, glabrous; body color varied, dorsum metallic, head and pronotum metallic greenish-blue to weakly violet bronze, elytra may be similar in color to pronotum or slightly contrasting metallic blue, pygidia and venter rufo-piceous; frons elevated, convex over antennal bases and along sides of frontal stria, slightly depressed behind, ground punctation rather conspicuous, slightly but markedly both finer and denser anterad frontal stria, epistoma and frons lacking secondary punctures, frontal stria present along inner margin of eye, usually interrupted over antennal bases but complete across middle, rather strongly descending toward epistoma, angulate medially; supraorbital stria absent; epistoma weakly convex throughout, apical margin weakly emarginate; labrum about 3 ×wider than long, weakly emarginate apically; anten nal scape short, club broadly rounded; pronotal sides subparallel in basal half, abruptly arcuate to apex, only very weakly depressed in anterior corners, marginal stria complete along lateral and anterior margins, slightly crenulate in front, lateral submarginal stria absent, ground punctation of pronotal disk conspicuous, secondary punctures limited to about lateral fourth; elytra with three complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria absent, inner subhumeral stria present in basal fourth, dorsal striae 1-4 more or less complete, the inner striae faintly abbreviated apically, 5th stria generally present in most of apical two-thirds, but often weak or fragmented, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds, slightly longer than 5th, elytral disk with few coarse punctures in apical fourth; prosternum rather narrow, weakly convex, keel very shallowly emarginate at base, carinal striae complete, convergent anterad, separate throughout; prosternal lobe about two-thirds keel length, apical margin narrowly rounded, marginal stria well impressed at middle, obsolete at sides; mesoventrite sinuate to weakly produced, marginal stria interrupted, mesometaventral stria arched forward, subangulate at middle, crenulate, continuous at sides with lateral metaventral stria, which curves posterolaterad toward outer third of metacoxa, outer lateral metaventral stria present, short, divergent from base of inner stria, metaventral disk impunctate at middle; abdominal ventrite 1 with single lateral stria slightly abbreviated apically, middle portion of disk impunctate; protibia 4-5 dentate, basal denticles weak, outer margin serrulate between teeth; mesotibia with one marginal spine and few submarginal denticles basally; outer metatibial margin smooth; propygidium without basal stria, with ground punctation fine, conspicuous, discal punctures rather small, densest in basal third, separated by about their diameters, smaller and sparser apically; propygidial gland openings small but evident about one-third from anterior and one-fourth from lateral margins; pygidium with ground punctation conspicuous, secondary punctures small, restricted to narrow band along basal margin. Male: not known.

Remarks.

The four female specimens representing this species are all from fairly disparate localities, and show moderate variations in coloration and elytral striation. We limit the type ‘locality’ to northeastern Brazil and French Guiana, as these are the most proximate and similar. The species is fairly distinctive, with its broadly elongate body form (Fig. 77A), rather complete elytral striation, and especially by frontal characters, with the frontal stria curving anterad toward the epistoma and subangulate at the middle (Fig. 77B), and the general lack of secondary punctures on the epistoma and frons. Apart from these frontal characters this species shows some similarity to members of the Baconia godmani group. At the same time, the frontal stria is rather similar to that found in the preceding species, Baconia coerulea , although they are otherwise dissimilar.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to its subangulate frontal stria.