Chrysobothris thoracica (Fabricius)

Woodley, Norman E. & Touroult, Julien, 2012, Recognition of Chyrsobothris thoracica guadeloupensis Descarpentries, 1981 at the species level (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Norman E. Woodley, Insecta Mundi 2012 (210), pp. 1-4 : 1-3

Chrysobothris thoracica (Fabricius)

Fig. 1 , 3, 4

Buprestis thoracica Farbicius, 1798: 138 . For more complete synonymy see Bellamy (2008: 1687).

Diagnosis. Male. Frons golden bronze with very narrow margins along eyes metallic green, densely punctate with punctures greenish internally, contrasting with bright metallic green vertex; ventrally curved whitish hairs present over entire frons; first three antennomeres bronzy. Pronotum entirely metallic reddish, at most extremely narrowly greenish along posterior margin. Front tibia with small, tooth-like process on posterior face just distal to middle. Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) with foveae weakly but somewhat distinctly impressed; green coloration at elytral base extends posteriorly along lateral margin to first fovea; apices of elytra without greenish coloration. Male genitalia ( Fig. 3, 4 ) with parameres slender and evenly tapered posteriorly, weakly arcuate in ventral view ( Fig. 4 ); aedeagus evenly tapered to a sharp apex posteriorly that is slightly curved dorsally. Length 4.5–5.7 mm.

Female. Frons generally slightly duller but not much different in color than male. Front tibia without tooth-like process. Length 5.0– 6.1 mm.

Specimens examined. PUERTO RICO: 1 male, Guánica, 15 April 1914, G. B. Merrill ( USNM) ; 1 female, Guánica, Borinquen Forest Reserve , 11 September 1934, R. G. Oakley, dying branch ( USNM) ; 1 female, Santa Rita , July 1913, E. G. Smyth ( USNM) ; 1 male, 1 female, Guánica State Forest, Ballena trail, 17 o 57’41”N, 66 o 51’44”W, 30 meters, 14 June 2002, N. E. Woodley, on Leguminosae: Mimosoideae shrub ( NEWC) ; 1 male, Guánica State Forest , 17 o 57.180’N, 66 o 50.915’W, 1 meter, 27 June 2008, Konstantinov & Chamorro ( NEWC) ; 1 male, Municipio de Ponce, Tuque (behind Holiday Inn ), 17 o 58’42”N, 66 o 40’21”W, 70-80 meters, 20 June 2002, N. E.Woodley ( NEWC) ; 1 male, Susúa State Forest, 18 o 04.274’N, 66 o 54.505’W, 173 meters, 2 July 2008, Konstantinov & Chamorro ( NEWC) ; 1 male, Cabo Rojo, 17 o 56.044’N, 67 o 11.727’W, 1 meter, A. S. Konstantinov ( NEWC) ; 1 male, Laguna Cartagena,

18 o 00.663’N, 67 o 01.185’W, 8 meters, A. S. Konstantinov ( NEWC). BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: 2 females, Guana Island , 0-80 meters, 1-14 July 1984, S. E. & P. M. Miller ( USNM): 1 female, same data but 5-23 July 1985 ( USNM) ; 1 male, same data but 20-24 July 1985 ( USNM) ; 1 male same data but 9-23 July 1987 ( USNM). U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: 1 male, St. Croix , Frederiksted, Lagoon Street, 25 January 1977, J. Yntema, in office ( USNM) .

Biology. One of us (NEW) collected C. thoracica on a Fabaceae (subfamily Mimosoideae ) shrub in Puerto Rico, and observed numerous other individuals, uncaptured, on this plant that is a likely larval host. Ivie and Miller (1984) reported collecting this species on Croton sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ) and white mangrove, Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F. Gaertn. ( Combretaceae ), in the Virgin Islands.

Remarks. Male specimens from Guana Island have the frons with a more greenish shade, and both sexes from that island have the elytral foveae brighter green than specimens from Puerto Rico.

Figures

Figures 1–2. Dorsal habitus of Chrysobothris species. 1) C. thoracica female from Guánica, Puerto Rico. 2) C. guadeloupensis male from Gourbeyre, Guadeloupe.

Figures 3–6. Male genitalia of Chrysobothris species. 3) C. thoracica from Guánica, Puerto Rico, dorsal view. 4) Same specimen, ventral view. 5) C. guadeloupensis from Gourbeyre, Guadeloupe, dorsal view. 6) Same specimen, ventral view.