Renclasea mexicana

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Renclasea mexicana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Beetle
Suborder: Polyphaga
Family: Histeridae
Genus: Renclasea
Species: R. mexicana
Binomial name
Renclasea mexicana
Tishechkin and Caterino, 2009

Diagnosis

Apart from its disjunct distribution, this species can be identified by the presence of distinct alutaceous microsculpture over almost entire dorsal and parts of ventral surfaces and presence of pair of small, shiny calluses near posterior margin of pronotum. Two other species with dorsal alutaceous microsculpture present lack the latter and have dorsal microsculpture much less widespread and present only on intervals and along apical margins on elytra.

Description

L: 2.07; W: 1.64; E/Pn L: 1.95; E/Pn W: 1.17; Pn W/L: 1.82; E L/W: 0.91; Pr/Py: 0.99; Sterna: 0.45, 0.15, 0.46; Tibiae: 0.54, 0.62, 0.72 (n=1). Body light reddish-brown, mostly covered with alutaceous microsculpture, smooth and asetose throughout except for a few setae on antennomeres 1–7. Vertex and most of frons covered with microsculpture; frons almost flat, clypeus depressed at middle between lateral carinae; labrum narrowly rectangular, weakly produced at the middle of apical margin. Prosternum covered with microsculpture, except for shiny smooth explanate lateral margins, a pair of slightly elevated elongate oval calluses at latero-medial parts of disc in its basal third and small opposing areas along basal margins. Prosternal sides convergent, much more strongly in anterior fourth, above antennal cavities, weakly outwardly sinuate, with the anterior angles narrowly rounded, almost rectangular; marginal stria present along lateral edge, interrupted at anterior angles; pronotal lateral sides narrowly flattened and slightly bent upwards; median angle of pronotal posterior margin about 100º. Prosternum with anterior margin of prosternal lobe

weakly concave; prosternal keel slightly elevated and flattened, covered with fine microsculpture, without carinal striae, with short basal divergent fragments of lateral prosternal striae between procoxae. Scutellum short triangular, tiny, but distinct; elytra convex, widest at middle, completely covered by alutaceous microsculpture, slightly rugulose in inner posterior third; dorsal elytral striae 1–3 weakly marked on disc, abbreviated both anteriorly and posteriorly; sutural stria abbreviated in anterior fourth. Mesoventrite flat in males, mesoventral projection short, broadly 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; weak wide elevation present near posterior margin of metaventrite. Lateral parts of meso- and metaventrite and abdominal ventrite 1 with fine alutaceous microsculpture. Propygidium weakly convex, microsculpture on its disc as on apices of elytra; marginal stria of propygidium complete; pygidium smooth, microsculptured in anterior part, weakly convex in males. Male genitalia as illustrated (Fig. 10), females are unknown

The species epithet reflects its apparent endemicity to Mexico.

Distribution

Known from the type locality in Mexico (Hidalgo).

Biology

Collected at UV lights.

REFERENCES