Agrilus (Paralophotus) popovi, Curletti & Sakalian, 2009

Curletti, Gianfranco & Sakalian, Vladimir, 2009, Sixteen new species of Agrilus Curtis, 1825 from East Africa (Coleoptera, Buprestidae), ZooKeys 24 (24), pp. 1-29 : 22-23

Agrilus (Paralophotus) popovi , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C9DDAB89-4322-4014-A563-9E98FE36B273

Figs 24 , 25

Type specimens. Holotype ♁: “NE Kenya, Lower Tana River (02°16´S – 40°10´E), 30 m, 25– 28.10.2005, G. Curletti & V. Sakalian leg.” . Paratypes 3 exs: 2 ♁♁, with same locality and date as holotype ; ♀: “ Lower Tana River, Hewani Village , 20– 23.04.2006, V. Sakalian leg.”. The holotype is deposited in IZBAS and the paratypes in GCCI and IZBAS .

Description of holotype. Body robust, subcylindrical, dark copper colored, with reddish tinge on frons, with two tubercles on pronotum and three spots of short golden pubescence on elytra.

Head with medial depression on vertex and two distinct carinae bordering upper portion of eyes; width of vertex between eyes 0.45 mm; frons, clypeus and genae with dense red pubescence; eyes feebly convex, very small; antennae very short, barely reaching posterior third of eyes; antennomeres 4–11 distinctly wider than long, triangular.

Pronotum widest at anterior third; anterior margin arcuate medially; lateral margins curved in posterior third; latero-posterior angles rectangular; pronotum with two wide lateral depressions; disc with two central, finely microsculptured nonpubescent tubercles; prehumeral pronotal carinae arched basally near latero-posterior angles then parallel to lateral margins and ending near middle portion of pronotum; marginal and submarginal carinae coalescent at middle portion of pronotum; discal sculpture consisting of transverse striae, pubescent.

Scutellum large, anterior margin rounded; transverse carina present; hind projection short and acutely pointed.

Elytra subparallel, widest at posterior third, slightly wider across humeri than width of pronotal base; humeral depressions deep, wide, with golden pubescence; apices very narrowly separately arcuate, not serrulate; disk with three spots of short, golden, arched pubescence just before middle of elytra and on posterior third and apical portions; discal elytral sculpture consisting of polygonal cells.

Underside. Prosternal lobe robust, distinctly arcuate. Prosternal process with sides parallel between procoxae then widened apically, apex triangular; prosternum, prosternal process and medial part of meso- and metasternum with long, white pubescence. Lateral portions of ventrites 3–5 with spots of golden pubescence; apex of last ventrite truncate with distinct medial emargination and long pubescence. Metatarsus shorter than metatibia; basal metatarsomere shorter than following metatarsomeres together; tarsal claws bifid with short inner tooth. Aedeagus ( Fig. 25 ).

Description of paratypes. Sexual dimorphism occurs in pubescence of frons, clypeus and genae: males have red pubescence, while females have golden. The paratypes also differ slightly in size and density of elytral pubescent spots.

Size. Length 5.25–5.95 mm (holotype 5.95 mm); width 1.50–1.75 mm (holotype 1.75 mm).

Differential diagnosis. Among the Paralophotus species similar in size to Agrilus (Paralophotus) popovi , sp. n. and with two central tubercles on the pronotum only this new species has the male frons, clypeus and genae with red pubescence.

Etymology. Dedicated to honor the zoology teacher of the second author Prof. Tsvetan Popov, for his considerable contributions as a university lecturer in Bulgaria and Nigeria.

Remarks. The holotype was collected from yellow sticky traps placed on branches of Acacia sp. Th e paratypes were collected by beating branches of Acacia sp.

Figures

Figure 24. Agrilus (Paralophotus) popovi, sp. n. (dorsal view).

Figure 25. Aedeagus of Agrilus (Paralophotus) popovi, sp. n. (dorsal view). Scale: 1.5 mm.