Phelister rudis, 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

39. Phelister rudis sp. nov. Figs 23E-G , 24I, J , Map 14

Type material.

Holotype male: " Panama: Colón Prov., San Lorenzo Forest, STRI crane site. 9°17'N, 79°58'W [9.2833, -79.9667], FIT-Z-7, 19-20 May 2004, A. Tishechkin. AT-478" / " Phelister sp #16, San Lorenzo Inventory, A.L.Tishechkin det 2010" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00444" (FMNH). Paratypes (3): Panama: Colon, 14 km N jct. Escobal & Pina Rds. (9.2, -79.9), 6/2/96-6/11/96, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks, SM0041133 (SEMC, 1ex.); Colon, San Lorenzo Forest, STRI crane site (9.2833, -79.9667), 5/19/04-5/25/04, FIT, A. Tishechkin (AKTC, 1ex.); Panama, Chepo-Charti Rd. (9.28, -79.1), 400 m, June 1982, FIT, B. Gill, EXO-03337 (CNCI, 1ex.).

Other material.

Bolivia: Cochabamba, Cochabamba, 67.5 km NE Est. Biol. Valle del Sajita Univ. de San Simon (-17.1092, -64.7978), 300 m, 2/7/99-2/9/99, FIT, R. Hanley, SM0161392 (SEMC, 1ex.); Ecuador: Orellana, Est. Cientifica Yasuní, mid. Rio Tiputini (-0.675, -76.4), 6/23/99-6/30/99, FIT, C. Carlton & A. Tishechkin, LSAM 0045443 (LSAM, 1ex.); Orellana, Est. Biodiv. Tiputini (-0.64, -76.15), 7/28/08-7/31/08, FIT, A.K.Tishechkin (AKTC, 2ex.); Orellana, Est. Cientifica Yasuní (-0.675, -76.4), 7/11/08-7/26/08, FIT, A. Tishechkin (AKTC & LSAM, 2ex.); Orellana, Est. Cientifica Yasuní, mid. Rio Tiputini (-0.675, -76.4), 07/5-11/1999, FIT, C. Carlton & A. Tishechkin, LSAM 0045451 (LSAM, 1ex.); Orellana, Est. Cientifica Yasuní, mid. Rio Tiputini (-0.675, -76.4), 8/6/99, Eciton burchelli colony EC#27, refuse deposit during statary phase, A. Tishechkin, LSAM 0045444 (LSAM, 1ex.); Peru: Junín, 11 km NE Puerto Ocopa, Los Olivos (-11.05, -74.2587), 1200 m, 3/23/09-3/24/09, FIT, A. Tishechkin, EXO-00948 (AKTC, 1ex.); Loreto, 1.5 km N Teniente Lopez (-2.5943, -76.1153), 210-240 m, 7/20/93, FIT, R. Leschen, EXO-03338 (SEMC, 1ex.); Loreto, Iquitos (-3.74, -73.27), 90 m, 5/5/92, FIT, J. Danoff-Berg, EXO-03339 (SEMC, 1ex.); Loreto, km 63, rd. Iquitos - Nauta, Rio Itaya (-4.2534, -73.4346), 140 m, 2/05/10-2/06/10, A.V. Petrov (AKTC, 1ex.); Junín, ~ 16 km NW Satipo, Rio Venado (-11.1989, -74.7705), 1500 m, 3/08/10-3/14/10, A.V. Petrov (AKTC, 1ex.); Junín, ~ 16 km NW Satipo, Rio Venado (-11.1989, -74.7705), 3/03/10-3/08/10, A.V. Petrov (AKTC, 2ex.).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.69-1.89 mm (avg. 1.80 mm); width: 1.42-1.54 mm (avg. 1.48 mm). This species is extremely similar to the preceding two ( P. gregarius and P. praecisus ), differing principally in the following characters: frons with microsculpture within frontal depression; prescutellar impression broadly semi-oval; mandibles each with distinct basal tooth; pronotum with marginal stria continuous around sides and front; submarginal pronotal stria present in anterior 1/2 at sides, anterior portion broken and recurved behind eyes; outer subhumeral elytral stria present in apical 1/2 only, rarely with detached basal appendix (especially in Peruvian examples); prosternal keel weakly narrowed anteriorly, with striae complete, united anteriorly only; prosternal lobe short; mesometaventral stria strongly angulate to near marginal mesoventral stria; male metaventrite not depressed; protibia with apical spine prominent, other marginal spines rather fine and slightly separated from it. Male: basal piece broad, short, ~ 1/3 length of tegmen; tegmen with sides subparallel in basal 1/2, then widened slightly to rounded apices, thick and notably curved in lateral view; medioventral process absent; median lobe ~ 1/2 tegmen length, with basal apodemes widely separated.

Etymology.

The name rudis, or rough, refers to the unusual microsculpture of the frons.

Distribution.

This species is known from Panama as well as much of western Amazonia, from Ecuador to Bolivia.

Remarks.

We assign specimens from a broad area, ranging from Panama, southward along western South America to Bolivia, to this species. However, we restrict the type series to Panamanian specimens, as there is some variation, and other areas are poorly represented. Most specimens (all those from the type locality) exhibit distinct microsculpture within the frontal depression. This is quite unusual in this group, and within Phelister as a whole (being otherwise occasional in some Operclipygus spp.). The species is quite similar in other respects to P. gregarius and P. praecisus . From the former it consistently differs by its broadly oval prescutellar impression (subtriangular in P. gregarius ) and the broken anterior submarginal pronotal stria. From P. praecisus it differs in having a shorter outer subhumeral stria, and prosternal keel striae that are not united at the base. Specimens from Peru tend to have several metaventral punctures, which is otherwise only found in P. gregarius (at least among these species), but these males don’t have a depressed metaventrite, as those of P. gregarius do.

Figures

Map 14. Collecting records for Phelister gregarius (circles), P. rudis (black squares), and P. incongruens (stars).

Figure 23. A, B Phelister gregarius: A dorsal habitus B ventral habitus C, D P. praecisus: C dorsal habitus D ventral habitus E-G P. rudis: E dorsal habitus F ventral habitus G anterior view of protibia.

Figure 24. Male genitalia A-F Phelister gregarius: A tergite 8 B sternite 8 C tergites 9 & 10 D sternite 9 E aedeagus, dorsal F aedeagus, lateral G, H P. praecisus: G aedeagus, dorsal H tegmen, lateral I, J P. rudis: I aedeagus, dorsal J tegmen, lateral.