Operclipygus inflatus, 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 : 191-193

Operclipygus inflatus sp. n. Figs 50C51 A–CMap 18

Type locality.

BRASIL: Pará:Belém, Utinga [1°27'S, 48°26'W].

Type material.

Holotype male: "BRASIL: Pará: Belem, Utinga (IPEAN) 1°27'S, 48°26'W Piège d'interception. ix.1985" / "EXO-01628 (UFPR). Paratypes (48): BRAZIL: Amapá: 1: Serra do Navio, 0°59'N, 52°00'W, 1-14.v.1991, FIT (CHND), 5: 28.i-2.ii.1990, FIT (CHND); Amazonas: 2: INPA/Smithsonian Res., Manaus, 2°25'S, 59°50'W, ii.1994, Winkler method, leaf litter, terra firma forest, R. Didham (BMNH); 1: Reserva Ducke, 26km NE Manaus, ii.1995, FIT, M.G.V. (BMNH); Mato Grosso: 1: Cotriguaçu, Fazenda São Nicolau, Prainha, 9°51.6'S, 58°12.9'W, x.2009, FIT, F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (CEMT); 2: Cotriguaçu, Fazenda São Nicolau, Matinha, 9°50.3'S, 58°15.05'W, x.2009, FIT, F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (CEMT, FMNH), 1: x.2009, FIT, M.S. Gigliotti (MSCC), 1: xii.2009, FIT, F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (AKTC), 2: xii.2010, FIT, F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello (FMNH); 2: Cotriguaçu, Fazenda São Nicolau, 9°49.0'S, 58°16.6'W, 15-18.xii.2010, FIT, F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello & A.F. Oliveira (MSCC, AKTC); 1: Diamantino, 20.2km S Posto do Gil on BR-364, 14°40'58"S, 56°17'57"W, 180m, 11.i.2001, FIT, F. Genier & F. Vaz-de-Mello (CMNC), 1: 14.i.2001, FIT, F. Genier & F. Vaz-de-Mello (CMNC); 1: Claudia, 11°24.5'S, 55°19.5'W, 17-27.x.2010, FIT, A.F. Oliveira (CEMT). Pará: 1:IPEAN, Utinga, Belém, 1°27'S, 48°26'W, x.1985, FIT (CHND), 1: xi.1984, FIT (MNHN); 1: Tucuruí, 3°45'S, 49°40'W, iv.1986, FIT (CHND), 2: v.1986, FIT (CHND, FMNH), 2: vi.1985, FIT (CHND, UFPR), 1: 10-29.vii.1985, FIT (CHND); 1: Carajás, Serra Norte, 6°04'S, 50°12'W, v.1985, FIT (CHND); 1: Ilha Arapiuns, 2°24'S, 54°57'W, 30-31.xii.2008, FIT (CEMT); 3: Melgaço, Rio Marinau, 1°51'S, 51°20'W, 31. x– 13.xi.1993, FIT (CHND, MSCC, AKTC); 2: Marajo-Breves, 0°53'S, 50°32'W, 18. xi– 5.xii.1987, FIT (CHND); FRENCH GUIANA: 4: Cayenne, 33.5km S and 8.4km NW of Hwy N2 on Hwy D5, 4°48'18"N, 52°28'41"W, 30m, 29. v– 9.vi.1997, FIT, J. Ashe, R. Brooks (SEMC); 1: Cayenne, 20km SW, 4°48'18"N, 52°28'41"W, 30m, 29.v-9.vi.1997, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Brooks (CMNC); 1: Montagne des Chevaux, 4°43'N, 52°24'W, 18.i.2009, FIT, SEAG (MNHN). GUYANA: Region 8: 1: Iwokrama Forest, 26km SW Kurupukari, Iwokrama Mt., 4°20'2"N, 58°47'18"W, 300m, 23-25.v.2001, FIT, R. Brooks & Z. Falin (SEMC). SURINAME: Brokopondo: 1: Brownsberg Nature Preserve, Witi Creek Trail, 4°56'55"N, 55°10'53"W, 340m, 23-25.vi.1999, FIT, Z. Falin, A. Gangadin, H. Hiwat (SEMC), 2: 440m, 22-25.vi.1999, FIT, Z. Falin (SEMC), 1: 480m, 23.vi.1999, FIT, Z. Falin (CMNC); 1: Ston Eiland Eco Resort, nr. Brownsberg, 4°59.0'N, 55°8.0'W, 10-13.ii.2010, FIT, C. Gillet, P. Skelley, W. Warner (FSCA).

