Operclipygus montanus, 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 : 231-233

Operclipygus montanus sp. n. Figs 60 A–B61A–FMap 22

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: Monteverde Reserve [10°13.5'N, 84°49.5'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, Monte Verde, Cerro Amigos, 1780m" / "21 May 1989, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Leschen, ex. flight intercept trap"/ "Snow Entomol. Mus., Costa Rica Exped #314" / "SEMC0903662 KUNHM-ENT" (SEMC). Paratypes (4): COSTA RICA: San Jose: 1: Genesis II Reserve, 09°42.57'N, 83°54.64'W, 2360m, 13-16.2004, FIT, J. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa (SEMC). PANAMA: Chiriquí: 3: 6.0 km NE Boquete, 8°48'0"N, 82°26'0"W, 1650m, 14-19.vi1996, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC, FMNH).

Other material.

COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: 1: Monteverde, 1520m, 14.v.1989, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Leschen (SEMC); 4: Monteverde, Cerro Amigos, 1780m, 21.v.1989, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Leschen (SEMC, MSCC, AKTC, INBIO); 1: Monteverde Reserve, 1.vi.1993, FIT, C. Michalski (SEMC); Alajuela: 3: Peñas Blancas, 1420m, 20.v.1989, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Leschen (SEMC, INBIO); San Jose: 1: Genesis II Reserve, 09°42.57'N, 83°54.64'W, 2360m, 13-16.2004, FIT, J. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa (SEMC). PANAMA: Chiriquí: 1: 5.6 km NE Boquete, La Culebra Tr., 8°48'23"N, 82°25'18"W, 1650m, 15-19.vi.1996, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC); 1: 5.9 km NE Cerro Punta, 8°22'N, 82°34'W, 2100m, 14-19.vi.1996, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 2.03-2.22 mm, width: 1.65-1.75 mm; body rufescent, elongate ovoid, strongly convex, especially in anterior third of elytra; frons with conspicuous, fine ground punctation, moderately depressed at middle, frontal stria rounded at sides, absent or fragmented across front; labrum about 3 × as wide as long, emarginate apically; pronotal disk with small, vague prescutellar impression, fine sparse ground punctation, few or no coarse lateral punctures, faintly depressed behind middle portion of anterior submarginal stria; marginal pronotal stria not descending to hypomeron, but often obsolete for short distance just in front of lateral midpoint, broadly interrupted behind head; anterior and lateral submarginal striae most often connected and continuous along lateral and anterior margins, may be interrupted behind eye, with anterior part briefly recurved posterad, or may be interrupted for some distance along lateral margin; elytron with dorsal striae rather broadly impressed, especially 4th and 5th, 1st and 2nd striae frequently weakened apically, two epipleural striae complete, outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-4 complete, 5th stria present in apical half, sutural stria just slightly longer; venter with microsculpture on prosternal keel, in anterior corners of meso- and metaventrites; prosternal keel weakly emarginate at base, carinal striae widely divergent basally, narrowed between coxae, divergent anteriorly, microsculptured within, with secondary strioles alongside; prosternal lobe with weak swelling at middle in front of presternal suture; mesoventral margin very weakly projecting, marginal mesoventral stria weakly interrupted at middle; mesometaventral stria arched strongly forward to near mesoventral margin; lateral metaventral stria extending toward middle of metacoxa; propygidium rather narrow, only about twice as wide as median length, with fine ground punctation and rudimentary transverse microsculpture, with coarse punctures irregularly separated by about twice their diameters; pygidium with similar fine ground punctation, with few very slightly larger punctures sparsely interspersed; marginal pygidial sulcus generally absent, or represented by few weak apical fragments. Male genitalia (Figs 60 A–F): accessory sclerites present; T8 elongate, with sides slightly convergent toward apex, basal emargination shallow, basal membrane attachment line distant from it, ventrolateral apodemes well developed, nearly meeting at midline; S8 short, sides divergent and curving strongly ventrad, apices widely divergent and acute, ventrally halves strongly divergent from midline, with weakly sclerotized median vela; T9 with apices relatively broad, subtruncate; T10 small, halves separate; S9 rather short, broad, with broadly triangular, translucent apex, apex arcuate, apical flange narrowed, but not completely interrupted at middle; tegmen short and broad, sides subparallel in basal two-thirds, narrowed to apex, medioventral process thin, widely ‘U’ -shaped, forming a strong ventral process; basal piece nearly as long as tegmen, with thick distal apodemes articulating with tegmen; median lobe about half tegmen length, proximal apodemes thick.

Remarks.

This species is highly distinctive based on male genitalia (Figs 60 A–F), with the short, deflexed S8 unique (and often visible in dried material), and short, broad tegmen. Externally, many more or less distinctive characters vary, but the submarginal pronotal stria is often continuous across the anterior and lateral margins, the marginal pygidial sulcus is generally lacking (Fig. 60B), the pronotum lacks coarse lateral punctures (Fig. 60A), the elytral striae are relatively strongly impressed, and the frontal stria is generally absent between the antennal bases. In fact, there is some variation in tegmen shape among available populations, as well. However, there is no question that they are closely related. The species is sympatric with multiple other highland hamistrius group species, so long series must be examined carefully to pick out members of this one. We restrict the type series to males due to their unambiguously unique genitalia.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to its occurrence in several widely separated upland localities.