Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) monardi Théry, 1947

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2015, On the species of the genus Anthaxia Eschscholtz, 1829 described by A. Théry from Angola in 1947 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Anthaxiini), Zootaxa 4028 (2), pp. 246-256 : 252

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) monardi Théry, 1947

( Figs. 21–24 )

Anthaxia monardi Théry, 1947: 140 , Fig. 31. Type locality: Angola, Cubango.

Anthaxia monardi: Ferreira, 1965: 851 (catalogue).

Anthaxia (Cratomerus) monardi: Bílý, 1997: 29 , 93 (catalogue); 1999: 230 (note); Bellamy, 2008: 1430 (catalogue).

Type specimen studied. Holotype by monotypy (female, LCDF, Fig. 21 ): “ Anthaxia Monardi Théry [h] TYPE [red, p]”.

Further specimens studied. ANGOLA: Huila Province, road Caluquembe – Huambo, nr. Caconda, 13°464′S 015°000′ O, 1610 m, 6.–12.xi.2012, A. Puchner leg. (1 male, NMPC, Fig. 23 ; 1 male, 1 female, APCV); Région de Huila (1 female, NMPC).

This rather colourful species belongs to a so far undefined species-group close to Anthaxia (H.) tenuicula Boheman, 1860 . This species-group contains many similar and probably closely related South-African species and can be defined only by way of a taxonomic revision. Also in this case ( Bílý, 1997) I treated this species erroneously in the subgenus Cratomerus due to the not very exact illustration in the description ( Théry, 1947–Fig. 31).

Based on the recently collected specimens (leg. A. Puchner – see above) I am able to describe briefly also a male (since the species was described from a single female). The male ( Fig. 23 ) differs from the female, apart from the slender and smaller body, by the dark green frons and pronotum, the latter with golden-red posterior angles (violet frons and pronotum with purple posterior angles in the female), dark green elytra (bright blue with violet lateral margins in the female); ventral surface black in the female and metallic black-green in the male; anal ventrite of both sexes is widely rounded and finely serrate but with small, shallow, apical emargination in the male and with very small, apical notch in the female; male metatibiae are widely emarginate at apical half of the inner margin, this emargination is sharply, finely serrate; aedeagus ( Fig. 24 ) strongly sclerotised (incl. the apical portion of parameres), more or less spindle-shaped, slightly flattened; median lobe wide, obtusely pointed apically, with very fine, lateral serrations.

Distribution. Angola.

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 24. Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) monardi Théry, 1947. 21 — A. (H.) monardi, holotype, female, 7.3 mm; 22 — the same, original labelling; 23 — the same, male (Angola, Huila), 6.9 mm; 24 — the same, aedeagus.