Renclasea occidentalis 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 : 13-14

Renclasea occidentalis Tishechkin & Caterino , n. sp.

( Figs. 7 , 11 , 12 )

Material examined: Holotype male: " NEW MEXICO: Catron Co.; Puebla Cmpgd S. of Reserve 9-VI-1987 Robert Gordon / HOLOTYPE Renclasea occidentalis sp. n. A. K. Tishechkin & M. S. Caterino des. 2008" ( USNM). Paratype (1): female from Arizona, Cochise Co., 5 mi N Benson collected by A. R. Hardy, F. G. Andrews and J. W. Smith on July 26, 1969 ( CDFA).

Diagnosis: This is one of two species without alutaceous background microsculpture on dorsal surface and presence of distinct traces of dorsal striae. It can be distinguished from smaller and less robust Renclasea falli by the absence of prosternal carinal striae.

Description: L: 2.09; W: 1.60; E/Pn L: 1.76; E/Pn W: 1.16; Pn W/L: 1.60; E L/W: 0.94; Pr/Py: 1.07; Sterna: 0.46, 0.17, 0.47; Tibiae: 0.53, 0.62, 0.71 (n=2). Body rufescent, shiny, smooth and asetose throughout except for a few setae on antennomeres 1–7. Frons and clypeus depressed at middle between lateral carinae; labrum narrowly rectangular, its apical margin straight, unmodified. Prosternal sides convergent, much more strongly in anterior fourth, above antennal cavities, weakly outwardly sinuate, with the anterior angles blunt, almost rectangular; marginal stria present along lateral edge, extending around anterolateral corner, interrupted at middle of anterior emargination of pronotum; pronotal lateral sides narrowly flattened and slightly reflexed; median angle of pronotal posterior margin about 110º. Prosternum with anterior margin of prosternal lobe almost straight; prosternal keel moderately elevated and flat, its base in male slightly excavated, carinal striae absent, weak basal fragments of lateral prosternal striae marked between procoxae in female specimen.

Scutellum elongate triangular, small; elytra convex, widest at anterior third, with minute sparse background punctures, being denser and more conspicuous along sutural striae and at posterior fourth, where some merge into a weak background microsculpture; dorsal elytral striae 1–3 weakly marked on disc, abbreviated posteriorly; sutural stria abbreviated in anterior fifth.

Mesoventrite flat in males, with low elevated area in median fourth incorporating metaventral projection in females, mesoventral projection short, wide triangular, its apex slightly elevated; mesometaventral suture 'curly bracket'-shaped, thin and inconspicuous; disc of metaventrite in male in anterior half with shallow oval depression, not reaching anterior parts of outer metaventral striae laterally; metaventral disc in females weakly, evenly convex.

Propygidium weakly convex, disc with fine microsculpture of merged shallow dense punctures and short transverse striolets, alutaceous; marginal stria of propygidium complete; pygidium smooth, weakly convex, with striate ornament in females ( Fig. 7 D). Male and female genitalia as illustrated ( Figs. 11 , 12 , respectively).

Etymology. The species epithet reflects its distribution in the American West.

Distribution. Known from two localities in Arizona and New Mexico ( Fig. 14 ).

Remarks. Two female specimens from western Texas, both attracted to UV lights, from Fort Davis collected on May 30, 1959 by H. Howden and E. Becker (CMN) and from Randall Co., Palo Duro State Park at 34°56.5'N 101°39.6'W collected on May 15, 2002 by E. G. Riley (TAMU), are very similar to this species. Pygidial ornamentation and female genitalia of these Texas specimens are, however, sufficiently different from those of R. occidentalis n. sp., the most superficially similar (and potentially sympatric) species that we suspect them to represent an additional undescribed species. However, in this case we prefer to wait for the discovery of corresponding males from Texas before making a definite conclusion on their status.

Figures

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

FIGURE 11. Male genitalia, Renclasea occidentalis. A. Abdominal segments 8 – 9, dorsal view; B. Abdominal segments 8 – 9, lateral view; C. Abdominal segment 8, apical view; D. Abdominal segments 8 – 9, ventral view; E. Apex of parameres, dorsal view; F. Aedeagus, lateral view; G. Ninth sternite (spiculum gastrale), ventral view.

FIGURE 12. Female genitalia. A. Renclasea occidentalis. abdominal sternite 8, ventral view; B. R. occidentalis, 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).