Phelister microdens, Caterino & Tishechkin, 2020

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2020, Recognition and revision of the Phelister blairi group (Histeridae, Histerinae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 1001, pp. 1-154 : 1

46. Phelister microdens sp. nov. Figs 29A, B , 30A, B , Map 16

Type material.

Holotype male: " Bolivia: Cochabamba, 67.5 km E Villa Tunari, Est. Biol. Valle Sajta, Univ. San Simon 300 m, 17°06'19"S, 64°46'57"W [-17.1053, -64.7825] 9-13.II.1999, F. Génier, lowland rain for., ex. carr. tp. 3, 99-075" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00387" (CMNC). Paratypes (9): Bolivia: Cochabamba, Est. Biol. Valle Sajta, 67.5 km E Villa Tunari (-17.1053, -64.7825), 300 m, 2/9/99-2/13/99, carrion trap, lowland rain for., F. Génier, EXO-00387 (CMNC, 1ex.); Santa Cruz, 3.7 km SSE Buena Vista, Flora y Fauna Hotel (-17.4987, -63.6521), 400-440 m, 11/3/03-11/9/03, FIT, R. Leschen, EXO-03332 (AKTC, 1ex.); Santa Cruz, 5 km SSE Buena Vista, Flora y Fauna Hotel (-17.4987, -63.6521), 440 m, 12/15/03-12/24/03, FIT, S. & J. Peck, EXO-02416 (CMNC, 1ex.); Santa Cruz, 5 km SSE Buena Vista, Flora y Fauna Hotel (-17.4987, -63.6521), December 2003, FIT, S & J. Peck (AKTC, 2ex.); Santa Cruz, ~ 5 km SSE Buena Vista, Flora y Fauna Hotel, -17.498 -63.652, 12/14/03-12/24/03, FIT, S. & J. Peck (AKTC, 4ex.).

Other material.

Brazil: Pará, Carajás, Serra Norte (-6.0667, -50.2), January 1984, Piège + excr. humain, EXO-03333 (CHND, 1ex.).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.50-1.81 mm (avg. 1.65 mm); width: 1.26-1.62 mm (avg. 1.46 mm). This species is externally almost indistinguishable from the preceding, differing principally in the following characters: median pronotal gland openings near the pronotal midpoint (further anterad than P. chicomendesi ); lateral submarginal pronotal striae slightly longer, present in most of anterior 1/2; elytral striae more distinctly ‘striatopunctate’, the interconnected punctures larger and more prominent; 4th and 5th dorsal striae slightly longer, the 4th present in apical 1/2, the 5th nearly as long; prosternal keel with striae weak but present, united anteriorly. Male: S8 with apical setal fringe; aedeagus short, basal piece slightly> 1/2 length of tegmen; tegmen with sides unevenly subparallel in basal 2/3, narrowed to subacute apices, apex slightly hooked in lateral view; medioventral process very strong, produced at basal fourth; median lobe ~ 3/4 tegmen length, basal apodemes narrow throughout.

Etymology.

The name microdens refers to the unusual, finely dentate form of the protibia (shared with a few others treated in this paper).

Distribution.

This species is known from few specimens that nonetheless cover a broad swath of tropical South America, from Bolivia to Pará, Brazil.

Remarks.

This species is very similar to the two above but may be distinguished by the more anterior location of the pronotal gland openings, the weak but present prosternal keel striae, and the strongly punctate elytral striae.

Figures

Map 16. Collecting records for Phelister chicomendesi (stars), P. microdens (white circles), and P. matatlantica (squares).

Figure 29. A, B Phelister microdens: A dorsal habitus B ventral habitus C, D P. matatlantica: C dorsal habitus D ventral habitus.

Figure 30. Male genitalia A, B Phelister microdens: A aedeagus, dorsal B aedeagus, lateral C, D P. matatlantica: C aedeagus, dorsal D aedeagus, lateral.