Chrysobothris socialis apache Westcott and Barr

Westcott, Richard L. & Barr, William F., 2007, Resurrection and review of the genus Knowltonia Fisher, with description of a new subspecies of Chrysobothris Eschscholtz and new species of Acmaeodera Eschscholtz from North America (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 1481, pp. 49-58 : 55-56

Chrysobothris socialis apache Westcott and Barr , new subspecies

Chrysobothris socialis: Fisher, 1942:237 (in part); Nelson et al., 1981:143.

Fisher (1942) provided a detailed description of the male C. socialis , which refers to this subspecies, and we select as holotype the specimen he used. His description of the female too is sufficiently detailed. There follows a diagnosis: venter dark blue, blue-black or greenish-blue, occasionally with green or violaceous portions; remainder of undersurface varying from similar to abdomen to metallic green (more characteristic of the male) or violaceous. Males vary in length from 9.13–12.08 mm; face varying from entirely green with some areas having slight coppery, brassy or golden reflections to golden or brassy green, more rarely being distinctly coppery, the upper, swollen, portion often golden green or coppery; front angles of pronotum usually distinctly coppery, but may have only golden reflections; sides of pronotum varying from green to variably and narrowly golden or coppery. Females vary from 9.71–13.88 mm long; face above green, occasionally with some bluish reflections, usually bluish green or blue below; pronotum entirely green.

Specimens examined: Holotype labeled “Ariz”/ HOLOTYPE Chrysobothris socialis apache Westcott and Barr ” (red card), and we select as allotype a specimen measuring 12.41 mm long by 5.14 mm wide, labeled “Nogales, St Cruz Co, IX:18.06 Ariz./COLL’D BY F.W. NUNENMACHER/CharlesSchaeffer Collection/Shoemaker Collection 1956.” The holotype and allotype are deposited in USNM. Paratypes as follows: “Arizona”, 1 F, 3 M, [no other data], AMNH, CLBC, USNM; 2 M, CharlesSchaeffer Collection/Shoemaker Collection 1956, USNM; 1 F, Henry Ulke Beetle Coll., CMNH Acc. No. 1645; 1 F, same, From Coll. of W.J. Chamberlin, CASC; 1 F, same, Van Dyke Collection, CASC. Cochise Co., 1 F, Naco, 2-IX-35, E.D. Ball, J.N. Knull Collection, FMNH; 2 M, Chiricahua Mts., Cave Crk. Can., Sunny Flat, 5100’, 31°53’N, 109°10’W, 28- VIII-80, at Mimosa biuncifera & 22-VIII-90, “VERBENAC.”, both H.A. Hespenheide, DSVC, FSCA; 1 F, 11 mi W Portal, 31° 55.636N, 109°15.350’W, 6686’, 8-VIII-2000, A. Gilbert, CLBC. Pima Co., 1 F, Kitt Peak, IX-1974, [no collector], CLBC; 1 F, 1220 m, 11-IX-82, Ex Baccharis, N. Schiff , Collection of R.L. Westcott, RLWE; 1 M, Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mts., 5-IX-70, E.A. Kane, CSCA; 1 F, 7-IX-71, B. Villegas, RLWE; 1 F, 29-VIII-2000, J.F. Limón, on Mimosa sp., CLBC; 1 F, 8-IX-81, on Prosopis juliflora, W.F. Barr Collection, WFBM; 1 F, running on mesquite, Prosopis sp.; 8-IX-81, FSCA; 1 F, near waterfall, Proctor Ranch, 20- IX-64, J.N. Knull Collection, FMNH; 1 M, waterfall below Proctor Ranch rd., 16-VIII-70, on Anisocanthus thurberi, D.S. Verity, DSVC; 1 F, Santa Rita Mts., Box Canyon, 6-IX-70, F. Hovore. RLWE; 1 M, Santa Catalina Mts., Sabino Canyon , 26-VIII-59, G.H. Nelson, on Celtis pallida , FSCA. Santa Cruz Co., 2 F, Nogales 8 & 10-IX-1906, Koebele Collection, CASC; 1 M, 4.5 mi W Nogales, 9-IX-71, B. Villegas, Collection of R.L. Westcott. Mexico, 1 F, Sonora, 28 mi S Navojoa, 25-X-72, E.M. Fisher, RLWE.

Comparison: Chrysobothris socialis apache differs from the nominate subspecies primarily by the ventral coloration, which is coppery bronze in the latter. Also in that subspecies, based upon only six specimens examined, the male face is entirely or predominantly copper—the punctures of the lower face may be green at the bottom—and the sides of the pronotum are distinctly and more widely reddish-copper, except near the hind angles where only one of the specimens examined shows any such color. In the only female of C. s. socialis that we examined, the face also is coppery, as contrasted to the green, blue-green or blue of C. s. apache , though more distinctly green below, and the sides of the pronotum are colored similarly to the male. Etymology: The subspecies epithet is chosen to honor the tribe of original Native Americans who inhabited the region in which this beetle lives.