Renclasea helavai 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 : 9-10

Renclasea helavai Tishechkin & Caterino , n. sp.

( Figs. 6, 7 , 9 )

Material examined: Holotype female: "Tucson, Ariz. Aug. 5 1935 Bryant 20 At light / SEM / Collection of the CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, San Francisco, Calif. / Euclasea n. sp. 2 Helava '82 / HOLOTYPE Renclasea helavai sp. n. A. K. Tishechkin & M. S. Caterino des. 2008" ( CAS).

Diagnosis: Among three species with the presence of dorsal alutaceous microsculpture ( R. helavai , R. mexicana , R. skelleyi ), this species can be identified by its distinct dorsal elytral elytra striae 1–4. The prominent circular medial callus of mesoventrite (in females; Fig. 6 B) is shared only with R. falli , in which it is smooth rather than faintly rugose.

Description: L: 1.68; W: 1.33; E/Pn L: 1.95; E/Pn W: 1.20; Pn W/L: 1.73; E L/W: 0.94; Pr/Py: 1.00; Sterna: 0.39, 0.18, 0.42; Tibiae: 0.45, 0.55, 0.62 (n=1). Body reddish-brown, shiny, except areas of alutaceous microsculpture on frons, pronotum, elytra and pygidia; smooth and asetose. Frons almost flat, microsculptured, clypeus smooth, depressed at middle between lateral carinae; labrum narrowly rectangular, its apical margin weakly inwardly arcuate. Prosternal sides convergent, much more strongly in anterior third, above antennal cavities, weakly inwardly sinuate, with the anterior angles narrowly rounded, almost rectangular; marginal stria present along lateral, but not anterior edge. Pronotal surface mostly covered with alutacecous microsculpture, except bands along narrowly flattened and reflexed lateral sides; median angle of pronotal posterior margin about 100º. Prosternum with anterior margin of prosternal lobe weakly convex; prosternal keel slightly elevated and flattened, without carinal striae, its base excavated to fit process of mesoventrite.

Scutellum elongate triangular, tiny; elytra convex, widest at middle, smooth and shiny; dorsal elytral striae 1–4, distinct, not punctured, long, progressively shorter from stria 1 to 4, stria 1 almost reaching elytral apex and stria 4 abbreviated in posterior third; sutural stria complete; elytral intervals with elongate bands of fine alutaceous microsculpture, somewhat expanded and merging in posterior fifth.

Mesoventrite in females with median part of disc flat and lateral sides depressed, flat median part most mostly occupied by circular low microsculptured callus ( Fig. 6 B); mesoventral projection long, triangular; mesometaventral suture obsolete; disc of metaventrite in females weakly, evenly convex. Lateral parts of meso- and metaventrite with fine alutaceous microsculpture.

Propygidium weakly convex, disc with fine, dense, shallow punctures merging locally into shallow transverse wrinkles; marginal stria of propygidium complete; pygidium in females weakly convex, with rugose sculpture and striate ornament. Female genitalia as illustrated ( Fig. 9 ), males are not known.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Jussi Helava, who first recognized it as an undescribed, honoring his contributions to the taxonomy and systematics of Hetaeriinae .

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

Figures

FIGURE 7. Female pygidia, posterior view. A. Renclasea skelleyi; B. R. falli; C. R. helavai; D. R. occidentalis.

FIGURE 9. Female genitalia, Renclasea helavai. A. Abdominal sternite 8, ventral view; B. Tergite 8, gonocoxites, and genital sclerites, 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).