Phelister conjunctus, 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

31. Phelister conjunctus sp. nov. Figs 19C, D , 20C, D , Map 12

Type material.

Holotype male: " Guyane Française: Mont Tabulaire Itoupé 3°1.82'N, 53°6.40'W [3.0303, -53.1067], 400 m, Piège d’interception No. 3. 31 Mar 2010. SEAG leg." / ", Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00378" (MNHN); Paratypes (2): French Guiana: Belvédère de Saül, point de vue (3.6228, -53.2094), 17.1.2011, FIT, SEAG, EXO-03029 (CHND, 1ex.); Rés. Natur. des Nouragues, Saut Pararé. 4°02'N, 52°41'W. Piège vitre, 20.iv.2010. SEAG leg. (CHND, 1ex.).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 4.02-4.65 mm (avg. 4.32 mm); width: 3.90-4.10 mm (avg. 4.03 mm). Body very large, elongate oval, strongly convex, piceous; ground punctation conspicuous, most surfaces with conspicuous but sparse secondary punctures; head with frons weakly depressed along midline, weakly produced above antennal bases; supraorbital stria present, disconnected from frontal stria at sides; frontal stria interrupted at middle; epistoma weakly elevated at sides; labrum with apex emarginate; left mandible with moderate basal tooth; pronotum broad, with secondary punctures more numerous in posterior 1/2; prescutellar area weakly depressed; main median pronotal gland openings weakly annulate, with one pair at anterior margin, also apparently multiplied along a short track reaching 2/3 from anterior margin; lateral submarginal stria complete, strongly impressed; lateral marginal stria complete and continuous with anterior marginal; anterior margin weakly produced behind head; elytron with one complete epipleural stria; outer subhumeral, inner subhumeral and all dorsal striae complete, 4th arched toward base of 5th, but free, 5th arched to sutural stria, all striae connected by apical arches along elytral apex; propygidium midline length nearly equal to that of pygidium; prosternal keel emarginate at base, with primary striae narrowly connected in front, posteriorly divergent but connected along basal margin; weak secondary striae present along basal 1/2 of keel; prosternal lobe short, emarginate apically, marginal stria absent; mesoventrite with strong median projection; marginal mesoventral stria complete, slightly disconnected from postmesocoxal stria, which extends just beyond mesocoxa; mesometaventral stria broadly angulate at middle, reaching anterior third of mesoventrite, continued by lateral metaventral stria toward, but not reaching, middle of metacoxa; metaventrite with cluster of secondary punctures near metacoxa; 1st abdominal ventrite conspicuously punctate in anterior 1/2, with incomplete lateral stria along inner edge of metacoxa; protibia weakly expanded, outer edge weakly dentate, each tooth with small spine; meso- and metatibiae not distinctly expanded, tarsi not compressed. Male: basal piece 1/3 length of tegmen; tegmen with sides subparallel in basal 1/2, abruptly narrowed, then weakly expanded to ventrally hooked apices; medioventral process absent; median lobe ~ 1/4 tegmen length.

Etymology.

This species name refers to the apically ‘conjunct’ or united elytral striae.

Distribution.

This species is only known three close locations in French Guiana.

Remarks.

This species appears very closely related to P. fraternus (above), and as discussed under that species, has much in common with species we have assigned to Crenulister . It lacks the large, spatulate protarsal setae of Crenulister , and has quite dissimilar genitalia. Otherwise, compared to those and to P. fraternus , it has finer and sparser pronotal punctation, and has its pronotal gland openings apparently multiplied, with two or three openings in a longitudinal series, with larger irregular surrounding annuli. All its elytral striae are complete and most are also connected along the elytral apex.

Figures

Map 12. Collecting records for Phelister geijskesi (circles), P. fraternus (squares), P. conjunctus (star), P. striatinotum (inverted triangles), and P. chabooae (upright triangle).

Figure 19. A, B Phelister fraternus: A dorsal habitus B ventral habitus C, D P. conjunctus: C dorsal habitus D ventral habitus E, F P. chabooae: E dorsal habitus F ventral habitus G, H P. striatinotum: G dorsal habitus H ventral habitus.

Figure 20. Male genitalia A, B Phelister fraternus: A aedeagus, dorsal B aedeagus, lateral C, D P. conjunctus: C aedeagus, dorsal D aedeagus, lateral E, F P. striatinotum: E aedeagus, dorsal F aedeagus, lateral.