Renclasea occidentalis

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. 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. 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. 7D). Male and female genitalia as illustrated (Figs. 11, 12, respectively).

The species epithet reflects its distribution in the American West.

Distribution
Known from two localities in Arizona and New Mexico

Biology
Collected at UV lights.