Operclipygus orchidophilus, 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 : 308-309

Operclipygus orchidophilus sp. n. Figs 82 A–DMap 30

Type locality.

Honduras, but not known for certain (see below).

Type material.

Holotype female: "with Orchid plants, Honduras, 1.30 '[19]40, EQ A 68278"/ "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00178" (USNM).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 2.62 mm, width: 2.18 mm; body rufobrunneus, elongate oval, with very conspicuous ground punctation, with scattered coarser punctures, particularly on elytra; frons broad, shallowly depressed at middle, with strong ground punctation and granulate microsculpture; sides of frontal stria subparallel between eyes, curving anteromediad onto sides of epistoma, absent from central part of frons; supraorbital stria absent; anterior margin of epistoma weakly emarginate; labrum about 2.5 × as wide as long, narrowed to more or less truncate apex; left mandible untoothed, right with small, acute basal tooth; pronotum with fine, sublinear prescutellar impression, disk with strong ground punctation at middle, finer along sides where granulate microsculpture is more evident; marginal pronotal stria complete along lateral and anterior margins; lateral submarginal pronotal stria subcarinate, more or less complete along side, very close to marginal stria, merging with it in anterior one-fifth, pronotal disk narrowly depressed along inner edge of stria; anterior submarginal stria weak, present for short distance behind middle third of head; median pronotal gland openings located laterad ends of anterior submarginal stria, about 8 puncture widths behind anterior margin; anterolateral pronotal gland openings not evident; elytron with two complete epipleural striae, uppermost distinctly carinate; outer subhumeral stria complete, strongly carinate, forming lateral elytral marginal carina; inner subhumeral stria carinate, converging to apex of inner subhumeral stria; 1st dorsal stria carinate, impressed only in apical third, also converging to apex of subhumeral striae, basally barely detectable, scratchlike; dorsal striae 2-3 faintly visible as fine basal rudiments, 4th stria represented only by very short basal arch connected to base of sutural stria, 5th stria as series of punctures extending most of elytral length, sutural more or less complete, strongly fragmented toward apex; elytral disk with strong ground punctation and numerous coarser punctures intermingled, more densely toward apex; prosternal keel truncate at base, carinal striae complete, divergent basally, subparallel in anterior two-thirds, not joined apically; prosternal lobe moderately short, subtruncate, lacking marginal stria; meso- and metaventrite with fine but conspicuous ground punctation and distinct granulate microsculpture; mesoventrite with anterior margin emarginate, marginal stria fine, complete; mesometaventral stria forming broad arch, extending to near anterior mesoventral margin, meeting mesocoxa at sides; lateral metaventral stria originating at mesocoxa, extending posterolaterad to metepisternum; 1st abdominal ventrite with single complete lateral stria; ventrites 2-4 with irregular transverse stria along posterior margin; all legs, especially tibiae, moderately broadly expanded, the apical width of the meso- and metatibiae slightly more than one-half their lengths, their edges with spines reduced to obsolete; propygidial and pygidial disks with fine ground punctation, rather coarse secondary punctation, and conspicuous, granulate microsculpture; propygidium with lateral marginal striae; marginal sulcus of pygidium complete and well-impressed. Male not known.

Remarks.

This species is unique in many characters, particularly the pattern of elytral striation (Fig. 82A), with most dorsal striae reduced to short, scratch-like rudiments, and the moderately expanded tibiae (Fig. 82C). The lateral epistomal striae and lateral propygidial striae (Fig. 82D) are also highly distinctive. Its expanded tibiae may reflect a relationship with Operclipygus formicatus . The type locality, as vague as it is, must also be regarded as tentative (D. Furth, personal communication).

Etymology.

This species is named for its apparent association with orchids, as it has only been collected during an inspection of plant material being imported into the U.S. from Honduras.