Chrysobothris rugosiceps Melsheimer, 1845

Wellso, Stanley G. & Manley, Gary V., 2007, A revision of the Chrysobothris femorata (Olivier, 1790) species group from North America, north of Mexico (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 1652, pp. 1-26 : 7

Chrysobothris rugosiceps Melsheimer, 1845

( Figs. 5 , 17 , 29 )

Chrysobothris alabamae Gory, 1841: 185 –186 new synonym

Chrysobothris rugosiceps Melsheimer, 1845: 147 ; Franklin & Lund 1956: 33; Wellso et al. 1976: 11; Nelson et al. 1981: 142; Bright 1987: 189; MacRae 1991: 112; Nelson, et al.: 1996: 188

Since the name Chrysobothris alabamae Gory (1841) has been rarely used in literature or collections, we have decided to retain the name currently in use, Chrysobothris rugosiceps Melsheimer (1845) . A petition will be submitted to the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature to ask that this name be given precedence over its unused senior synonym. The type of C. rugosiceps Melsheimer cannot be found and is presumed lost; therefore, a neotype is designated for Chrysobothris rugosiceps Melsheimer.

Description. Neotype male. Head bronze, punctate with long white setae more dense below the antennal bases. Two irregular, transverse purplish-black callosites above the middle of the frons. Clypeus bronze with dark border, semicircularly emarginate on either side of median notch. Antennae reddish-bronze redder near apex, outer antennomeres 7 – 11 quadrate with 10 and 11 equal in size, 4 – 11 antennomeres opaque yellow below. Occiput with a broad, smooth, grooved longitudinal carina ending on upper frons. Pronotum anterior margin very slightly sinuate, punctate, central longitudinal median groove with adjacent raised lateral callosites. Another irregular smooth area between the callosites and lateral edge. Elytra base broadly rounded with a slight median point, with four costae: 1st along lateral posterior serrated edge, 2nd behind humeral area then diagonally toward suture, terminated at a fovea, 3rd arises behind humeral area, has many small lateral branches, interrupted by median fovea, and ends before reaching the elytral apex, and 4th begins near elytral base, runs parallel near sutural margin to elytra apex. Two basal pits and four fovea: 1st – ¼ from the base near sutural margin, 2nd -middle of elytra near lateral margin, 3rd - posterior to previous fovea and located at basal %, and 4th - less distinct fovea located between 1st and 2nd costae near basal ¾. Elytra serrulate laterally near apex. Underside: more shining than dorsal. Prosternum covered with long white setae obscuring the surface. Protibia with four teeth, the two apical very large. Protarsi greenish dorsally, other tarsi brown. Abdominal ventrites 1 – 5 with small lateral callosites. Male genitalia everted behind beetle ( Fig. 17 ), with penis similar in width to parameres that slope gradually from apex to the middle, and then become slightly narrower at the base. Length 10.9 mm, width 4.4 mm. Neotype here designated, male, labeled: CONNECTICUT, Lyme, 26- V-1918, W. S. Fisher Colr, Castanea dentata . (Light green label, deposited in USNM).

Female. Antennae more reddish with less yellow on antennomeres. Frons bronze, two large bronze callosites on middle frons between the eyes. Occipital carina Y shaped on upper frons. Clypeus reddish-brown. Underside: More shining than dorsally. Prosternum not obscured by setae. Pygidium with a deep pit on either side of the medium carina that extends beyond the apical notch ( Fig. 29 ). Length 12.6 mm, width 4.9 mm. PENNSYLVANIA, Twin Lakes, 28-VI-1942, A. Nicolay, Collection A. Nicolay. collection. (Deposited in USNM).

Hosts. This common and widespread species is often collected on oaks with C. quadriimpressa and C. shawnee Wellso & Manley. It has also been reported breeding in Castanea dentata ( Marshall) Borkhausen, Fisher (1942) .

Distribution. This species is probably found in all states east of the states adjacent to the Mississippi River, Kansas, Texas, and Canada. NEW STATE RECORD: SOUTH CAROLINA: Sumter Nat. Fst. HWY 107, 1 -VI-69, R. Gordon.

Comments. The distinctive quadrate distal antennomeres, especially in males are often yellow in the northern part of its range; however, in Texas and Florida some specimens have very poorly defined quadrate yellow antennae. Male: frons dull greenish-bronze with two rather large irregular purple callosities, clypeus bronze, margin black, protibia with 3 – 7 more widely spaced large teeth, that may aid in this species identification. Length 10.8 – 13.5 mm, width 4.7 – 5.8 mm. Female: frons usually brown with purplish-bronze callosities, clypeus reddish-brown, margin black, sometimes with small amount of green laterally. Length 11.0 – 15.3 mm, width 4.9 – 6.8 mm.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 12. Dorsal view of elytra: Fig. 1, Chrysobothris mescalero Wellso & Manley; Fig. 2, Chrysobothris seminole Wellso & Manley; Fig. 3, Chrysobothris adelpha Harold; Fig. 4, Chrysobothris sloicola Manley & Wellso; Fig. 5, Chrysobothris rugosiceps Melsheimer; Fig. 6, Chrysobothris viridiceps Melsheimer; Fig. 7, Chrysobothris quadriimpressa Gory & Laporte; Fig. 8, Chrysobothris femorata (Olivier); Fig. 9, Chrysobothris wintu Wellso & Manley; Fig. 10, Chrysobothris comanche Wellso & Manley; Fig. 11, Chrysobothris caddo Wellso & Manley; Fig. 12, Chrysobothris shawnee Wellso & Manley.

FIGURES 13 – 24. Dorsal and ventral view of male genitalia: Fig. 13, Chrysobothris mescalero Wellso & Manley; Fig. 14, Chrysobothris seminole Wellso & Manley; Fig. 15, Chrysobothris adelpha Harold; Fig. 16, Chrysobothris sloicola Manley & Wellso; Fig. 17, Chrysobothris rugosiceps Melsheimer; Fig. 18, Chrysobothris viridiceps Melsheimer; Fig. 19, Chrysobothris quadriimpressa Gory & Laporte; Fig. 20, Chrysobothris femorata (Olivier); Fig. 21, Chrysobothris wintu Wellso & Manley; Fig. 22, Chrysobothris comanche Wellso & Manley; Fig. 23, Chrysobothris caddo Wellso & Manley; Fig. 24, Chrysobothris shawnee Wellso & Manley.

FIGURES 25 – 36. Dorsal view of female pygidium: Fig. 25, Chrysobothris mescalero Wellso & Manley; Fig. 26, Chrysobothris seminole Wellso & Manley; Fig. 27, Chrysobothris adelpha Harold; Fig. 28, Chrysobothris sloicola Manley & Wellso; Fig. 29, Chrysobothris rugosiceps Melsheimer; Fig. 30, Chrysobothris viridiceps Melsheimer; Fig. 31, Chrysobothris quadriimpressa Gory & Laporte; Fig. 32, Chrysobothris femorata (Olivier); Fig. 33, Chrysobothris wintu Wellso & Manley; Fig. 34, Chrysobothris comanche Wellso & Manley; Fig. 35, Chrysobothris caddo Wellso & Manley; Fig. 36, Chrysobothris shawnee Wellso & Manley.