Operclipygus subterraneus, Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013

Caterino, Michael S. & Tishechkin, Alexey K., 2013, A systematic revision of Operclipygus Marseul (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini), ZooKeys 271, pp. 1-401 : 128-129

Operclipygus subterraneus sp. n. Figs 34 F–H36F–HMap 12

Type locality.

BRAZIL: Rio De Janeiro: 17 km E Nova Friburgo [22°23.1'S, 42°33.5'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "BRASIL: RIO DE JANEIRO, 17 km E Nova Friburgo, 22°23'04"S, 42°33'30"W, 750m, 29.I.2000, F. Génier & S. Ide, secondary mountain Atlantic for. ex. f.i.t., day 4-9, FG2000 –58” / "Caterino/Tishechkin Exosternini Voucher EXO-00290" (CMNC). Paratypes (94): BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: 7: Viçosa, 20°45'S, 42°53'W, ix.1999, primary Atlantic forest, E. Grossi (CHND); 2: Ingaí, Res. Boqueirão, nr. Lavras, 21°21'S, 44°59'W, 20.xi.2002, FIT, gallery forest, F. Frieiro-Costa & F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (AKTC), 3: 13.xi.2002, FIT, gallery forest, F. Vaz-de-Mello & F. Frieiro-Costa (AKTC, CEMT), 1: 29.x.2002, FIT, gallery forest, F. Frieiro-Costa & F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (AKTC); 1: Passa Quatro, Sul de Minas (BMNH); Paraná: 1: Piraquara, Mananciais da Serra, 25°29'77'W, 48°58.90'W, 1000m, i.2007, FIT, P.Grossi & D. Parizotto (CHND); 4: Guartelá, Campo São Paulo, 24°32'S, 50°17'W, 900m, xi.2007, pitfall, E. Grossi (CHND); 1: Campina Grande do Sul, xii.2004, pitfall, Armadilha, F.W.T. Leivas (UFPR); 2: Campina Grande do Sul, Estrada de Mandacaia, 26.xii.2008, FIT, F.W.T. Leivas (UFPR); 2: Curitiba, 25°26'44.5"S, 49°13'56.6"W, 18.iii.2009, in buried carrion, R.C. Correa (UFPR), 1: 10.xii.2008, Terra Acima, R.C. Correa (UFPR); 1: Curitiba, Campus UFPR, Mata Cap_ [?illegible] do Tigre, 5.iv.2003, P. Grossi (UFPR); 3 (on one card): Curitiba, Centro Politecnico, 16.xii.2009, in buried carrion, R. C. Correa (UFPR); 1: Tibagi, Parque Estad. Guartelá, 24.5663°S, 50.2570°W, 12.xii.2011, 15.xii.2011, FIT, forest, M.S. Caterino & A.K. Tishechkin, DNA Extract MSC-2272 (SBMNH); 1: Vila Velha - IAPAR, 18.x.1999, Ganho & Mannoni (UFPR); 1: [locality lost] 2011, DNA Extract MSC-2260; Rio de Janeiro: 12: 17km E Nova Friburgo, 22°23'04"S, 42°33'30"W, 750m, 29.i.2000, FIT, secondary montane Atlantic for., F. Genier & S. Ide (CMNC, FMNH, MSCC, AKTC, CHND), 3: 23.i.2000 (CMNC); 5: Nova Friburgo, Sans Souci, 9-15.xi.2009, FIT, E. Grossi (UFPR); 27: Nova Friburgo, 22°16'S, 42°32'W, 26-31.x.2009, FIT (CHND); 2: Corcovado, Guanabara, x.1968, Alvarenga & Seabra (UFPR); Santa Catarina: 1: Nova Teutonia, xii.1953, F. Plaumann (FMNH), 1: xii.1972, F. Plaumann (FMNH), 2: 18.xii.1953, F. Plaumann (FMNH), 1: 25.iii.1954, F. Plaumann (FMNH), 1: 18.xi.1954, F. Plaumann (FMNH), 1: 29.v.1954, F. Plaumann (FMNH), 1: 12.xi.1953, F. Plaumann (FMNH), 1: 16.viii.1953, F. Plaumann (FMNH); São Paulo: 1: Vila Mariana, 23°35'00"S, 046°38'00"W, vii.1935, B. Pohl (AKTC); 1: São Miguel, Turvo River, 24°01'S, 48°00'W, 800m, xii.1963, F. Plaumann (FMNH); 1: Ilha Santo Amaro nr. Santos, 26.iii.1916, G.E. Bryant (BMNH).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.59-1.65 mm, width: 1.31-1.35 mm; body rufescent, subquadrate, subdepressed; frons depressed at middle; frontal corners prominent above antennal bases, epistoma and labrum coplanar;frontal stria short, detached from sides; labrum flat, weakly emarginate at apex; pronotum with sides subparallel in basal two-thirds; prescutellar impression short, linear, subequal in length to scutellum, disk with ~20 coarse punctures clustered posterolaterad ends of recurved anterior submarginal stria; lateral submarginal pronotal stria complete;anterior submarginal pronotal stria recurved about one-fourth pronotal length; median pronotal gland openings near anterior corners of anterior submarginal stria, about 4 puncture widths from anterior margin; elytra with one complete epipleural stria, outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, inner subhumeral stria absent, striae 1-4 more or less complete, 5th stria present in apical half, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds; prosternal keel weakly produced at base, carinal striae about four-fifths keel length, narrowly united anteriorly, divergent, faintly united at base; mesoventrite emarginate, marginal stria complete; mesometaventral stria broadly arched forward two-thirds from suture to anterior mesoventral margin; metaventral stria extended to near outer third of metacoxa, abruptly bent laterad at apex; 1st abdominal ventrite with two complete lateral striae parallel; propygidium with moderate-sized shallow punctures separated by slightly less than their diameters; pygidium with ground punctation not extremely dense, with coarser punctures sparsely interspersed; marginal pygidial sulcus complete, fine but deep, weakly crenulate.Male genitalia very similar to that of Operclipygus hospes (Figs 36 A–D), except T8 narrower, with deeper apical emargination, T9 with fine, acute basolateral processes, and tegmen with more distinct subapical cleft (Fig. 36H).

Remarks.

The form of the frons and the frontal stria is unique in this species, having the antennal bossae prominent with the frontal stria broadly interrupted at the sides (Fig. 34G). The head is relatively large compared to most relatives (Fig. 34F), and this in combination with the subquadrate body makes it relatively easy to recognize. This is the species cited as Operclipygus hospes , as having some forensic significance, by Corréa et al. (2012).

Etymology.

This species names refers to the discovery of numerous specimens in association with subterranean carrion by entomologists with UFPR.