Phelister asperatus, 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

12. Phelister asperatus sp. nov. Figs 9A, B , 10A, B , Map 7

Type material.

Holotype male: " Brazil, Rio de Janeiro: Nova Friburgo, Sans Souci, 9-15/XI/2009, E. Grossi (leg.)" / “Interceptação de vôo (FIT)" / “DZUP272524” (DZUP).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.50 mm; width: 1.22 mm. Body small, elongate oval, convex, rufescent, with conspicuous ground punctation and coarse secondary punctures uniformly intermixed on pronotum, more sparsely so on elytron; frons and epistoma somewhat narrow, deeply depressed along midline, doubly punctate; supraorbital stria present, separated from sides of frontal; frontal stria complete, fine across median depression; epistoma raised, subcarinate along sides; labrum emarginate and subcarinate apically; mandibles each with very small basal tooth; antennal club elongate with conspicuous setose patch on dorsal surface; prescutellar impression forming an elongate triangle with rounded bases, slightly wider than scutellum; pronotal disk densely, doubly punctate; median pronotal gland openings obscured by punctures; marginal pronotal stria complete along sides and front; submarginal pronotal stria obscure, vaguely present as disconnected series of punctures around anterior corner only; elytron with single, complete epipleural stria; outer subhumeral stria present in apical 1/2 only, inner subhumeral vaguely represented by series of punctures; dorsal striae 1-4 complete, 4th arched to sutural stria, 5th and sutural stria nearly complete, fragmented at bases; propygidium uniformly doubly punctate; prosternal keel emarginate at base, striae separate at base, sinuate, united anteriorly; prosternal lobe short, reflexed, with complete marginal stria; mesoventrite produced, with complete marginal stria continued at sides by postmesocoxal stria, which ends freely at middle of lateral portion of metaventrite; mesometaventral stria angulate at middle, crenulate, reaching middle of mesoventrite, continued at sides by lateral metaventral stria to middle of metacoxa; middle portion of metaventrite mainly with conspicuous ground punctation; 1st abdominal ventrite with secondary punctures more densely intermingled, with incomplete lateral stria along inner margin of metacoxa; protibia with outer margin rounded, weakly dentate, with ~ five marginal spines; protarsal setae of male not flattened; meso- and metatibiae slightly broadened, with a few spines along outer margins. Male: basal piece nearly 1/2 length of tegmen; tegmen with sides weakly rounded, apices subacute, weakly separated; tegmen mostly straight in lateral view; medioventral process present in basal 1/3; median lobe ~ 2/3 tegmen length, basal apodemes abruptly thinner near bases.

Etymology.

This species name refers to its asperate, or rough appearance.

Distribution.

This species is only known from the type locality, Brazil: Rio de Janeiro.

Remarks.

This species is straightforward to recognize, particularly assuming it is restricted in distribution to southeastern Brazil. It has an unusual pattern of sculpture, with the pronotum densely doubly punctate, and the elytra less densely and mostly singly punctate. Among all the strongly punctate species in this group it is particularly small and elongate. Its elytral striae are also quite distinctive, appearing as double series of large punctures connected by a relatively fine stria.

Figures

Map 7. Collecting records for Phelister parana (inverted triangles), P. asperatus (black stars), P. uniformis (white squares), P. miscellus (white hexagons) P. sculpturatus (black circles), P. inbio (white stars) and P. tunki (black upright triangle).

Figure 9. A, B Phelister asperatus: A dorsal habitus B ventral habitus C, D P. uniformis: C dorsal habitus D ventral habitus E, F P. miscellus: E dorsal habitus F ventral habitus G, H P. inbio: G dorsal habitus H ventral habitus.

Figure 10. Male genitalia A, B Phelister asperatus: A aedeagus, dorsal B aedeagus, lateral C, D P. uniformis: C aedeagus, dorsal. D aedeagus, lateral E, F P. miscellus: E aedeagus, dorsal F aedeagus, lateral G P. inbio: Aedeagus, dorsal.