Renclasea skelleyi

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Renclasea skelleyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Beetle
Suborder: Polyphaga
Family: Histeridae
Genus: Renclasea
Species: R. skelleyi
Binomial name
Renclasea skelleyi
Tishechkin and Caterino, 2009

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. 7A) 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. 1B) 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. 1A), 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. 1D) 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. 1B) 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. 1C) 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.

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

Biology

Collected at UV lights.

REFERENCES