Philanthaxia purpureifrons, Bílý, Svatopluk, 2016

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2016, Four new species of the genus Philanthaxia Deyrolle, 1864 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Thomassetiini), Zootaxa 4205 (1) : -

Philanthaxia purpureifrons sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

Type locality. The Philippines, eastern Luzon, Disimungal, Sierra Madre , Quirino.

Type specimens. Holotype (female, NMPC): “ Philippines, E Luzon, Sierra Madre, Disimungal, Quirino, xi.2014, loc. coll.” ; paratype (female, NMPC): “ Philippinen, N-Luzon, Sierra Madre, Purino, Juli 2013, local collector”.

Diagnosis. Large (9.5–9.8 mm), suboval, rather convex, matte with silky lustre; dorsal surface asetose, dark bronze, lateral sides of pronotum with weak purple lustre, frons bright purple; ventral surface black with weak bronze lustre, covered with extremely fine and short, white pubescence.

Description of the female holotype. Head large, distinctly wider (incl. eyes) than anterior pronotal margin; frontoclypeus widely trapezoidal, depressed, anterior margin very weakly emarginate; frons regularly, strongly convex, vertex convex, about 6 times as wide as width of eye; eyes small, elliptical, strongly projecting beyond outline of head ( Fig. 3 ); antennae short reaching posterior third of lateral pronotal margins when laid alongside; scape weakly claviform, slightly curved, 5 times as long as wide, pedicel ovoid, 1.3 times as long as wide; third antennomere subcylindrical, about 3 times as long as wide; antennomeres 4–10 triangular to trapezoidal, 1.0–2.0 times as long as wide, terminal antennomere rhomboid, slightly longer than wide; sculpture consisting of small, deep, well-defined, irregular punctures without central grains.

Pronotum strongly convex, 1.6–1.7 times as wide as long, anterior margin strongly arched, posterior margin almost straight; lateral margins weakly rounded, shortly but deeply emarginate before rectangular posterior angles; maximum pronotal width just anterior to the lateral emargination; lateroposterior depressions small, very shallow, almost indistinct, prescutellar pit absent; sculpture of the same type as that on head only prescutellar portion with fine, transverse rugae. Scutellum small, subcordiform, weakly depressed, about 1.5 times as wide as long.

Elytra regularly convex, 1.8–1.9 times as long as wide, almost parallel-sided in basal two- thirds, regularly acuminate at posterior third, not caudiform; tips of elytra with very fine serrations; humeral callosities small, not projecting beyond outline of elytra, basal, transverse depression wide, shallow, almost reaching scutellum; each elytron with 8 fine, narrow but deep striae, interstices with short, fine, transverse rugae; elytral epipleura very narrow, parallel-sided, reaching posterior third of elyral margins.

Ventral surface rather lustrous, abdominal ventrites with fine, dese punctures, prosternum with coarse punctures; prosternal process weakly convex, almost parallel-sided, apex obtusely pointed; anal ventrite narrowly rounded, without lateral serrations. Legs relatively short, all tibiae straight. Tarsal claws strongly hook-shaped, enlarged at base.

Measurements. Length: 9.5–9.8 mm (holotype 9.5 mm); width: 3.7–3.8 mm (holotype 3.7 mm).

Sexual dimorphism. Male unknown.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is composed from the Latin adjective “ purpureus ” (purple) and substantive “ frons ” (frons) to stress the bright purple colouration of the frons.

Differential diagnosis. Due to the size, colouration and strongly convex frons, Philanthaxia purpureifrons sp. nov. cannot be confused with any other species from The Philippines. It resembles some bronze species of the same size from south-eastern Asia ( Thailand): P. aenea (Saunders, 1866) , P. pseudoaenea Bílý & Nakládal, 2011 but these species have a flat, bronze frons, more or less conical pronotum, somewhat caudiform elytra and flattened body. Other bronze species from south-eastern Asia with strongly convex frons ( P. frontalis Bílý, 1993 , P. parafrontalis Bílý, 1997 , P. pseudofrontalis Bílý, 2004 , P. kwai Bílý, 1997 and others) differ from P. purpureifrons sp. nov. by the smaller, lustrous body, colouration of the frons, much wider scutellum and significantly by the uncinate tarsal claws.

Distribution. The Philippines (Luzon).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. 1 — Philanthaxia depressifrons sp. nov., holotype, 6.8 mm; 2 — the same, aedeagus, holotype; 3 — P. purpureifrons sp. nov., holotype, 9.5 mm; 4 — P. hanloni sp. nov., holotype, 4.2 mm; 5 — the same, aedeagus, holotype; 6 — P. granum sp. nov., holotype, 4.5 mm.