Baconia pilicauda, Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Baconia Lewis (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 343, pp. 1-297 : 214-215

Baconia pilicauda sp. n. Figs 60D61EMap 19

Type locality.

ECUADOR: Orellana:Res. Ethnica Waorani [0.67°N, 76.43°W].

Type material.

Holotype male: ECUADOR: Depto. Orellana:Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent., 0°39'10"S, 76°26'W, 220m, 12 February 1995, T.L. Erwin et al. collectors" / "Insecticidal fogging of mostly bare green leaves, some with covering of lichenous or bryophytic plants in terra firme forest. Project MAXUS Lot 1047 Trans. 5 Sta. 8" / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-02733" (USNM). Paratypes (4): ECUADOR: Orellana: 1: Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent., 0°39'10"S, 76°26'W, 220 m, 1: 25.vi.1996, fogging, T. Erwin (USNM), 1: 3.x.1996, fogging, T. Erwin (USNM); 1: Est. Biodiv. Tiputini, 0°37'55"S, 76°08'39"W, 220-250 m, 21.x.1998, fogging, mostly bare green leaves, some with covering of lichenous or brophytic plants, T. Erwin (USNM), 1: 9.ii.1999, fogging, T. Erwin (USNM).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.4-1.7mm, width: 0.9-1.2mm; body elongate, sides subparallel, weakly depressed, conspicuously punctate on most surfaces, most punctures bearing single short, fine seta (may be abraded on dorsal and ventral surfaces, more persistent on pygidia); elytra faintly metallic blue, head and pronotum rufobrunneus, apical margin of elytra, pygidia and venter rufescent; frons produced in front, elevated above and between antennal bases, weakly depressed dorsad, uniformly punctate, frontal and supraorbital striae absent; antennal scape short, strongly bent at base, club rounded, slightly elongate; epistoma convex, straight across distal margin; labrum about 3 × wider than long, apical margin deeply and distinctly emarginate; mandibles short, each with median tooth; apical maxillary palpomeres slightly widened; pronotum with sides subparallel to slightly narrowing in basal three-fourths, abruptly narrowed to apex, lateral marginal stria continuous around sides and front, lateral submarginal stria very close to marginal stria, subcarinate, merging near anterior corner; pronotal disk weakly depressed along inner edge of anterior half of lateral submarginal stria; punctation of pronotal disk coarse, more or less uniform; elytra with two complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria absent, inner subhumeral stria varied, present as basal fragments to absent, dorsal striae 1-5 present to base, variably abbreviated in apical fourth, sutural stria present only in apical half, elytral disk with sparse secondary punctures throughout, slightly denser in apical fourth; prosternal keel narrow, weakly convex, narrowly, shallowly emarginate at base, carinal striae subparallel in basal half, united near middle; prosternal lobe nearly half keel length, apically truncate, marginal stria obsolete at sides; mesoventrite narrowly produced at middle, marginal stria usually complete to interrupted medially; mesometaventral stria arched forward at middle, continuous with inner lateral metaventral stria from inner corner of mesocoxa to middle of metacoxa, very short fragment of outer lateral metaventral stria present near base; mesometaventral and abdominal ventral disks very finely and sparsely punctate; abdominal ventrite 1 with complete inner lateral stria and median fragments of outer lateral stria; protibia rather broad, with 4 marginal denticles, basal-most weak, margin finely serrulate between; mesotibia with 4 marginal spines, basal-most weak; outer metatibial margin smooth; propygidium lacking basal stria, propygidial gland openings evident about one-third distance from anterior and lateral margins; propygidium and pygidium with coarse punctation throughout. Male genitalia essentially as in Baconia tricolor , but stem of S9 tending to be wider (Fig. 61E).

Remarks.

Baconia pilicauda and Baconia tricolor are extremely closely related, and could almost be lumped into a single polymorphic species. However, there are consistent differences in body shape and general appearance, with Baconia pilicauda less brightly colored and slightly broader (Fig. 60D), as well as slightly larger. Genitalic differences are very minor.

All of the specimens of Baconia pilicauda were collected in canopy samples in the Napo region of Ecuador. Given the large amount of more general (i.e., subcanopy) collecting that has been done in the same vicinity, it seems likely that this species is a canopy specialist.

Etymology.

This species’ name refers to its distinctly setose pygidium.