Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) phobos, Bílý, 2017

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2017, A new species-group of the genus Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) from south-eastern Asia, with descriptions of two new species (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Anthaxiini), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 57 (1), pp. 145-152 : 147-150

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) phobos sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Type locality. Thailand, Khao Bandai It, Petchaburi Province.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ʻPeninsular Thai [land], S. Ohmomo leg. // 22.v.2005, Khao Bandai It, Petchaburiʼ ( NMPC) . ALLOTYPE: ♀, ʻC– Thai [land], PKK [Prachub Khiri Khan Province], Hua Hin, Mt. Hin Lek Phai, 11.iv.2003, S. Ohmomo leg.ʼ ( NMPC) . PARATYPES: 1J, same data as holotype ( NMPC) ; 1J, same data as allotype ( NMPC) ; 1 ♀, ʻPeninsular Thai [land], S. Ohmomo leg. // Khao Bandai It, Petchaburi, 22.v.2005 ʼ ( MNCA) ; 1 J 1 ♀, ʻThailand, Hua Hin , PKK Prov. [Prachub Khiri Khan Province], Khao Hin Lek Phai, 12.v.2007, S. Ohmomo leg.ʼ ( NMPC) ; 1 ♀, ʻPeninsular Thai [land], Khao Hin Lek Phai, Hua Hin, PKK [Prachub Khiri Khan Province], 15.v.2008, S. Ohmomo leg.ʼ ( SOCT) ; 1 J 1 ♀, same data but 15.v.2008 ( SOCT) ; 1 ♀, same data but 21.v.2009 ( SOCT) ; 3 ♀♀, same data but 18.v.2010 ( SOCT) ; 1 ♀, ʻC-Thai[land], Katchaburi , Khao Khaeng Chan, 24.v.2013, S. Ohmomo leg.ʼ ( SOCT) .

Additional material examined. 1 ♀ (almost completely destroyed), ʻPeninsular Thai[land], S. Ohmomo leg. // Khao Bandai It, Petchaburi, 22.v.2005 ʼ ( SOCT).

Diagnosis. Medium-sized (length 4.2–6.0 mm), stout, convex, completely asetose, lustrous ( Figs 1–2 ); dorsal surface black-bronze with fine green lustre (more intense at basal portion of elytra and along suture); pronotum with red-orange lateroposterior depressions and narrow, medial stripe; frons dark golden-orange in both sexes, vertex black; antennae and legs black with green lustre; ventral surface black, proepisterna and lateral portions of abdominal ventrites golden-orange.

Description of the male holotype ( Fig. 1 ). Head large as wide as width of anterior pronotal margin; anterior margin of frontoclypeus almost straight; frons regularly, rather strongly convex, vertex weakly convex, 0.9 times as wide as width of eye; eyes large, widely reniform, not projecting beyond outline of head; sculpture of head homogeneous consisting of small, dense, regular, oval cells with well developed central grains; antennae short reaching posterior third of lateral pronotal margins when laid alongside; scape 5 times as long as wide, slightly curved, claviform, pedicel elliptical, 1.5 times as long as wide; third antennomere obtusely triangular, as wide as long, antennomeres 4–10 trapezoidal, somewhat wider than long; terminal antennomere rhomboid, 1.5 times as long as wide.

Pronotum rather strongly convex, 1.8 times as wide as long, with weak, shallow lateroposterior depressions; anterior margin deeply bisinuate with wide, projecting medial lobe, posterior margin very weakly bisinuate, almost straight; lateral margins weakly arcuate, posterior angles obtuse-angled, maximum pronotal width just anterior to mid-length; sculpture consisting of small, dense, regular, polygonal cells with tiny central grains; sculpture rougher and more distinct in lateroposterior depressions. Scutellum large, triangular, flat, microsculptured, slightly longer than wide.

Elytra almost regularly convex, 1.9 times as long as wide, weakly wedge-shaped, very slightly uneven at posterior fourth; each elytron regularly rounded apically, humeral callosities small, not projecting beyond outline of elytra; basal, transverse depressions deep, wide, almost reaching scutellum; elytral epipleura narrow, parallel-sided, not reaching elytral apex; only very tips of elytra with very fine, lateral serrations; sculpture very fine, homogeneous, almost scale-shaped, rougher, weakly granulate in basal, transverse depressions.

Ventral surface lustrous, with rather rough eye-like sculpture with large central grains, abdominal ventrites with very fine, eye-like sculpture; prosternal process weakly convex, strongly widening behind procoxae, pointed apically. Anal ventrite narrowly truncate with very fine, lateral serrations. Legs thin, relatively short, tibiae almost straight, without inner serrations; tarsi slender, distinctly shorter than corresponding tibiae, fourth tarsomere yellow-brown with wide adhesive pads. Tarsal claws fine, weakly hook-shaped, yellow-brown, only slightly enlarged at base.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 3 ) wide, short spindle-shaped, moderately sclerotised, parameres conspicuously narrowed in posterior fifth, obliquely truncate apically; median lobe broad, widely pointed apically with fine dorsolateral serrations.

Measurements. Length: 4.2–6.0 mm (holotype 4.3 mm); width: 1.5–2.2 mm (holotype 1.5 mm).

Sexual dimorphism. Only very slightly expressed; the female differs from the male only by the stouter body, slightly different colouration ( Fig. 2 ) and by the wider vertex (vertex as wide as width of eye in female).

Variability. No variability was observed except for the size and sexual dichromatism.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) phobos sp. nov. is similar and most probably related to the following species, A. (H.) deimos sp. nov., from which it differs by the characters given in the differential diagnosis of A. (H.) deimos sp. nov. (see below).

Etymology. This species is named after the larger moon of Mars – “ Phobos ”; noun in apposition.

Distribution. Thailand.

Note. One female labelled: ʻLaos NE, Hua Phan Province, Ban Saleui, Phou Pan (Mt), 20°12′N 104°01′E, 1300–1900 m, 1.–31.v.2011, Leg. C. Holzschuhʼ ( NMPC) was not included among paratypes since (apart from the locality) it differs by the completely golden-orange ventral surface and almost unicolorous, dark, black-bronze pronotum ; other characters completely fit to Anthaxia (H.) phobos sp. nov. but it could belong to a different species and without a male it is impossible to evaluate this specimen.

Figures

Figs 1–6. 1 – Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) phobos sp. nov., holotype, 4.3 mm; 2 – the same, allotype, 3.7 mm; 3 – the same, aedeagus, holotype; 4 – A. (H.) deimos sp. nov., holotype, 4.3 mm; 5 – the same, allotype, 3.7 mm; 6 – the same, aedeagus, holotype.