Renclasea skelleyi 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 : 4-5

Renclasea skelleyi Tishechkin & Caterino , n. sp.

( Figs. 1 , 3 , 4 )

Material examined: Holotype male: "FLORIDA: Levy Co. 4.0 mi. SW Archer 16-V-1991; P. E. Skelley blacklight on ground / HOLOTYPE Renclasea skelley sp. n. A. K. Tishechkin & M. S. Caterino des. 2008" ( FSCA). Paratypes (6): female from Florida, Putnam Co., 2.5 mi NE Florahome, collected by P. Skelley on January 8, 1993 ( FSCA); male from Florida, Marion Co., Lake Delancy collected at UV lights by J. Cicero on August 31, 1996 ( FSCA); male from Florida, Marion Co., Ocala Nat. Forest, 2.5 mi N of 40, FS97 collected at UV/MV lights by R. Morris and S. Lingafelter on July 26–27, 2002 (AKT); male and female from Georgia, Tattnall Co., 2–3 mi E of 147 along Ohoopee River near Reidsville, 32°0.54'N 82°8.48'W, collected at UV lights by R. Morris and E. H. Donaldson on May 7, 1998 (PWK); male from the same locality collected at UV lights by R. Morris on August 1, 1998 (AKT).

Diagnosis: By the presence of alutaceous microsculpture in elytral intervals 1–4 and along the posterior margin of elytra this species resembles only R. helavai . Apart from its disjunct distribution, R. skelleyi can be distinguished from the latter by only weakly marked traces of dorsal striae 1–3, different pattern of female pygidial ornament ( Fig. 7 A) and lack of median callus on mesoventrite in females.

Description: L: 1.89; W: 1.49; E/Pn L: 1.81; E/Pn W: 1.19; Pn W/L: 1.66; E L/W: 0.92; Pr/Py: 1.15; Sterna: 0.47, 0.16, 0.44; Tibiae: 0.51, 0.60, 0.69 (n=7). Body reddish-brown, shiny, except areas of alutaceous microsculpture on elytra ( Fig. 1 B) and pygidium, smooth and asetose. Frons almost flat, clypeus depressed at middle between lateral carinae; labrum narrowly rectangular, weakly produced at the middle of apical margin. Prosternal sides convergent ( Fig. 1 A), much more strongly in anterior fourth, above antennal cavities, weakly inwardly sinuate, with the anterior angles narrowly rounded, almost rectangular; marginal stria present along lateral edge, almost entire, variably narrowly interrupted between anterior angles and outer part of anterior emargination; pronotal lateral sides narrowly flattened and slightly reflexed; median angle of pronotal posterior margin about 100º. Prosternum ( Fig. 1 D) with anterior margin of prosternal lobe weakly concave; prosternal keel slightly elevated and flattened, covered with fine microsculpture, without carinal striae.

Scutellum elongate triangular, small; elytra ( Fig. 1 B) convex, widest at middle, with minute sparse background punctures, these more conspicuous along sutural stria; dorsal elytral striae 2–3 weakly marked on disc, abbreviated both anteriorly and posteriorly, weaker traces of oblique humeral stria and dorsal stria 1 also present; sutural stria abbreviated in anterior fourth; elytral intervals with elongate band of fine alutaceous microsculpture, somewhat expanded and merging in posterior third.

Mesoventrite ( Fig. 1 C) flat in males, with somewhat depressed areas laterad of the mesoventral projection base in females; mesoventral projection short, triangular, its apex slightly elevated; mesometaventral suture 'curly bracket'-shaped, thin and inconspicuous; disc of metaventrite in males in anterior half with shallow wide triangular depression bordered laterally by anterior parts of outer striae of metaventrite; weak wide elevation present near posterior margin of metaventrite; 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 smooth, with few small shallow punctures along anterior margin, weakly convex, with striate ornament in females ( Fig. 7 A). Male and female genitalia as illustrated ( Figs. 3 , 4 ).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to one of its collectors, Paul Skelley of FSCA, in appreciation of our long collaboration and his efforts in collecting rare and poorly known beetles in southeastern United States. Distribution. Known from several localities in northern Florida and southern Georgia ( Fig. 14 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Generic appearance and characters, Renclasea skelleyi. A. pronotum; B. left elytron; C. ventral habitus; D. prosternum; E. protibia and tarsus; F. mesotibia; G. metatibia.

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia, Renclasea skelleyi. A. Abdominal segments 9 – 10, dorsal view; B. Abdominal segments 9 – 10, lateral view; C. Abdominal segment 8, apical view; D. Abdominal segments 8, ventral view; E. Apex of parameres, dorsal view; F. Aedeagus, lateral view; G. Ninth sternite (spiculum gastrale), ventral view.

FIGURE 4. Female genitalia, Renclasea skelleyi. A. Abdominal sternite 8, ventral view; B. Tergite 8, gonocoxites, and genital sclerites, ventral view.

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

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).