Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) mashuna Obenberger, 1931

Bílý, Svatopluk & Sakalian, Vladimir P., 2014, A revision of the Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) mashuna species-group (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Buprestinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54 (2), pp. 605-621 : 606-607

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) mashuna Obenberger, 1931 species-group

Description. Medium to large-sized (6.8–11.2 mm), bronze to nearly black, more or less wedge-shaped species, dorsal surface usually with silky lustre, asetose except for short, white or cream-white, semi-erect pubescence of frons and few white setae at anterior pronotal angles.

Head large, usually as wide as anterior pronotal margin, frontoclypeus widely emarginate anteriorly; frons usually slightly convex, rarely nearly flat, inner margins of eyes deeply S-shaped in both sexes; vertex much narrower than width of eye (0.6–0.8 times); distal antennomeres of male enlarged, in some species bicolorous.

Pronotum convex, 1.7–1.8 times as wide as long with shallow but sometimes wide laterobasal depressions; lateral margins usually regularly rounded, basally subparallel, posterior angles always obtuse; pronotal sculpture consisting of ¿ne, transverse rugae on disc and small, polygonal cells with tiny central grains along lateral margins and in lateroposterior depressions; transverse rugae often laterally bent anteriorly, directed at anterior angles ( Fig. 8 ).

Elytra weakly or strongly wedge-shaped, 1.8–2.0 times as long as wide, regularly convex or uneven (with one oblique, posthumeral depression and one longitudinal depression in posterior half); apical part of lateral margins roughly serrate; elytral sculpture usually very ¿ne, elytral epipleura narrow, parallel-sided, nearly reaching elytral apex.

Prosternal process flat, strongly enlarged posteriorly to procoxae; anal ventrite of female deeply notched ( Figs 17–19 ). Male metatibiae with inner tooth in posterior half ( Figs 20–26 ), tarsal claws conspicuously small, only slightly enlarged at base.

Aedeagus usually long, flattened or very long and slender, nearly tubular, parameres tapering posteriorly, fused together, separated only at ultimate tip of the apex, sometimes with typical sculpture on ventral surface ( Fig. 14 here and Fig. 14 in DESCARPENTRIES & MATEU (1965)).

Bionomy. All species seem to be associated with the genus Acacia ( Fabaceae , Mimosoideae ), like the majority of the Sahelian Anthaxia .

Differential diagnosis. The Anthaxia (H.) mashuna species-group is very similar, and probably related, to the so far unde¿ned group of species related to A. (H.) dispar Kerremans, 1898 from the central part of Africa. The A. (H.) mashuna species-group differs in the widened antennomeres in male, asetose dorsal surface, form of the male metatibiae (simply, widely emarginate male metatibiae in A. (H.) dispar species-group) and in the form of male genitalia (short, spindle-shaped aedeagus in A. (H.) dispar species-group).

Species included. Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) convexiptera sp. nov., A. (H.) ennediana Descarpentries & Mateu, 1965 , A. (H.) jendeki sp. nov., A. (H.) mashuna Obenberger, 1931 , A. (H.) nigroaenea sp. nov., A. (H.) patrizii Théry, 1938 , and A. (H.) puchneri sp. nov.

Figures

Figs 7–12. 7–8 – Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) mashuna Obenberger, 1931 species-group, dorsal aspects. 7 – A. (H.) patrizii Théry, 1938, male (Egypt: Wadi Jimal), 9.1 mm; 8 – the same, pronotum. 9–12 – male genitalia (a – dorsal, b – lateral). 9 – A. (Haplanthaxia) jendeki sp. nov., holotype; 10 – A. (H.) nigroaenea sp. nov., holotype; 11 – A. (H.) convexiptera sp. nov., holotype; 12 – A. (H.) puchneri sp. nov., holotype. Figs 7–8 – photo by D. Baiocchi.

Figs 13– 26. 13–15 – male genitalia (a – dorsal, b – lateral, c – ventral). 13 – Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) mashuna Obenberger, 1931, lectotype; 14 – A. (H.) ennediana Descarpentries & Mateu, 1965 (Kenya: Nguni); 15 – A. (H.) patrizii Théry, 1938 (Egypt:Wadi Jimal).16–19 – anal ventrites (not to scale). 16 – A. (H.) jendeki sp. nov., holotype, male; 17 – A. (H.) jendeki sp. nov., allotype, female; 18 – A. (H.) nigroaenea sp. nov., allotype, female; 19 – A. (H.) convexiptera sp. nov., allotype, female.20–26 – male metatibiae. 20 – A. (H.) jendeki sp. nov., holotype; 21 – A. (H.) nigroaenea sp. nov., holotype; 22 – A. (H.) convexiptera sp. nov., holotype; 23 – A. (H.) puchneri sp. nov., holotype; 24 – A. (H.) mashuna Obenberger, 1931, lectotype; 25 – A. (H.) ennediana Descarpentries & Mateu, 1965 (Kenya: Nguni); 26 – A. (H.) patrizii Théry, 1938 (Egypt: Wadi Jimal).