Anthaxia (Anthaxia) rejzeki, Obořil & Baňař, 2022

Obořil, Martin & Baňař, Petr, 2022, Description of a new species of the Anthaxia (Anthaxia) glabrifrons species-group from Morocco (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Anthaxiini), Zootaxa 5200 (4), pp. 365-371 : 366-369

Anthaxia (Anthaxia) rejzeki sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 )

Type locality: Central Morocco, Béni Mellal-Khénifra region, Ait Oufella

Type material examined. Holotype, male: MOROCCO, Middle Atlas / 2km SE Ait Oufella, 1680m / 32°54′57″N 5°2′21″W / on shrub Adenocarpus sp. / 27.5.2018 lgt. R.Rejzek // HOLOTYPUS / Anthaxia (Anthaxia) / rejzeki sp. nov. / M.Obořil det.2019 [printed red label] ( NMPC); allotype, female: the same data as holotype, labelled : ALLOTYPUS / Anthaxia (Anthaxia) / rejzeki sp. nov. / M.Obořil det.2019 [printed red label]( NMPC); paratypes the same data as holotype, labelled : PARATYPUS / Anthaxia (Anthaxia) / rejzeki sp. nov. / M.Obořil det.2019 [printed red label] (41♂♂, 32♀♀ RRPC); Morocco / 1.9km SE of Ait Oufella / 32°55′00.49″N; 5°02′19.82″W / 27.v.2018 1686m / M.Obořil lgt. // PARATYPUS / Anthaxia (Anthaxia) / rejzeki sp. nov. / M.Obořil det.2019 [printed red label] (26♂♂, 29♀♀ MOOC) .

Diagnosis. Body compact, stout ( Figs 1–2 ). Total body length 4.05–5.20 in males (holotype 4.80 mm), 3.80– 5.60 in females. Body 2.52 times longer than wide. Whole body dark bronze. Head with short appressed setae, pronotum with sparsely distributed whitish setae. Elytra with regular whitish pubescence. Body venter with short, appressed vestiture.

Description of holotype. Head large, rounded, eyes small, not protruding. Vertex 2.5 times wider than width of eye. Frons wide, slightly convex, with shallow V-shaped impression, visible from dorsal view. Cuticular sculpture composed of small, regularly rounded cells without central grains, with whitish setae, inner surface of cells densely reticulate. Epistoma dark green, with bronze tinge, V-shaped, finely reticulate. Antennae short and thin. Scape 0.25 mm long, narrowly pear-shaped, dark bronze, shiny. Pedicel 0.10 mm long, barrel-shaped, bronze. Third antennomere cylindrical, 0.125 mm long, thin, blackish. Antennomeres 4–10 serrate, shiny blackish. Antennomere 11 drop-shaped, black.

Pronotum bronze, 1.7 times as wide as long at widest point, rounded laterally, with a pair shallow sub-lateral impressions in two thirds of its length. Anterior margin conspicuously bi-sinusoidal. Posterior corners of pronotum obtuse angled. Cuticular sculpture in anterior part formed from incomplete polygonal cells. Cells towards lateral and posterior margins more regular and conspicuous, their inner surface densely reticulate. Scutellum broadly trapezoidal, dark bronze, its cuticular sculpture regularly reticulate.

Elytra 1.86 times as long as wide (widest at humeral callosities), inconspicuously narrowing towards apex in proximal two thirds, sharply narrowing in distal third, dark bronze. Apex of each elytron rounded. Lateral margins of elytra very finely serrate in distal third. Humeral callosities small, inconspicuously exceeding the outline of elytra in dorsal view. Elytra without obvious depressions, its cuticular sculpture very fine, similarly to that of scutellum.

Legs dark bronze, tarsi black, covered with minute whitish pubescence. Fore tibia conspicuously bent, regularly serrate on its inner margin. Middle tibia almost straight with six serrations, those of the same shape and size as in fore tibia. Hind tibia straight, without serrations ( Fig. 6 ).

