Acmaeodera jeanae, Davidson, J. M., 2003

Davidson, J. M., 2003, Mexican Acmaeodera Eschscholtz, 1829: A new species and checklist, with miscellaneous taxonomic and biological notes on other North American Buprestidae (Coleoptera), Zootaxa 201, pp. 1-18 : 2-5

Acmaeodera jeanae , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1, 3 , 4 )

Diagnosis. Robust, broad, subparallel, elongate-ovoid, flattened dorsoventrally, hirsute, color rather dull black with subdued yellow elytral markings.

Holotype Female

Size: 12.5 mm long, 4.1 mm wide. Head with long, erect, dense black setae between eyes; clypeus obtusely emarginate, with short silvery setae; punctures between eyes dense, coarse; antennae serrate beginning with 5th segment.

Pronotum twice as wide as long, widest behind middle, slightly wider than widest part of elytra; densely, coarsely punctate, punctures separated by less than half their own diameter; black setae long, erect; median longitudinal triangular depression extending from near midpoint to hind margin. Depressions lateral to midline shallow, subparallel to axis of body, extending forward, diverging slightly toward anterior. Color black, without yellow markings. Side margins at middle obtusely angulate, hind corners reflexed, not visible from above. Setae on anteriolateral margin sparse, shorter than at middle.

Elytra widest at base, subparallel from anterior margin to just behind middle, then tapering slightly toward apex; surface clothed with long, erect, black setae. Discal punctures in first three rows outward from suture more or less elongate; Punctures in other rows rounded, not contiguous toward lateral margins. Yellowish markings pale, subdued; largest at middle, oblique, rather truncate nearest elytral midline, not reaching costa at middle of each elytron; lateral elytral spots pale yellow, greatly reduced in size, all behind largest spot. Three other yellow spots, at about posterior one third, one near elytral midline, and two smaller spots closer to suture. Yellow spot present between umbone and lateral margin. Middle elytral costae reduced, not greatly elevated. Lateral elytral margins serrate behind middle. Humeral umbones evenly rounded, longer than wide.

Venter black, shining, with erect white setae, most dense along lateral margins. Punctures fine, smaller than on elytra, separated by their own diameter.

Genitalia as in Fig. 4 .

Variation. Except for slight differences in size and shape of elytral markings, the eight specimens comprising the type series are remarkably similar. The paratypes range in size from 11.3 to 13.0 mm long and 4.4 to 4.5 mm in width.

Aedeagus as in Fig. 5 .

Specimens Examined. Holotype female (UNAM): MEXICO, Oaxaca, 41 Km NE

Huahuapan de Leon, Hwy 125, X­18­2001, GPS: N 18° 04.948', W 97° 41.511', sweeping roadside vegetation, J. M. Davidson and F.W. Skillman; two female paratypes (JJMD and CLBC), same data. Other paratypes: Mexico, Oaxaca, 50 km NE Huajuapan de Leon, X­ 11­94, E Giesbert (EMEC); Mexico, Oaxaca, km 54.5, Carr. #125, Al S. de Ecaltepec,

GPS: N 18° 12' 31', W 97° 37' 59", 13­IX­1966, 1900m, A. Ayala (EBCG); Tehuacan, Pue. X­17­41, K.277, DeLong, Good, Caldwell & Plummer (RLWE); Oaxaca, 2.5 km S.,

S Fco. Huapanapan, GPS: N 18° 08', W 97° 40', 1830 m, 29­X­90, (RLWE).

Etymology. This species is named for my wife, Jean, as a small token of my thanks and appreciation for the 40 years of support that she has provided to my many entomological endeavors.

Remarks. Acmaeodera jeanae most closely resembles A. scapularis Horn, 1894 ( Fig. 2 ) from the cape of Baja California Sur, but can be separated from the latter by the characteristics provided in the comments below and those listed in Table 1 . In general terms, A. jeanae is more robust, less shiny, with the elytra more or less subparallel, with a large truncate yellow mark at middle of elytra not extending over middle costa. Acmaeodera scapularis is more slender, the dorsum distinctly shiny, elytral margins cuneate, tapering directly to the apex, without being rounded; middle yellow mark extending over costa toward suture. Acmaeodera scapularis is shinier, especially on the pronotum. The middle elytral markings in A. scapularis are larger, more or less acute toward the middle and extend over the middle costa, in some cases to the suture. In A. jeanae , the largest yellow mark does not pass the middle costa, and is smaller, and truncate toward suture. Setae on the elytra of A. jeanae are black, but are mixed black and white on A. scapularis . The elytra of A. jeanae have a slightly uneven, almost "crinkled" appearance under certain lights, whereas the elytral surface of A. scapularis is smooth in comparison. Elytral costae in A. jeanae are much more reduced than in A. scapularis . Acmaeodera jeanae has a "flatter" appearance. Acmaeodera mixteca Westcott, 1998 ( Fig. 3 ) is considerably larger and much more robust than either A. jeanae or A. scapularis , and the largest elytral marking is very broad along the lateral margins, tapering slightly toward and touching the suture. Distinctly fractured markings are also present near the apex of the elytra in A. mixteca . The elytral punctures on A. mixteca are much larger in comparison to the other two species. It is beyond the scope of this paper to assess the phylogenetic relationships of these species, however, A. jeanae and A. scapularis appear to be closely related. Acmaeodera mixteca appears to be more closely allied to A. mimicomixteca Westcott, 1998 and possibly to A. aeneoflava Westcott, 1998 than to either A. jeanae or A. scapularis .

A. jeanae sp. nov. A. scapularis Horn A. mixteca Westcott Size Length: 10.4 ­ 13.0 mm Length: 10.1 ­ 11.2 mm Length: 13.4 mm Width: 3.4 ­ 4.6 mm Width: 3.9 ­ 4.2 mm Width: 5.1 mm

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3, dorsal habitus: Fig. 1, Acmaeodera jeanae, n. sp.; Fig. 2, A. scapularis Horn; Fig. 3, A. mixteca Westcott (scale bar = 1. 0 mm).

FIGURES 4 – 5, Acmaeodera jeanae, n. sp.: Fig. 4, female ovipositor, dorsal aspect; Fig. 5, male aedeagus, dorsal aspect (scale bars = 1. 0 mm).