Other material.

PERU: Madre de Dios: 2: CICRA, Los Amigos Field Station, 12.5624°S, 70.0930°W, 288m, 2-11.i.2007, pitfall, terra firma forest, J. Jacobs, (CASC); 1: Manu National Park, Pantiacolla Lodge, Alto Madre de Dios River, 12°39.3'S, 71°13.9'W, 420 m, 14-19.xi.2007, FIT, D. Brzoska (SEMC), 1: 400m, 23-26.x.2000, FIT, R. Brooks (SEMC); 1: Manu National Park, Pantiacolla Lodge, 5.5km NW El Mirador Trail, Alto Madre de Dios River, 12°39'10"S, 71°15'28"W, 500m, 23-26.x.2000, FIT, R. Brooks (SEMC). COLOMBIA: Vaupés: 4: Parque Nac. Mosiro-Itajura ( Caparú), Centro Ambiental, 1°04'S, 69°31'W, 60m, 20-30.i.2003, FIT, D. Arias & M. Sharkey (IAVH).

Diagnostic description.

This species is very similar to Operclipygus farctissimus , differing as follows: length: 2.00-2.40 mm, width: 1.75-2.03 mm; body rufopiceous, rounded and strongly convex; frons deeply impressed at middle, with central part of frontal stria strongly arcuate, detached from sides; antennal bossae strongly produced; epistoma convex; labrum narrow, short; pronotal disk with strong basal plicae in posterior third; anterior margin of pronotum angulately produced over head, anterior corners curved ventrad, forming vertical surface on either side of head; anterior pronotal gland openings close together behind eye; elytra with single complete epipleural stria, with epipleuron broad and smooth, outer subhumeral stria present in apical third, inner subhumeral stria absent, subhumeral interval strongly swollen, striae 1-3 complete, 4th and 5th striae represented only by short apical fragments, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds; prosternal keel with carinal striae meeting about one-fourth from presternal suture, keel coplanar with short prosternal lobe; mesoventral margin weakly projecting at middle, marginal stria interrupted; propygidium with rather small, round punctures separated by about their diameters at base, sparser toward apex; pygidium with fine, dense ground punctation only; marginal pygidial sulcus fine, obsolete in basal corners. Male genitalia generally similar to those of Operclipygus farctus (see Figs 48 A–D, K), except T8(Fig. 51A) with deeper apical emargination; S8 with sides more strongly divergent, sclerotized inner edges of ventral halves approximate in basal fourth, with a small apical projection, then strongly divergent, broad and entirely membraneous in apical half; T9(Fig. 51B) with prominent basolateral angles; S9(Fig. 51C) slightly shorter, broader, with distinctive median and lateral longitudinal sclerotizations in apical half; tegmen identical to that of Operclipygus farctus .

Remarks. Within this group, this species is the most easily recognizeable due to its relatively extreme modifications of the head and prothorax(Fig. 50C), with the frons deeply impressed, the epistoma convex, the pronotal plicae well impressed, the anterior pronotal corners strongly deflexed, and the anterior margin of the pronotum angulate over the head. The preceding species, although very similar, has no appreciable pronotal projection, and has all these other features more modestly developed. While we limit the type series to localities in northeastern Brazil and nearby parts of the Guianas, the species is remarkably consistent in morphology, including that of male genitalia, throughout its broad range.

Etymology.

The name of this species refers to the relatively strong convexity of the body as a whole, as well as that of the epistoma and the anterior half of the pronotum.