Venter of body dark bronze with whitish pubescence. Prosternum with very fine sculpture, almost missing in the middle. Metasternum laterally with incomplete cells and very fine cobweb-like sculpture. Abdominal ventrites with cobweb-like sculpture only. Anal ventrite ( Fig. 8 ) pointed apically, in distal half with lateral edge bent upwards, its margin serrate ( Fig. 7 ).

Aedeagus 1.7 mm long, parameres narrow, parallel-sided ( Fig. 3 ), their apices slightly lobate. Penis slender ( Fig. 4 ), with serrate lateral margins in its apical third.

Sexual dimorphism inconspicuous, females with smooth (not serrate) fore and middle tibiae and more markedly pointed anal ventrite.

Etymology. Anthaxia rejzeki sp. nov. is named after our friend, an eminent entomologist and insects collector Roman Rejzek.

Distribution. Morocco.

Collecting circumstances. Type series of Anthaxia rejzeki sp. nov. was collected on flowers and very tiny twigs of Adenocarpus bacquei , very common plant on the type locality ( Fig. 28 ). Hence, we assume the A. bacquei could be a host plant of this species.

Comments. In comparison with the most similar A. glabrifrons ( Figs 9–14 ) and A. retamae ( Figs 15–20 ) Anthaxia rejzeki sp. nov. is matt, with whole body with cobweb-like sculpture (both above mentioned species conspicuously shiny). Aedeagus of A. glabrifrons robust, parameres regularly widening toward apex ( Fig.9 ), aedeagus of A. retamae conspicuously slender, parameres narrowing in distal third ( Fig.15 ) (aedeagus of Anthaxia rejzeki sp. nov. parallel-sided). In comparison to A. pardoi ( Figs 22–24 ), penis and parameres of A. rejzeki sp. nov. ( Figs. 3–5 ) are much more slender, and differently shaped.

Figures

FIGURE 28. Type locality of Anthaxia (Anthaxia) rejzeki sp. nov., Morocco, Middle Atlas, with its host plant Adenocarpus bacquei.

FIGURES 1–2. Dorsal habitus Anthaxia (Anthaxia) rejzeki sp. nov.; 1 male holotype; 2, female allotype.

FIGURES 3–8. Male holotype of Anthaxia (Anthaxia) rejzeki sp. nov.; 3, aedeagus; 4, penis dorsal view; 5,aedeagus, lateral view; 6, right hind tibia; 7, apex of abdomen, lateral view; 8, anal ventrite. Scale bar 1.0 mm for figures 3–6, scale bar 0.5 mm for figures 7–8.

FIGURES 9–14. Male of Anthaxia (Anthaxia) glabrifrons Abeille de Perrin, 1900, Algeria, Biskra; 9, aedeagus; 10, penis, dorsal view; 11, aedeagus, lateral view; 12, right hind tibia; 13, apex of abdomen, lateral view; 14, anal ventrite. Scale bar 1.0 mm for figures 9–12, scale bar 0.5 mm for figures 13–14.

FIGURES 15–20. Male of Anthaxia (A.) retamae Bílý, 1995, Morocco, Sahara; 15, aedeagus; 16, penis, dorsal view; 17, aedeagus, lateral view; 18, right hind tibia; 19, apex of abdomen, lateral view; 20, anal ventrite. Scale bar 1.0 mm for figures 15–18, scale bar 0.5 mm for figures 19–20.

FIGURES 21–27. Male of Anthaxia (A.) pardoi Cobos, 1966, Morocco; 21, dorsal habitus, male; 22, aedeagus; 23, penis, dorsal view; 24, aedeagus, lateral view; 25, right hind tibia; 26, apex of abdomen, lateral view; 27, anal ventrite. Scale bar 1.0 mm for figures 21–25, scale bar 0.5 mm for figures 26–27.