Operclipygus perplexus, 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 : 120-121

Operclipygus perplexus sp. n. Figs 33 G–IMap 11

Type locality.

BRAZIL: Pará: Tucuruí [3°45'S, 49°40'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "BRASIL: Pará: Tucuruí, 3°45'S, 49°40'W. Piège d’interception. iv.1986"/ "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00595" (UFPR). Paratypes (8): BRAZIL: Pará: 4: Altamira - Marabá: km 18, 3°09'S, 52°03'W, v.1984, FIT (CHND, FMNH, MSCC, AKTC); 1: IPEAN, Belém, Utinga, 1°27'S, 48°26'W, viii.1985, FIT (CHND), x.1985, FIT (CHND); 1: Barcarena, 1°30'S, 48°37'W, 13-25.vi.1991, FIT (CHND); 1: Carajás, Serra Norte, 6°04'S, 50°12'W, 13. xi– 2.xii.1987, FIT (CHND)

Other material.

GUYANA: 1: Kurupukari, 4°40'N, 58°40'W, ix-xi.1992, FIT/Malaise (BMNH). SURINAME: Brokopondo: 1: Brownsberg Nature Preserve, Witi Creek Trail, 4°56'55"N, 55°10'53"W, 340m, 23.vi.1999, 25.vi.1999, FIT, Z. Falin, A. Gangadin, H. Hiwat (SEMC); Marowijne: 1: Palumeu, 3°20'56"N, 55°26'18"W, 160m, 9.vii.1999, FIT, Z. Falin (CMNC); Sipaliwini: 1: CI-RAP Surv. Camp 2: Sipaliwini River, 2°10.521'N, 56°47.244'W, 210m, 27.viii.2010, 1.ix.2010, FIT, T. Larsen & A.E.Z. Short (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.15-1.34 mm, width: 0.84-1.03 mm; body elongate oval, widest behind humeri; frons and upper two-thirds of epistoma weakly depressed, frontal stria complete; labrum about twice as wide as long, straight across apical margin; both mandibles with subacute marginal teeth; prescutellar impression about half as broad, slightly longer than scutellum; pronotal disk with fine sparse ground punctation only, lacking coarser lateral punctures; lateral submarginal pronotal stria complete; anterior submarginal pronotal stria recurved obliquely posterad slightly more than half length of pronotum; elytra with one complete epipleural stria, outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-4 complete, 5th stria present in half to two-thirds, sutural stria present in apical three-fourths; prosternal keel projecting at base, carinal striae complete, narrowed between coxae, slightly divergent posterad and anterad, connected by anterior arch; mesoventrite deeply, narrowly emarginate at front, marginal stria interrupted; mesometaventral stria arched forward just behind emargination, sinuate at sides, extended posterolaterally toward outer third of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with two complete lateral striae; propygidium with narrow impunctate band along base, with small, round, rather deep discal punctures in posterior two-thirds; pygidium with fine dense ground punctation, coarser punctures densest along basal margin, sparsely scattered in apical two-thirds; marginal pygidial sulcus deep, coarsely crenulate. Male genitalia (Figs 33 G–I) as for group description, apices of S8 narrowed, subacute, with few long apical setae, with distinct submarginal sclerotization along upper, apical margins; T9 with apices acute at apical and inner corners, halves broadly fused dorsally; T10 very weakly sclerotized, inconspicuous; S9 desclerotized along midline, narrow, parallel-sided to truncate base, apical emargination very shallow; tegmen widest near base, gradually narrowed to apex, medioventral process forming prominent ventral keel.

Remarks.

This species is unusual among species in the dubius group, having a complete frontal stria and complete lateral submarginal pronotal striae. Once dissected and confirmed to belong to the Operclipygus dubius group, these characters alone will separate it from all others. The type series is restricted to specimens from northeastern Brazil.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to the difficulty of recognizing its true relationships.