Operclipygus angulifer, 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 : 103-106

Operclipygus angulifer sp. n. Figs 28 A–D29A–C, EMap 9

Type locality.

FRENCH GUIANA: 27.4 km SSE Roura [4°44.3'N, 52°13.4'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "FRENCH GUIANA Roura, 27.4 km SSE, 280 m 4°44'20"N, 52°13'25"W 25-29 MAY 1997; J.Ashe,R.Brooks FG1AB97 079 ex:flight intercept trap" / "SM0096393 KUNHM-ENT" (SEMC). Paratypes (14): FRENCH GUIANA: 2: Roura, 27.4km SSE, 4°44'20"N, 52°13'25"W, 280m, 10.vi.1997, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC, FMNH); 1: Roura, 18.4km SSE, 4°36'38"N, 52°13'25"W, 240m, 29. v– 10.vi.1997, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC); 1: Saül, 7km N, Les Eaux Claires, 3°39'46"N, 53°13'19"W, 220m, 31. v– 3.vi.1997, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC); 1: Cayenne, 33.5km S and 8.4km NW of Hwy N2 on Hwy D5, 4°48'18"N, 52°28'41"W, 30m, 29. v– 9.vi.1997, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC); 1: Mont tabulaire, Itoupé, 3°1.32'N, 53°5.05'W, 800m, 17.iii.2010, FIT, SEAG (MNHN), 1: 24.iii.2010, FIT, SEAG (CHND); 1: Matoury (41.5km SSW: 4°37'22"N, 52°22'35"W, 50m, 26-28.v.1997, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks (SEMC); 2: Rés. Natur. des Nouragues, Camp Inselberg, 4°05'N, 52°41'W, 25.i.2011, FIT, SEAG (CHND, MSCC). GUYANA: Region 8: 1: Iwokrama Field Stn., Iwokrama Forest, 1km W Kurupukari, 4°40'19"N, 58°41'4"W, 60m, 26-29.v.2001, FIT, R. Brooks & Z. Falin (SEMC); 1: Kabocalli Field Stn., Iwokrama Forest, 4°17'4"N, 58°30'35"W, 60 m, 3-5.vi.2001, FIT, R. Brooks & Z. Falin (SEMC); 1: Iwokrama Forest, Pakatau hills, 4°44'54"N, 59°1'36"W, 70m, 25-29.v.2001, FIT, R. Brooks & Z. Falin (AKTC). SURINAME: Brokopondo: 1: Brownsberg Nature Preserve, Witi Creek Trail, 4°56'55"N, 55°10'53"W, 480m, 23-25.vi.1999, FIT, Z. Falin, A. Gangadin, H. Hiwat (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 2.25-2.50 mm, width: 1.87-2.06 mm; body rufo-piceous, elongate oval, widest near middle of elytra; head with frons strongly and narrowly depressed at middle, especially behind frontal stria but also onto epistoma, with pronounced swellings above antennal bases; frontal stria diverging anterad at sides, sinuate over swellings, strongly arcuate at middle; supraorbital stria fragmented, not connected to frontal stria; epistoma elevated above labrum and mandibles, flat anteriorly becoming concave; labrum twice as wide as long, sides convergent, apex emarginate; left mandible untoothed, right mandible with acute basal tooth; sides of pronotum evenly narrowed in posterior two-thirds, rounded to apices; pronotum with shallow but distinct prescutellar impression, irregularly oval, about size of scutellum, disk with fine but conspicuous ground punctation, with ~15 coarse punctures close to sides; lateral marginal stria sinuate two-thirds from base, rising from side to dorsum of pronotum, continuous anteriorly along acutely projecting anterior pronotal margin; lateral submarginal stria complete at sides, curved inward at front, ending freely behind eye; anterior submarginal stria more or less straight across front, ends barely recurved posterad at sides, median pronotal gland openings laterad its ends; elytra with sides strongly swollen laterad 1st dorsal stria, most intervals markedly convex, with one complete epipleural stria; outer subhumeral stria present in posterior half, interrupted at middle, with isolated fragment in basal half, rarely uninterrupted; inner subhumeral stria usually absent, rarely represented by short fragment near middle, striae 1- 4 complete, 4th stria usually with small anterior ‘hook’, 5th stria present in apical half to two-thirds, with isolated basal arch, sutural stria present in apical four-fifths, distinctly more broadly impressed toward front; prosternal keel broad at base, shallowly emarginate, with carinal striae sinuately convergent, united near presternal suture, with short, faint secondary striae present behind prosternal gland openings; prosternal lobe rather short, with complete marginal stria, and prominent marginal bead; anterior mesoventral margin sinuate, bluntly projecting at middle, with marginal stria interrupted for about width of prosternal keel; central part of mesometaventral stria detached from lateral metaventral, arched strongly forward at sides, arcuate just behind marginal mesoventral stria; postmesocoxal stria extended slightly inward along mesometaventral suture, lateral metaventral stria replacing it medially, median ends of lateral metaventral nearly meeting at midline, posterolaterally extending toward inner corner of metacoxa; central part of metaventral disk impunctate; 1st abdominal ventrite with complete inner lateral stria, outer stria obsolete in posterior half; ventrites 2-4 with single, very regular series of small punctures along their posterior margins; propygidum about half length of pygidium along midline, with dense ground punctation, especially evident at sides, with large punctures separated by about one-fourth their diameters mainly concentrated in middle half and along anterior margin; pygidium with fine, dense ground punctation, and small punctures sparsely intermixed; marginal stria fine, present only at extreme apex of pygidium. Male genitalia (Figs 29 A–C, E): accessory sclerites absent; T8 with sides straight, weakly convergent in basal three-fourths, angled to apex, basal emargination broad, shallow, nearly reaching basal membrane attachment line, apical emargination narrow, apices acute; S8 with sides sinuately convergent to apex, guides narrow, even in width throughout length, rounded apically, ventrally halves approximate just at base, diverging apically; T9 with sides weakly rounded, moderately converging toward apex, apices acute, not opposing; T10 with halves separate; S9 narrowest in basal half, sides evenly widening to base and apex, base rounded, narrowly desclerotized; apex inwardly angulate, but without distinct median emargination, apical flange continuous though narrowed at middle; tegmen narrow, elongate, more or less parallel-sided, narrowing in apical one-fifth to subacute apex, medioventral process lightly sclerotized, narrowly ‘U’ -shaped, weakly projecting beneath about one-fourth from base; basal piece just over one-third tegmen length; median lobe about one-half tegmen length.

Remarks.

This distinctive species is easily distinguished by the very strongly projecting pronotal margin and the strongly depressed frons (Figs 28A, C). The following species is similar, and closely related, but is less extreme in both of these characters. Operclipygus angulifer also exhibits basal fragment of the outer subhumeral stria, and has the propygidial punctures sparse toward the lateral portions of the disk (Fig. 28D).

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to the distinctively angulate anterior pronotal margin.