Brachelytrium (Brachelytrium) mauritanicum, Bílý, Svatopluk & Bellamy, Charles L., 2010

Bílý, Svatopluk & Bellamy, Charles L., 2010, Supplement to the revision of the genus Brachelytrium Obenberger, 1923 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Buprestinae: Anthaxiini), Zootaxa 2721, pp. 15-27 : 16-18

Brachelytrium (Brachelytrium) mauritanicum sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

Specimen examined. Holotype, female (NMPC): Mauritanie, Tiguent, km 137, 27.viii.1987, battage A. senegal, J. F. Vayssieres / RVA 1888, J. F. Vayssieres.

Diagnosis. Small (4.3 mm), convex, robust, parallel-sided; dorsal surface bronze, scutellum purple; ventral surface black, lateral portion of ventrites and legs bronze with purple lustre; frons with short, white pubescence (length of setae equal to diameter of cells), remainder of dorsal surface asetose; ventral surface with very short, sparse, nearly indistinct, white pubescence, prosternum asetose.

Description of the female holotype. Length: 4.3 mm; width: 1.9 mm. Head small, as wide as anterior pronotal margin; frons flat, vertex 0.9 times as wide as eye; anterior margin of frontoclypeus straight; eyes small, reniform, not projecting beyond outline of head; antennae short, extending to mid-length of lateral pronotal margins when laid alongside; scape slightly pyriform, somewhat curved, 3.3 times as long as wide; pedicel globular, as long as wide; antennomere 3 triangular, as wide as long; antennomeres 4–10 trapezoidal, slightly wider than long; terminal antennomere nearly globular, as wide as long; sculpture of head consisting of small, dense, oval cells with large, flat central grains.

Pronotum convex, somewhat wider than elytra, 1.8 times as wide as long, with poorly developed lateroposterior depressions; anterior margin nearly straight, posterior margin biarcuate; lateral margins regularly rounded, maximum width anteriad mid-length; sculpture consisting of dense, polygonal cells with small, sharp central grains; ocellation somewhat longitudinally prolonged along lateral margins. Scutellum small, lustrous, as wide as long.

Elytra subparallel, 1.5 times as long as wide, shortly, obtusely rounded at apical 1/4, distinctly, widely depressed anteriad mid-length and at posterior 1/3; humeral swellings small but well-developed; basal transverse depression wide, nearly reaching scutellum; epipleuron narrow, extending to apex; sculpture rather homogenous, punctate-rugose without basal microsculpture.

Ventral surface lustrous, widely, finely ocellate; anal ventrite shortly truncate to emarginate without distinct lateral serration. Legs relatively short, meso- and metatibiae straight, slightly enlarged posteriorly; tarsal claws thin, slightly hook-shaped, somewhat enlarged basally.

Male unknown.

Bionomy. The holotype was reared from Acacia senegal (Fabaceae) .

Etymology. Named after the country of the origin, Mauritania.

Distribution. Mauritania.

Differential diagnosis. Brachelytrium (B.) mauritanicum sp. nov. stands close to B. (B.) tanzaniense Bílý & Bellamy, 2000 and differs from it (except for the distribution) by a smaller, more slender, lustrous body, small, sharp central grains on the pronotum (large, flat grains in B. (B.) tanzaniense ) and by the finer elytral sculpture. Brachelytrium (B.) mauritanicum sp. nov. resembles very much the nearly sympatric B. (B.) beninense sp. nov. from which it differs by having a finer and denser frontal ocellation, narrower pronotum, wider pronotal ocellation which is longitudinally prolonged along the lateral margins, a smaller and lustrous, purple scutellum and by the sparser but rougher elytral sculpture; B. (B.) beninense sp. nov. also possesses more distinct elytral depressions.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. 1 – 6, dorsal habitus of six new species of Brachelytrium (Brachelytrium): Fig. 1, B. nigrum sp. nov., holotype, 5.6 mm (maximum length); Fig. 2, B. mauritanicum sp. nov., holotype, 4.3 mm; Fig. 3, B. beninense sp. nov., holotype, 4.7 mm; Fig. 4, B. niehuisi sp. nov., holotype, 5.0 mm; Fig. 5, B. purpureiventre; sp. nov., holotype, 5.2 mm; Fig. 6, B. aeneum sp. nov., holotype, 5.8 mm; and Figures 6, 7, dorsal habitus of two new species of Brachelytrium (Elytrobrachium): Fig. 7, B. caeruleum sp. nov., holotype, 3.8 mm; Fig. 8, B. metallicum sp. nov., holotype, 4.6 mm.