Operclipygus abbreviatus, 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 : 358-360

Operclipygus abbreviatus sp. n. Figs 98 F–H100A–EMap 34

Type locality.

ECUADOR: Orellana: Yasuní Research Station [0°40.5'S, 76°24'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "Ecuador: Napo, mid.Rio Tiputini, Yasuní Res. Stn. 0°40.5'S, 76°24'W, FIT #3, 18-23 June 1999. AKT#016, A.Tishechkin"/ “LSAM0013239” / " Operclipygus sp #12, Hist 133, Yasuní NP Inventory A.K.Tishechkin det 2010" (FMNH). Paratypes (1): same locality as the type, 4-17 July 1999 (LSAM).

Other material.

BOLIVIA: Cochabamba: 1: Est. Biol. Valle Sajta, Univ. San Simon, 67.5km E Villa Tunari, 17°06'19"S, 64°46'57"W, 300m, 9-13.ii.1999, FIT, lowland rain forest, F. Genier (CMNC); BRAZIL: Mato Grosso: 1: Cotriguaçu, Fazenda São Nicolau, 9°50.3'S, 58°15.05'W, xii.2010, FIT, F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (CEMT).

Diagnostic description. Length: 1.90-2.09 mm, width: 1.50-1.65 mm; body rufobrunneus, elongate oval, widest behind humeri; frons weakly depressed at middle, sides of frontal stria divergent between eyes, rather abruptly bent inward, complete across front; labrum about 2.5 × wider than long, emarginate apically; left mandible with broad, blunt basal tooth, right with small, subacute tooth; pronotal disk with distinct, narrow prescutellar impression slightly longer than scutellum; disk with fine, sparse ground punctation, few slightly coarser punctures at sides; marginal stria interrupted behind head; lateral submarginal stria complete along side, curving inward, nearly meeting anterior submarginal, which is barely recurved posterad at sides; median pronotal gland openings just beyond ends of anterior stria, about 6 puncture widths from anterior margin; elytra with outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-3 complete, 4th in apical half, 5th stria present in apical third, sutural stria present in apical three-fourths; prosternal keel weakly produced at base, carinal striae sinuate, united anteriorly about one-fifth short of presternal suture, united posteriorly along keel margin; prosternal lobe with marginal stria strongly abbreviated at sides; mesoventrite narrowly emarginate at middle, marginal stria complete; mesometaventral stria broadly arched forward just beyond middle of mesoventral disk, continued by lateral metaventral stria toward outer corner of metacoxa, abbreviated at apex; 1st abdominal ventrite with inner lateral stria complete, outer absent; propygidium with moderately large, shallow punctures sparsely scattered in basal half, smaller and sparser toward apical margin; pygidium with fine, dense ground punctation, with a few coarser punctures along basal margin, otherwise lacking; marginal pygidial sulcus present along apical half of margin, obsolete toward base. Male genitalia (Figs 100 A–E): accessory sclerites absent; T8 elongate, with sides slightly convergent, apical emargination deep and narrow, basal emargination broad, tangential to basal membrane attachment line, ventrolateral apodemes most strongly developed near base, narrowed to apex; S8 with sides strongly expanded near apex, apices broad, truncate, with dense comb of setae, halves distant ventrally; T9 with sides rounded, apices subacute, opposing at apex; T10 somewhat reduced, not filling T9 opening, halves separate; S9 with stem narrowest at middle, weakly widened to truncate base, apex with narrow median emargination, apical flanges short, separate; tegmen more or less parallel-sided, weakly expanded near apex, then narrowed to blunt apices, apex only weakly curved ventrad; medioventral process moderately strongly sclerotized, subacute with point about one-fourth from base, but not or very weakly projecting beneath; basal piece about one-fourth tegmen length; median lobe about two-thirds tegmen length, proximal apodemes long, not strongly differentiated, evenly tapered along length, gradually narrowed toward tegmen base.

Remarks.

This species can be distinguished by the combination of divergent, subangulate frontal stria (Fig. 98G), short recurved arms of anterior submarginal pronotal stria (Fig. 98F), the minimally distinguishable coarse punctation of the pygidium (amidst the dense ground punctation; Fig. 98H), and the basally obsolete marginal pygidial sulcus. Specimens from localities other than the type locality vary slightly in pygidial punctation and extent of marginal sulcus, and are therefore excluded as types, but they are clearly closely related, and considered part of a broadly defined species.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to its basally abbreviated marginal pygidial sulcus.