Chrysodema (Chrysodema) excellens Théry, 1923

Frank, David & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2020, Studies on the genus Chrysodema (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Chrysochroinae) part I., Zootaxa 4720 (1), pp. 1-62 : 31-32

Chrysodema (Chrysodema) excellens Théry, 1923

( Figs 37–39 )

Chrysodema excellens Théry (1923) : 221 (original description).

Chrysodema (Chrysodema) excellens: Obenberger (1926) : 131 (catalogue); Lander (2003): 14 (key), 34 (redescription), 78 (colour Fig. 56 ); Bellamy (2008): 530 (catalogue).

Chrysodema serratipennis Blanchard : Kerremans (1909): 533 (nomen nudum).

Type locality. ‘ Amboine’ [ Indonesia, Maluku Province, Ambon Island] .

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE (by monotypy): ♀, ‘Amboine [w, p] // Coll. THERY [w, p] // TYPE [r, p] // Chrysodema / excellens Thery / Type unique [w, h]’ ( MNHN). Specimen was provided with an additional red printed label: ‘ HOLOTYPE (by monopyty) / Chrysodema / excellens ♀ / THÉRY, 1923 / David Frank labelled X. 2017 [date handwritten]’.

Additional material examined (12 ♀♀). INDONESIA: MALUKU PROV.: Ambon Island: Ambon, 1 ♀ ( MNHN); Ambon, 1 ♀ ( MHNG); Cent. Amb., 1 ♀ ( BMNH); Amboina (1 ♀ MNHN, 1 ♀ DFPC); Amboine , Col- lection Chevrolat , 1 ♀ ( BMNH); Amboine , 1 ♀ ( NHMB, coll. G. Frey); Amboine , 2 ♀♀ ( MHNG; 1 ♀ figured in Lander (2003: Fig. 56 )); Amboine , Jacquinot 1841, 1 ♀ ( MNHN; ‘C. serratipennis’, see remarks); Ambon , Laihatu Soya , 11.–12.x.1998, S. Bílý leg., 1 ♀ ( NMPC); Ambon, ii.2003, 1 ♀ ( EJBS) .

Redescription of holotype. Moderately preserved ♀ specimen, all legs with partly broken and missing tarsi; right antenna missing, left one missing from antennomere VIII on. Length 28.00 mm, width 9.75 mm, length/width ratio: 2.87.

Body generally bright metallic green with golden and copper reflections; elytra towards apex gradually more intensively copper. Dorsum in general with impressed parts including punctures golden-copper. Ventral side largely green and gradually golden towards lateral sides. Epipleura intensively copper. Mouthparts (with exception of mandibulae) yellow, antennae black only scape and pedicel metallic green. Ventral pads on all tarsomeres dorsally black, only their extreme base dark brown.

Head moderately densely punctate, punctures foveolate, each bearing short seta, thus frons sparsely pubescent. Vertex slightly more densely punctate but in central part with finer punctures; each puncture bearing adherent seta. Pronotum moderately densely macropunctate, shiny parts moderately densely micropunctate and obviously microreticulate. Micropunctures clearly visible at low magnifications (8–10 ×). Areas besides impressions and medial line rather sparsely punctate with large and deeply impressed punctures, interspaces among them not smooth due to obvious micropunctation and microreticulation. Macropunctation laterally gradually coarser and denser. Each macropuncture bearing moderately long white adherent seta. Medial line well visible, moderately micropunctate and slightly elevated. Medial impressions shallow, but distinct. Principal impressions, moderately large, more or less circular, rather deeply impressed; with broad stripe of small and very dense punctures covering nearly entire impression. Lateral impressions shallow, with a few shallowly impressed punctures. Lateral margin carinate in basal 3/4, then widening and flattened and reaching to approx. 5/6 length of pronotum.

