Brachelytrium (Elytrobrachium) metallicum, 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 : 23-24

Brachelytrium (Elytrobrachium) metallicum sp. nov.

( Figs. 8 , 22 )

Specimens examined. Holotype, male (NMPC): Zimbabwe bor., Nyagui riv. vall., 50 km E of Bindura, 16.xii.1998, F. Kantner leg.; Allotype, female (NMPC): Zambia, Lusaka, 17.i. [19]99, Minetti leg.; one paratype, male (NMPC): Kenya, Tsavo W Nat. Park, 03°30΄S 38°16΄E, 7.xi.2005, Curletti & Sakalian leg.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized to large (4.2–5.3 mm), moderately convex, subparallel; dorsal surface golden green (male) or blue (female), pronotal disc darkened; ventral surface golden green with blue tinge (male) or blue-green (female); entire body asetose, prosternal process with several short, white, recumbent setae.

Description of the male holotype. Length: 4.6 mm; width: 1.9 mm. Head relatively small, as wide as anterior pronotal margin; anterior margin of frontoclypeus very slightly emarginate, nearly straight; frons very finely depressed, narrowed dorsally; vertex as wide as width of eye; eyes large, reniform, slightly projecting beyond outline of head, inner margins slightly S-shaped; antennae short, reaching mid-length of lateral pronotal margins; scape nearly straight, pyriform, 4 times as long as wide; pedicel ovoid, 1.5 times as long as wide; antennomere 3 slightly triangular, 1.5 times as long as wide; antennomere 4 widely, obtusely triangular, 1.2 times as wide as long; antennomeres 5–10 trapezoidal, 1.3–1.5 times as wide as long; terminal antennomere rhomboid, slightly longer than wide; sculpture of head consisting of rather rough, polygonal cells with microsculptured backround.

Pronotum nearly cordiform, 1.6 times as wide as long with well-developed lateroposterior depressions; disc regularly convex; anterior margin widely emarginate with indistinct median lobe, posterior margin very finely biarcuate; lateral margins regularly rounded at anterior half, nearly straight at posterior half; sculpture consisting of regular, polygonal cells with nearly indistinct central grains; cells on lateroanterior portion of disc slightly prolonged toward anterior angles. Scutellum flat, cordiform, as wide as long.

Elytra subparallel, 1.8 times as long as wide, regularly convex; humeral swellings small; transverse, basal depression shallow, wide, not reaching scutellum; apical 1/5 widely, separately rounded; epipleuron welldeveloped, rather wide, extending to apex; sculpture fine, nearly tile-shaped, somewhat transversely rugose on postscutellar portion.

Ventral surface lustrous, widely ocellate without central grains; abdominal ventrites very finely ocellate; anal ventrite widely rounded, finely serrate laterally. Legs relatively short, slender, meso- and metatibiae slightly enlarged distally; tarsi slender, tarsomeres 1–4 with well-developed adhesive pads. Tarsal claws fine, slightly hook-shaped, somewhat enlarged at base.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 22 ) rather robust, parameres somewhat constricted posteriad mid-length, median lobe sharply pointed apically.

Sexual dimorphism. The female differs from the male by the larger and somewhat stouter body and blue coloration.

Measurements. Length: 4.2–5.3 mm; width: 1.9–2.0 mm.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin substantive “ metallum ” (metal) to stress the metallic coloration of the species.

Distribution. Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Differential diagnosis. Brachelytrium (E.) metallicum sp. nov. resembles by its body-shape B. (E.) ventrale ( Kerremans, 1911) from which it differs by the metallic, golden green (male) or blue (female) coloration (bronze with purple or violet frons in B. (E.) ventrale ), deeper lateroposterior pronotal depressions, indistinct central grains on pronotum, fiely serrate margins of anal ventrite (smooth in B. (E.) ventrale ) and by the slightly different male genitalia ( Fig. 22 vs. Fig. 23 ).

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.

FIGURES 9 – 23. 9 – 20, dorsal aspect of male genitalia of Brachelytrium (Brachelytrium): Fig. 9, B. nigrum, sp. nov.; Fig. 10, B. africanum (Pochon, 1972); Fig. 11, B. beninense, sp. nov.; Fig. 12, B. niehuisi, sp. nov.; Fig. 13, B. transvalense Obenberger, 1923; Fig. 14, B. lesnei Bílý & Bellamy, 2000; Fig. 15, B. straussae Bílý & Bellamy, 2000; Fig. 16, B. holmi Bílý & Bellamy, 2000; Fig. 17, B. fissifrons Bílý & Bellamy, 2000; Fig. 18, B. namibiense Bílý & Bellamy, 2000; Fig. 19, B. tanzaniense Bílý & Bellamy, 2000; Fig. 20, B. gibbicolle Bílý & Bellamy, 2000; and Figures 21 – 23 of Brachelytrium (Elytrobrachium): Fig. 21, B. blairi (Obenberger, 1931); Fig. 22, B. metallicum, sp. nov.; Fig. 23, B. ventrale (Kerremans, 1911). Figures 10, 13 – 21, 23 are those used in Bílý & Bellamy (2000) where no scale bars were used. The scale bars for Figs. 9, 11, 12 and 22 = 1.0 mm and are approximately to scale for the remaining figures, all drawn by the senior author from the same magnification originally, with slight scale adjustments in the creation of this plate. Figures 9 – 20 are to the scale of 9, 11 and 12, while Figures 21 and 23 are to the scale of 22.