Operclipygus extraneus, 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 : 121-122

Operclipygus extraneus sp. n. Fig. 30HMap 11

Type locality.

PERU: Loreto: Iquitos [3°45'S, 73°15'W]

Type material.

Holotype female: "PERU: Loreto Prov., Iquitos, 90m, 5 May 1992, J. Danoff-Berg, ex:flight intercept trap" / “♀” / “SEMC0903628” (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.40 mm, width: 1.12 mm; body rufobrunneus, broad, subquadrate, subdepressed, with relatively conspicuous ground punctation, particularly on pronotal disk; frons depressed at middle; frontal stria rounded at sides, absent across front; labrum short, apex truncate; left mandible with subacute tooth, right mandible not visible in type; pronotal sides sinuate (appearing weakly pinched) at base; pronotal disk with elongate but faint prescutellar impression, almost 3 × scutellar length; ground punctation sparse but well impressed, with numerous coarser lateral punctures; lateral submarginal pronotal stria complete; anterior marginal stria complete behind head; anterior submarginal stria also present behind anterior margin, obliquely recurved posterad about half pronotal length; elytra with one complete epipleural stria, outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-4 complete, 5th stria present in apical half, sutural stria nearly complete, barely abbreviated at base; prosternal keel projecting basally, short carinal striae united in narrow arch just anterad midpoint, joined at base; mesoventrite emarginate anteriorly, marginal stria complete; mesometaventral stria broadly arched to near mesoventral marginal stria, extending posterolaterally to near outer third of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with two complete lateral striae which converge both anteriorly and posteriorly; propygidium with moderately large, very shallow punctures separated by slightly less than their diameters, sparser and smaller in apical half; pygidium with fine dense ground punctation, coarser punctures very inconspicuous, few evident near basal margin; marginal pygidial sulcus complete, very fine, even and shallow. Male not known.

Remarks.

This species is only known from a single female, but is quite distinct regardless. This species’ broad, depressed body form (Fig. 30H), along with the shape of the sides of the pronotum, subparallel with a basal sinuation, are nearly adequate to recognize it. The lack of frontal stria and fine marginal pygidial sulcus in addition to these will diagnose it unambiguously. A few external characters, particularly the depressed frons lacking a frontal stria, and the dentate left mandible, suggest placement in the Operclipygus dubius group. However, this will need reassessment if a male specimen is discovered.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to its uncertain relationships.