Operclipygus gratus, 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 : 157-159

Operclipygus gratus sp. n. Figs 42 A–B43A–D, IMap 16

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Heredia: La Selva Biological Station 10°26'N, 84°1'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "COSTA RICA: Heredia, La Selva, 3.2 km SE Puerto Viejo, 100m, 28 Jan. 1992, W. Bell, ex: flight intercept trap"/ "SEMC0903624 KUNHM-ENT" (INBIO). Paratypes (10) same data as type, except as noted: 1: 14.ii.1992 (SEMC), 1: 17.ii.1992 (SEMC), 1: 28.ii.1992 (SEMC), 1: 22.vi.1998, FIT, C.E. Carlton & A.K. Tishechkin (LSAM); COSTA RICA: Limón: 1: Area Cons. Tortuguero, Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. de E. Rojas, 150m, i.1993, E. Rojas, (INBIO), 2: v.1993, E. Rojas, (INBIO, FMNH), 1: vi.1993, E. Rojas, (INBIO); Guanacaste: 1: Parque Nac. Guanacaste, Est. Pitilla [misspelled Patilla], 10°59'22"N, 85°25'33"W, 610m, 13-15.vii.2000, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, Z. Falin (SEMC); Cartago: 1: Parque Nac. Barbilla, R.F. Rio Pacuare. Turrialba, Send. Principal, 200-300m, 14-23.vii.2001, FIT, W. Arana (INBIO).

Other material.

COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: 1: Las Cruces Biol. Sta., 08°47.14'N, 82°57.58'W, 1330m, 28-30.v.2004, FIT, J.S. Ashe, Z. Falin, I. Hinojosa (SEMC); 1: Est. Biol. Las Cruces, San Vito, 17. viii– 12.ix.1982, FIT, B.D. Gill (BDGC); 1: Est. Biol. Las Cruces, Coto Brus, 8°47'N, 82°57'W, 1000m, 22-23.iii.2002, FIT, A. Cline & A. Tishechkin (LSAM). PANAMA: Coclé: 1: El Cope, Atlantic Slope, 08°37'N, 80°35'W, 730m, 19-20.xi.1994, FIT, D. Windsor, C. Edwards (SEMC); Colón: 1: San Lorenzo Forest, 9°17'N, 79°58'W, 4-6.x.2003, FIT, A.K. Tishechkin (LSAM), 1: 12-13.v.2004, FIT, A.K. Tishechkin (GBFM), 2: 21-24.v.2004, FIT, A.K. Tishechkin (AKTC, MSCC); Panamá: 1: Pipeline Rd., 17-22.vi.1993, FIT, S. Lingafelter (SEMC); 1: Old Gamboa Rd., 15.vii.1993, FIT, D. Windsor (SEMC); 1: Barro Colorado Isl., 09°11'N, 79°51'W, 1.viii.1994, FIT, D. Banks (SEMC), 1: 7.vii.1994, FIT, D. Banks (SEMC); 1: Old Plantation Rd. 6.9km S Gamboa, 09°05'N, 79°40'W, 80m, 4-7.vi.1995, FIT, J.S. Ashe & R. Brooks (SEMC), 2: 7-22.vi.1995, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.40-1.78 mm, width: 1.09-1.31 mm; body rufescent, elongate oval, widest near humeri; frontal stria complete, subcarinate at middle; epistoma depressed at middle, apical margin appearing subcarinate; antennal club with basolateral pit, with second annulus interrupted on dorsal surface; lateral submarginal pronotal stria present in apical third to half; anterior submarginal stria barely recurved, much shorter than lateral submarginal; pronotal disk with ~15 coarser punctures, most concentrated in anterolateral third; antescutellar region broadly depressed, with narrow prescutellar impression barely longer than scutellum; outer subhumeral stria present in apical half only, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-3 complete, 4th stria varied, from present in apical half to nearly complete, 5th stria present in apical half to two-thirds, sutural stria present in apical three-fourths; prosternal keel distinctly produced at base, with carinal striae closely-set, subparallel, weakly convergent to front, united in anterior arch about three-fourths from base; mesoventrite distinctly and discretely emarginate at middle, marginal stria complete; mesometaventral stria subangulate to midpoint of mesoventral disk, extending posterlaterally toward outer corner of metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite with two lateral striae complete, subparallel; propygidium with uniform round, shallow punctures separated by about their diameters; pygidium lacking apical marginal sulcus, ground punctation fine, dense, with coarser secondary punctures interspersed, denser along basal margin. Male genitalia (Fig. 43 A–D, I): accessory sclerites present; T8 with sides weakly convergent apicad, with broad, shallow basal emargination, basal membrane attachment line about one-third distad basal emargination, apical emargination shallow, acute, with ventrolateral apodemes most well-developed basally, not meeting, narrowed to apex; S8 with sides moderately rounded in basal two-thirds, narrowing to apex, with apical guides narrow, not strongly upturned; S9 with sides subparallel in basal two-thirds, apices weakly convergent, bluntly acute at inner corners; T10 with halves separate; S9 rather short, narrowed at middle, expanded to broad, weakly emarginate base, with apical emargination narrow, apical flanges separate, desclerotized along midline; tegmen with sides weakly rounded, widest just distad midpoint, narrowed to subacute apex lacking subapical cleft, medioventral process well-sclerotized, acute, projecting beneath about one-fourth from base; median lobe about one-third tegmen length, proximal apodemes differentiated about two-thirds from gonopore; basal piece short, slightly less than one-fourth tegmen length.

Remarks.

In this species and the four that follow (through Operclipygus assimilis ), the medioventral process of the aedeagus is acute (Figs 43 I–L), and the tegmen lacks any subapicoventral cleft. Most of these species have the 9th sternite of the male relatively short and broad (Figs 43D, H, M). All five of them exhibit a distinct sensory pit on the upper surface of the antennal club near the laterobasal edge (Fig. 4I). However, this is also found in Operclipygus hospes and in Operclipygus ignifer , a surprising conflict in otherwise apparently strong characters.

Operclipygus gratus can be distinguished from other species in the Operclipygus hospes group by the presence of a basolateral pit on the upper surface of the antennal club Fig. 4I), in combination with a depressed epistoma having a subcarinate anterior margin (Fig. 42B), frontal stria slightly carinate across the front, abbreviated lateral submarginal pronotal stria, and a complete lack of a marginal pygidial sulcus. Individuals from Costa Rica more typically have the 4th elytral stria strongly abbreviated, whereas it is very nearly complete in Panamanian specimens. There are no other significant differences separating specimens from these regions that we could find so we keep them together as a single species, though the type series is limited to northeastern Costa Rican localities.

Etymology.

This species’ name hints at its pleasantly recognizeable morphology.