Operclipygus latipygus, 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 : 332-333

Operclipygus latipygus sp. n. Figs 91 E–GMap 32

Type locality.

PERU: Madre de Dios: Manú National Park, Manú Lodge [12.12°S, 71.09°W].

Type material.

Holotype female: "PERU: Dept. Madre de Dios, Manu Prov., Parque Nac. Manu, Zona Res., Rio Manu, Cocha Juarez, trail nr. Manu"/ "_Lodge, 18-24.IX.1991, flight intercept trap, A. Hartman, FIELD MUSEUM" / “♀” / "FMNH-INS 0000069208" (FMNH). Paratypes (2): PERU: Madre de Dios: 1: Tambopata, Reserva Cuzco Amazonico, 15km NE Pto. Maldonado, 12°33'S, 69°03'W, 200m, 17.vi.1989, FIT, J. Ashe & R. Leschen (SEMC); 1: Manu National Park, Pantiacolla Lodge, Alto Madre de Dios R., 12°39.3'S, 71°13.9'W, 420m, 14-19.xi.2007, FIT, D. Brzoska (SEMC).

Diagnostic description.

Length: 1.81-.03 mm, width: 1.44-1.68 mm; body rufobrunneus, elongate oval, widest just behind humeri; frons broad, flat, sides rounded, frontal stria outwardly arcuate, fine, complete; supraorbital stria absent; epistoma markedly convex along anterior edge; labrum short, transversely ridged, apical margin weakly emarginate; left mandible with blunt basal swelling, right with small, acute tooth; pronotal disk with sublinear prescutellar impression about equal in length to scutellum, with fine ground punctation and ~8 shallow, larger punctures near sides; marginal pronotal stria interrupted behind width of head; lateral submarginal pronotal stria complete, curved inward anteriorly nearly to anterior submarginal stria, which is weakly crenulate, narrowly recurved posterad at sides; median pronotal gland openings situated beyond free ends of anterior submarginal striae, about 8 puncture widths from anterior margin; elytron with single complete epipleural stria, outer subhumeral stria present in apical half, below humeral swelling, inner subhumeral absent, dorsal striae 1-3 complete, 4th stria present in apical third, 5th stria present in apical third, sutural stria present in apical two-thirds; prosternal keel produced at base, carinal striae extremely fine, connected in narrow anterior arch about one-fourth from presternal suture, posteriorly barely disconnected along basal margin; prosternal lobe narrow, marginal stria complete, slightly diverging from margin toward base; mesoventrite emarginate in front, marginal stria complete; mesometaventral stria arched forward close to marginal stria, continuous with lateral metaventral stria which runs obliquely toward posterior corner of metepisternum, ending about two puncture widths short of it; median part of metaventral disk impunctate; 1st abdominal ventrite with complete inner lateral stria and basal fragments of outer; propygidium with small, shallow, slightly elongated punctures separated by 1.5 × their widths; pygidium with ground punctation moderately dense, slightly larger punctures interspersed densely along basal margin, more sparsely toward apex; marginal pygidial sulcus deep, crenulate, unusually distant from margin, especially at middle, with a flat marginal bead about one-fifth pygidial length contrasting with convex basal part. Male: not known.

Remarks.

The unusual pygidial sulcus, distant from the margin leaving a broad apical marginal bead (Fig. 91G) is sufficient to distinguish this species. The very fine prosternal striae (Fig. 91F) are also distinctive. It shares some characters with members of the Operclipygus hospes group, and may belong there. However, discovery of a male will be necessary to test that idea.

Etymology.

This species’ name is based on the wide pygidial bead beyond its marginal sulcus.