Baconia sapphirina, 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 : 34-37

Baconia sapphirina sp. n. Figs 6 A–B 7Map 1

Type locality.

COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: Osa Peninsula [8.7°N, 83.6°W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "Rancho Quemado, 200 m, Península de Osa, Prov. Punt., COSTA RICA. 12 a 24 may 1993. A. Gutiérrez. L-S 292500, 511000" / "INBIO CRI001189233" (INBIO). Paratypes (3): FRENCH GUIANA: 1: Montagne des Chevaux, 4°43'N, 52°24'W, FIT, 13.vi.2009, SEAG [ Société entomologique Antilles-Guyane] (MNHN), 1: Belvèdére de Saül, 3°1'22"N, 53°12'34"W, FIT, 17.i.2011, SEAG (CHND), 1: 4.i.2011, FIT, SEAG (MSCC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.7-1.9mm, width: 1.5-1.6mm; body subquadrate, strongly depressed, glabrous; head and pronotum metallic greenish-blue, very slightly contrasting with blue elytra and pygidia, venter rufo-brunneus; frons wide, weakly depressed at middle, interocular margins convergent dorsad, ground punctation fine, with coarser punctures at middle and toward vertex, frontal stria present along inner margin of eye, variably fragmented across middle, never complete, supraorbital stria absent; antennal scape short, club elongate, ovoid; epistoma flat, weakly emarginate apically; labrum about 4 ×wider than long, apex weakly bisinuate; mandibles short, only very bluntly dentate; pronotal sides subparallel in basal half, arcuate to apex, marginal stria complete around lateral and anterior margins, submarginal stria absent; pronotal disk with only fine ground punctation over median two-thirds, with small secondary punctures interspersed at sides; elytra with two complete epipleural striae, outer subhumeral stria absent, inner subhumeral stria impressed at base and often with isolated median fragment, dorsal striae 1-4 complete, 5th stria present in apical two- thirds, sutural stria very short, present in less than apical half, elytral disk with scattered secondary punctures along apical margin; prosternal keel broad, very weakly convex, base broadly produced, carinal striae complete, separate, subparallel, with bases just curved mediad; prosternal lobe about two-thirds keel length, apical margin bluntly rounded, marginal stria slightly fragmented at sides; mesoventrite broadly emarginate, marginal stria interrupted for width of emargination; mesometaventral stria arched forward, slightly sinuate, crenulate, narrowly detached at sides, inner lateral metaventral stria originating close to mesocoxa, extending obliquely posterolaterad toward posterior corner of metepisternum, outer lateral metaventral stria absent, metaventral and 1st abdominal disks impunctate at middle; abdominal ventrite 1 with single, complete lateral stria; protibia with four marginal denticles, the basal-most weak, outer mar gin serrulate between; mesotibia with single marginal spine; outer metatibial margin smooth; pygidia short and wide, propygidium with complete transverse basal stria, with moderately large, ocellate punctures more or less uniformly separated by slightly less than their diameters; propygidial gland openings present behind transverse stria, about one-fourth from each side; pygidium with rather dense ground punctation in apical half, small secondary punctures more conspicuous in basal half. Male genitalia (Fig. 7): T8 about as long as broad, sides straight to near apex, basal emargination deep, broad, subangulate, apical emargination shallow, narrowly rounded, ventrolateral apodemes weakly sclerotized, basal, opposing, separated by about tegmen width; S8 short, divided, inner edges approximate nearly to apex, outer margins divergent, apical guides widening to broadly rounded apices, without conspicuous setae; T9 with basal apodemes thin, about one-third total length, T9 apices narrowly rounded, glabrous, ventrolateral apodemes poorly developed; T10 entire; stem of S9 very weakly widened to rounded base, widening from midpoint toward apex, apices curving and acuminate, sclerotized along lateral margins, not apically divided; tegmen narrow in basal half, with sides subparallel, widening to spoon-shaped apex, tegmen weakly dorsoventrally flattened, curved ventrad in apical fourth; median lobe simple, about one-third tegmen length; basal piece about one-third tegmen length, apical emarginations deep.

Remarks.

Among the species related to Baconia festiva , this one is most easily recognized by its very shallow, sparse lateral pronotal punctation (Fig. 6A). In addition its inner subhumeral stria is more nearly complete than that of Baconia festiva , and its prosternal carinal striae tend to converge (Fig. 6B) rather than diverging slightly to the front.

Etymology.

This species is named for its brilliant, sapphire-like coloration.