Baconia animata, 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 : 168-170

Baconia animata sp. n. Figs 47 F–G48G–LMap 14

Type locality.

ECUADOR: Orellana: Tiputini Biodiversity Station [0.635°S, 76.150°W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "ECUADOR: Depto. Orellana, Tiputini Biodiversity Station 0°37'55"S, 76°08'39"W 220-250m. 26 October 1998 T.L.Erwin et al. collectors" / "insecticidal fogging of mostly bare green leaves, some with covering of lichenous or bryophytic plants Lot 1957 Trans. 6 Sta. 8" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00510" (USNM). Paratypes (2): same locality as type, 7.ii.1999, fogging, T. Erwin (USNM).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.1-1.2mm, width: 0.9-1.0mm; body broadly elongate oval, rather strongly depressed, glabrous; color rufobrunneus, shining; head with frons more or less flat, weakly depressed at middle, ground punctation conspicuous, slightly denser at front and sides, with few coarser punctures dorsad, frontal stria absent or present only at upper corner of eye, absent across front, supraorbital stria absent; antennal scape short, club slightly oblong; epistoma faintly emarginate; labrum about 4 ×wider than long, apical margin shallowly emarginate; mandibles short, each with acute basal tooth; pronotum with sides subparallel in basal two-thirds, rounded to apex, lateral marginal stria descending to ventral edge of pronotum in posterior two-thirds, detached from median part of anterior marginal stria, which diverges from margin behind eye, lateral submarginal stria present in basal four-fifths, diverging from margin toward front, pronotal disk very weakly depressed in anterolateral corners, ground punctation fine, very sparse, middle of disk impunctate with small secondary punctures in lateral fourths; elytra with two epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria absent, inner subhumeral present only at extreme base, dorsal striae 1-2 similar in length, only slightly abbreviated apically, 3rd stria present in basal half or less, 4th stria slightly longer, not curving mediad at base, 5th stria similar in length or slightly shorter than 4th, displaced slightly posterad, sutural stria slightly shorter than 5th, displaced further posterad, elytral disk with small secondary punctures in apical one-third; prosternal keel rather broad, flat, truncate at base, with more or less complete carinal striae subparallel or diverging slightly to front; prosternal lobe about two-thirds keel length, apical margin rounded, marginal stria present only at middle; mesoventrite broadly, shallowly emarginate, with marginal stria interrupted for nearly width of prosternal keel; mesometaventral stria broadly arched forward, continuous laterally with inner lateral metaventral stria, which extends obliquely posterad toward outer third of metacoxa, sinuous apically, outer lateral metaventral stria very short, oblique; metaventral disk moderately sparsely punctate at sides, impunctate at middle; abdominal ventrite 1 with two complete lateral striae, lacking median discal punctures, ventrites 2-5 with fine punctures at sides, those of ventrite 4 moderately dense across middle and at sides; protibiae tridentate, with median marginal denticle rather weak, margin serrulate; mesotibia with one or two small marginal spines; outer metatibial margin with fine subbasal denticle; propygidium short, wide, lacking basal stria, with sparse, fine ground punctation and ocellate secondary punctures, propygidial gland openings inconspicuous; pygidium with very sparse ground punctation, with secondary punctures sparse in basal half. Male genitalia (Figs 48 G–L): T8 slightly wider than long, sides subparallel, moderately deeply, broadly emarginate at base, ventrolateral apodemes with inner apices separated by about two-thirds T8 width, projecting beneath about one-third from base, obsolete apically, apical margin shallowly emarginate; S8 almost as long as T8, halves fused and sclerotized along midline, basal emargination broad, basal apodemes bluntly rounded, sides subparallel to apex, apices obliquely truncate, densely setose, separated by apical emargination about one-half total width; T9 with very short, blunt basal apodemes, halves separated dorsally, ventrolateral apodemes bluntly produced beneath, T9 apices narrowly rounded, with single subapical seta on each side; T10 elongate, completely separating halves of T9; S9 with long narrow stem, head abruptly widened, sides rounded to apex, apices subacute, widely separated, apical emargination broad, shallow; tegmen widest in basal fourth, narrowed to apex, apices narrowly rounded, tegmen more or less straight in lateral aspect, just bent at apex, with eversible subapical denticles ventrally; median lobe about one-fourth tegmen length; basal piece about one-fourth tegmen length.

Remarks.

This species is among the flattest (Fig. 47G) of those in the Baconia aeneomicans group, and in general size and shape might almost be mistaken for a species of Hypobletus Schmidt. Once recognized as a Baconia , it can almost be recognized on body shape alone. Additionally it has a very broad prosternum, with the carinal striae diverging slightly toward the front (Fig. 47F), and elytral striae 3, 4, 5 and the sutural extend progressively further posterad, while also being progressively more abbreviated from the base, resulting in a stepwise shift posterad in position toward the suture.

Etymology.

This species’ name means ‘courageous’ or ‘inspired’, referring to this species’ apparent preference for novel, canopy habitats.