Elytra regularly convex with elevated rounded and very broad costae along suture and on intervals 2, 4, 6 and 8. Costae in basal half nearly flat and barely elevated, in apical half moderately convex. Interval 6 shortened, reaching only to 2/5 length of elytra, widely separated from interval 4; with only short and narrow isolated fragment surrounded by densely punctate impressed area. Costae distinctly micropunctate and microreticulate and each with several additional confusedly dispersed macropunctures. Intercostal depressions variously punctate, generally basal half much more sparsely punctate but with larger punctures, while apical half very densely punctate with somewhat smaller punctures. Also intercostal depressions in basal half nearly not impressed (with exception of impressions at base of elytra) while in apical half these are quite deeply impressed. Intercostal depression 1 in basal half with, more or less visible, two rows of very fine punctures; 2 and 3 in basal half completely irregularly distinctly punctate with normal punctures; remaining ones in basal half narrow and densely punctate with smaller punctures. Punctures in basal half larger; interspaces 2–5 × as wide as puncture diameter. Intercostal depressions in apical half impressed and densely punctate; punctures smaller; interspaces at maximum 2 × as wide as puncture diameter. Each macropuncture bearing short adherent white seta, but impressions do not appear pilose.

Epipleura in basal 1/4 broad, densely punctate, then continuously constricted with obtusely angled corner, gradually narrowing apically; punctures becoming finer and vanishing towards apex. Each puncture bearing long erect white seta.

Fore and mid femora in central part strongly shiny, sparsely punctate; hind femora somewhat more densely punctate. Each puncture bearing seta, setation particularly conspicuous on lower side of hind femora.

Ventral side of body ( Fig. 38 ) overall densely and moderately coarsely punctate, only central part sparsely punctate with large shiny impunctate areas. Lateral sides of all abdominal ventrites densely punctate in laterobasal corner with distinctly smaller punctures and then gradually more sparsely punctate with larger punctures apically and centrally ( Fig. 39 ).

Variation. Body ♀♀ (n=10): length: 28.00–34.25(36.75) mm, width: 9.75–12.25 mm, length/width ratio: 2.78– 3.02. Moderately variable species. Colouration quite constant; one specimen entirely bright copper and one with impressions only golden, not with purple tint. Micropunctation quite constant but macropunctation of pronotum variable in both, size and density. General structure of elytra constant, fragment of interval 6 variously preserved, from almost not visible to distinct moderately long costa, but always very narrow and widely separated from other costae. Apical half of elytra with minor variability in punctation, which is always small and costae obviously convex. Basal half of elytra variable; costae and intercostal depressions from completely flat to slightly elevated or impressed respectively, punctation from very fine and hardly perceptible, to moderately coarse.

Aedeagus unknown, all examined specimens are females.

Differential diagnosis. This species can be easily distinguished by shortened third costa on elytra reaching only to midlength. Sometimes the costa continues as low fold but it is always densely punctate and has the same structure as surrounding impressed areas. Other species of the group has the third costa long, not particularly shortened. Most similar species is C. (C.) wallacei as both have large and cup shaped principal impressions of pronotum and both occur on Ambon but C. (C.) wallacei has the third costa long, reaching to apical fifth of elytra.

Distribution. Indonesia, Maluku Province, Ambon Island.

Remarks. Kerremans (1909) mentioned unavailable manuscript name ‘ Chrysodema serratipennis Blanchard , mss.’ among synonyms of C. mniszechii . We studied the original specimen labelled as following: ‘ C. serratipennis / Blanch. / Amboine / M. Jacquinot [purple, h] // Chrys. / serratipennis / Blanch. [w, h] // Chrysodema / mniszechi / H. Deyr. / Kerremans det. 1909 [w, h] // MUSEUM PARIS / AMBOINE / JACQUINOT 1841 [w, p] // serratipennis / nomen nudum / Dét. T. LANDER 19 [w, h/p]’ (MNHN) and it belongs to C. (C.) excellens , not to C. (C.) mniszechii .

Figures

FIGURES 37–42. Chrysodema, general aspect: 37–39—C. (C.) excellens Théry, 1923 (holotype, ♀ 28.00 mm) © MNHN. 40–42—C. (C.) mniszechii Deyrolle, 1864 (syntype (NHMB), ♀ 31.50 mm). 37, 40—dorsal view; 38, 41—ventral view; 39, 42—lateral view.

FIGURES 55–60. Chrysodema, general aspect: 55–57—C. (C.) fuscitarsis Kerremans, 1895 (lectotype, Palawan, ♀ 28.00 mm). 58–60—C. (C.) gottwaldi sp. nov. (holotype, ♂ 24.75 mm). 55, 58—dorsal view; 56, 59—ventral view; 57, 60—lateral view.