Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) kheiliana Obenberger, 1931

Ỹ, Svatopluk Bíl, 2008, A revision of the Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) kheiliana Obenberger, 1931 species-group (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 1816, pp. 44-56 : 49-50

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) kheiliana Obenberger, 1931

(Figs. 1–4, 6)

Anthaxia kheiliana Obenberger, 1931: 102 ; Obenberger, 1940: 11; Descarpentries, 1959: 87; Bílý, 1997: 26, 84, 160.

Type locality: western Kenya, Kavirondo Bay [Victoria Lake, Winam].

Type specimen examined. Syntype (ɗ, NMPC) labelled: “Kavirondo, Afr. or. [h] // TYPUS [p] [red label] // Mus. Nat. Pragae [p] 22766 [h] [orange label] // Anthaxia kheiliana m. Type [h] Dr. J. Obenberger [p]”.

Additional specimens examined. ETHIOPIA: Rift Valley, Awash NP, 08°52'N 45°05'E, 1200 m, 3.-6- iv.1998, Malaise trap, O. & M. Niehuis leg. (1 Ψ, MNAC). SOMALIA: Borana, v.1937, E. Zavattari leg. (1 Ψ, NMPC). TANZANIA: Rukwa Lake, 3700 ft, iv.1938, D. G. MacInnes leg. (2 ɗɗ, 1 Ψ, NMPC); Ukerewe [Lake Victoria] (1 female, NMPC).

Diagnosis. Large, robust, wedge-shaped, dark bronze (Fig. 1), ventral surface red-bronze; dorsal surface asetose, frons with long, dense, white pubescence, ventral surface with short, sparse, white pubescence, mesosternum, metepimers, laterosternites, sometimes also anal ventrite with white tomentum. Head large, wider than anterior pronotal margin, eyes large, projecting beyond outline of head; frons convex, antennae reaching midlength of lateral pronotal margins. Pronotum moderately convex, twice as wide as long, distinctly wider than elytra with wide, shallow lateroposterior depressions; lateral margins regularly rounded to slightly angulate at posterior 1/3, anterior margin strongly bisinuate; scutellum large, pentagonal, 1.3 times as wide as long. Elytra wedge-shaped (Fig. 1), 1.7–1.8 times as long as wide, uneven, with wide, transverse depression at anterior 1/3 and deep, lateral, longitudinal depression at posterior 1/2; posterior 1/3 of elytral margins sharply serrate. Ventral surface mat, finely punctato-ocellate, anal ventrite narrowly truncate (ɗ Fig. 2) or finely emarginate (Ψ Fig. 3); inner margin of male metatibiae sharply serrate at apical 1/2 (Fig. 6); aedeagus with apically strongly narrowed parameres (Fig. 4). Length: 6.7–9.2 mm; width: 2.7–3.7 mm.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Distribution. Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania.

Comments. The largest and most robust species of the group and yet probably described only for the single male. Obenberger (1940) recorded a further two specimens (unknown sex) from Somalia: Arero, 12.iv.1937 and Moyale, 14.v.1937 (MCSN). Further specimens from Tanzania were published by Descarpentries (1959): Simba, 1955 (5 ex. of unknown sex, MNHN).

Obenberger (1932) used the epithet A. kheiliana Obenberger, 1932 for a second taxon from South America ( Brazil). This name is a primary homonym as well as a junior subjective synonym of Agrilaxia occidentalis Kerremans, 1900 ( Cobos, 1971; Bílý, 1997) and has nothing to do with the African species A. kheiliana Obenberger, 1931 .