Renclasea mexicana Tishechkin & Caterino

Tishechkin, Alexey K. & Caterino, Michael S., 2009, A new North American genus of Hetaeriinae (Coleoptera: Histeridae), with descriptions of six new species from the U. S. A. and Mexico, Zootaxa 2311, pp. 1-18 : 12-13

Renclasea mexicana Tishechkin & Caterino , n. sp.

( Fig. 10 )

Material examined: Holotype male: " MEXICO: Hidalgo 14.5 NW Cardonal 13 July 1990, 1850 m Danoff- Burg, ex: from Neivamyrmex bivouac / HOLOTYPE Renclasea mexicana sp. n. A. K. Tishechkin & M. S. Caterino des. 2008" ( SEMC).

Diagnosis: Apart from its disjunct distribution, this species can be identified by the presence of distinct alutaceous microsculpture over almost entire dorsal and parts of ventral surfaces and presence of pair of small, shiny calluses near posterior margin of pronotum. Two other species with dorsal alutaceous microsculpture present lack the latter and have dorsal microsculpture much less widespread and present only on intervals and along apical margins on elytra.

Description: L: 2.07; W: 1.64; E/Pn L: 1.95; E/Pn W: 1.17; Pn W/L: 1.82; E L/W: 0.91; Pr/Py: 0.99; Sterna: 0.45, 0.15, 0.46; Tibiae: 0.54, 0.62, 0.72 (n=1). Body light reddish-brown, mostly covered with alutaceous microsculpture, smooth and asetose throughout except for a few setae on antennomeres 1–7. Vertex and most of frons covered with microsculpture; frons almost flat, clypeus depressed at middle between lateral carinae; labrum narrowly rectangular, weakly produced at the middle of apical margin. Prosternum covered with microsculpture, except for shiny smooth explanate lateral margins, a pair of slightly elevated elongate oval calluses at latero-medial parts of disc in its basal third and small opposing areas along basal margins. Prosternal sides convergent, much more strongly in anterior fourth, above antennal cavities, weakly outwardly sinuate, with the anterior angles narrowly rounded, almost rectangular; marginal stria present along lateral edge, interrupted at anterior angles; pronotal lateral sides narrowly flattened and slightly bent upwards; median angle of pronotal posterior margin about 100º. Prosternum with anterior margin of prosternal lobe weakly concave; prosternal keel slightly elevated and flattened, covered with fine microsculpture, without carinal striae, with short basal divergent fragments of lateral prosternal striae between procoxae.

Scutellum short triangular, tiny, but distinct; elytra convex, widest at middle, completely covered by alutaceous microsculpture, slightly rugulose in inner posterior third; dorsal elytral striae 1–3 weakly marked on disc, abbreviated both anteriorly and posteriorly; sutural stria abbreviated in anterior fourth.

Mesoventrite flat in males, mesoventral projection short, broadly triangular, its apex slightly elevated; mesometaventral suture 'curly bracket' (‘{‘)-shaped, thin and inconspicuous; disc of metaventrite in male in anterior half with shallow oval depression, not reaching anterior parts of outer metaventral striae laterally; weak wide elevation present near posterior margin of metaventrite. Lateral parts of meso- and metaventrite and abdominal ventrite 1 with fine alutaceous microsculpture.

Propygidium weakly convex, microsculpture on its disc as on apices of elytra; marginal stria of propygidium complete; pygidium smooth, microsculptured in anterior part, weakly convex in males. Male genitalia as illustrated ( Fig. 10 ), females are unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet reflects its apparent endemicity to Mexico.

Distribution. This species is only known from the type locality ( Fig. 14 ).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Male genitalia, Renclasea mexicana. A. Abdominal segments 9 – 10, dorsal view; B. Abdominal segments 9 – 10, lateral view; C. Abdominal segment 8, apical view; D. Abdominal segments 8, ventral view; E. Apex of parameres, dorsal view; F. Aedeagus, lateral view; G. Ninth sternite (spiculum gastrale), ventral view.

FIGURE 14. Map of southern North America, showing all known collecting localities for Renclasea spp. The question mark in west Texas represents specimens of uncertain identity (discussed under R. occidentalis).