Ogyges laurae Cano, 2014

Cano, Enio B., 2014, Ogyges Kaup, a flightless genus of Passalidae (Coleoptera) from Mesoamerica: nine new species, a key to identify species, and a novel character to support its monophyly, Zootaxa 3889 (4), pp. 451-484 : 460-461

Ogyges laurae Cano new species

Figs. 7–8 , 21m

Diagnosis. Ogyges laurae is the smallest species of the genus Ogyges . The elytra with wide and deep dorsal punctures are evidence that this species is closely allied to the “ O. crassulus ” lineage (as suggested by Schuster et al. (2005)). It is easily separated from O. crassulus , O. monzoni Schuster, Cano, & Boucher and O. aluxi Schuster, Cano, & Boucher , by the smaller size, the impunctate (or almost impunctate) medial basal mentum, the scarcely free central horn, and the mesotibia with only one spine.

Description. Holotype male, dark brown teneral, with blue iridescence. Total length 22.91, elytral length 12.53, pronotal length 6.55, pronotal width 8.1, humeral width 7.25. Head: anterior border of labrum slightly concave. Clypeus vertical; anterior border almost straight, with a very small central notch; with an incomplete sulcus formed by striate punctures of granular aspect separating it from the mediofrontal area. Mediofrontal tubercles rounded and defined. Mediofrontal area smooth, with sparse micropunctures; without internal tubercles and posterofrontal ridges. Laterofrontal areas smooth. Lateropostfrontal areas wide, glabrous, smooth, with a few rugosities and frequent micropuntations. Central horn long, basally wide, with apex moderately free and directed forward and slightly upward, without median longitudinal groove posteriorly; lateroposterior tubercles short, laterally rounded, separated from central horn by a sulcus or fossa. Postfrontal groove medially very narrow (constrained by the extended mediopostfrontal structure), gradually enlarged and deeper at sides and almost continuous with the lateropostfrontal areas. Supraorbital ridge with two unequal anterior tubercles; posterior 1/2 bifurcate with supraorbital fossa deep, external ridge well marked. Ocular canthus with apex swollen, almost oblique. Eyes reduced. Eye width = 0.38 mm. Interocular width = 4.61 mm. Head width (between apex of canthus) = 5.07 mm; ratio both eye widths/head = 0.15. Postorbital pits oval, bare, deep and smooth, separated by a keel from an external punctate setose area and located immediately behind the external supraorbital ridge. Ligula slightly protuberant basally, setose punctures present medially, with apical central tooth small and transversal anterior carina absent (a tumosity is present). Lateral lobes of mentum shagreened, with setose punctures; apical area strongly microstriate (except on lateral borders), reaching the anterior borders of center mentum; lateral basal scars oval and opaque; medial basal mentum bare, shiny, without or at most with a few punctures with slender and long setae. Hypostomal process elongate, wide medially and narrow in apical third, without lateral depression. Infraocular ridge present, external and basal area punctate or punctate-setose. Mandible with dorsal tooth occupying 1/2 of his length; internal face in dorsal view smooth. Antennal club ( Figs. 7–8 ) 1.08 mm long, 1.23 mm wide, with last two antennomeres wider than antepenultimate.

Thorax: Lateral fossae of pronotum only on sides with some micropunctures of rugose aspect, visible with great magnification. Pronotum with marginal groove narrow and laterally with abundant micropunctures of rugose aspect (striate); anterior angles rounded; disc smooth, only with sparse micropunctures (visible at great magnification). Prosternellum completely shagreened. Mesosternum glabrous; lateral depressions elongate and rugose (shagreened), widened posteriorly. Mesepisternum with large, rugose (shagreened) area, anteriorly widened and elongate and narrow towards distal portion. Metasternum anterior angles bare or with sparse minute setae; disc delimited by 20–22 well marked punctures on each side; marginal groove bare, very narrow, smooth, posteriorly two times wider than medially.

Elytra: Opaque, with blue iridescence under light; striations marked and with well-defined punctures not connected, slightly deeper and wider between striae 5–10; with micropunctures present on interstria, more abundant and easily visible on 6–10; junctions of striae 1 and 10 with some extra punctures. Anterior border of elytra vertical, with minute setae on interstriae 2 to 7.

Legs: Profemur with anterioventral groove marked and long; metafemur widened; mesotibia with one spine.

Abdomen: Marginal groove of sternite VII incomplete, occupies 3/5 of sternite.

Aedeagus: In ventral view phallus globose and elongate; paramerers and phallobase separated ( Fig. 8 ).

Variation in paratypes (n = 10): Total length 18.71–22.91 ( = 21.34), elytral length 11.53–12.53 ( = 11.76), pronotal length 5.51–6.55 ( = 5.88), pronotal width 7.24–8.10 ( = 7.48), humeral width 6.70–7.47 ( = 7.08). Disc of metasternum delimitated by 19–25 well-marked punctures on each side. Elytra slightly brilliant in teneral (light brown) specimens; blue iridescence more easily visible in black specimens.

Material examined. 11 specimens.

Type material. Holotype male. Honduras, Olancho, 11 km N of Catamacas, mountain “ La Picucha ”, 14.92740, -85.90983, 1800–2100 m, 8–14 V 2010. L. Sáenz collector (LSD) . Paratypes: Same data as holotype (10).

Holotype deposited in UVGC . Paratypes deposited in UVGC, IEXA, USAC, IBUNAM, SNM , and MNHN.

Etymology. The name of this species is in honor of my friend and myrmecologist Laura Sáenz.

Distribution. Only known from Cerro La Picucha, in Olancho, Honduras ( Fig. 4 ), a mid-altitude cloud forest.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Map of northern Central America showing the locality of the new species. Light blue square, Ogyges menchuae; rose circle, O. handali; blue rhombus, O. cavei; yellow triangle, O. llama, O. mutenroshii; purple cross, O. toriyamai; red star, O. laurae, O. ratcliffei, and light green circle, O. sandinoi.

FIGURE 7. Paratype of Ogyges laurae: a. lateral view. b. dorsal view. c. ventral view. d. anterolateral view of head and pronotum.

FIGURE 8. Ogyges laurae: a. dorsal aspect of head. b. ventral view of aedeagus. c. lateral view of aedeagus. d. dorsal view of aedeagus.

FIGURE 21. Details of suprainternal teeth of right mandibles (left in O. cavei) of the 25 known species of Ogyges: a. O. adamsi. b. O. aluxi. c. O. cakchiqueli. d. O. cavei. e. O. championi. f. O. coxchicopi. g. O. crassulus. h. O. furcillatus. i. O. handali. j. O. hondurensis. k. O. kekchii. l. O. laevissimus. m. O. laurae. n. O. llama. o. O. marilucasae. p. O. menchuae. q. O. monzoni. r. O. mutenroshii. s. O. nahuali. t. O. politus. u. O. quichensis. v. O. ratcliffei. w. O. sandinoi. x. O. toriyamai. y. O. tzutuhili.