Nascioides caledonicus, Williams, Geoff & Bellamy, Charles L., 2002

Williams, Geoff & Bellamy, Charles L., 2002, New species and new records for the genus Nascioides Kerremans, 1903 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 58, pp. 1-9 : 2-4

Nascioides caledonicus sp. nov.

Figures 1, 2, 3

Description of holotype. Size: 8.2 x 3.8 mm. Colour: head and pronotum black with a strong green reflection; median longitudinal portion of vertex and pronotum nitid black with purple reflection; elytra black with large punctures in regular striae iridescent green; legs and underside a deep, iridescent green. Shape and sculpture: head vaguely flattened between eyes, with the exception of a slightly projecting impunctate transverse area midpoint between eyes; distal clypeal margin feebly emarginate medially; sparsely and feebly punctate, individual punctures well­separated. Antennae with antennomere 1 elongate, stout, swollen apically, longer than 2 + 3; 2 very short, globose; 3 longer than 2, shorter than 4, sides subparallel; serrate from 4; 4 longer than following individual segments; 11 oblong, subparallel. Pronotum widest at lateroposterior angles; posterior angles acute; disc flattened medially, slightly rounded laterally. Scutellum deeply impressed, granulose. Elytra wider than pronotum, widest opposite humeri; coarsely, regularly punctatostriate, intervening spaces rugulose; costae very flattened; lateral margins serrate in apical 1/2; each apex with one distinct lateral tooth; posterior epipleural apex with small acute tooth. Head, pronotum and elytra without visible pubescence; antennae, legs and ventral surface with sparse to moderately dense covering of adpressed setae, which appear silvery but are possibly translucent. Ventral surface, including legs, densely setose, prosternum, mesosternum, metasternum, and pronotal hypomeron more so; last abdominal segment in male and female rounded medioapically between two lateroapical spines. Tarsi with tarsomere 1 slightly longer than 2, 3 shorter than 2, 4 shorter than 3, 5 subequal to 2; 1 4 each with distal pulvillus, pulvilli of 3 and 4 strongly developed, projecting distally, pulvillus of 4 bilobed distally; 5 narrow, elongate, claws widely separated, strongly swollen basally, recurved apically. Aedeagus as in Fig. 3.

1 3

2 Variation. Size: 8.7 9. 1 x 2.7 2.9 mm. Other than size, the only significant differ-

ence is that the female antennae are shorter in proportion to those of the male holotype, with each of the respective antennomeres being slightly shorter in proportion to width.

Specimens examined. Holotype d, NEW CALEDONIA: Prov. Sud, 7.5 km NW Sarramea, el. 355m, 14 January 1996, Malaise [trap] in opening in forest, M. E. Irwin, D. W. Webb, E. I. Schlinger (MNHN). Paratypes 2 φφ, Prov. Sud, 9.3 km NW Sarramea, Malaise [trap] along forest path, el. 445m, 15 January 1996, M. E. Irwin, D. W. Webb, E. I.

Schlinger, 21 E 35 0 4 S, 165 E 47 18 E (INHS); Prov. Sud, Mt. Khogis, 17 km NNE Noumea, Malaise [trap] across path in rainforest, el. 425m; 10 January 1996, M. E. Irwin, D. W. Webb, E. I. Schlinger, 22 E 10 34 S, 166 E 30 17 E (CLBC).

Etymology. The specific epithet is for the country of origin.

Remarks. This new species is not particularly close to any of the Australian or the single New Zealand species of Nascioides due to the rather reduced sculpture of the dorsal surface. Being concolorus, it falls out in the first half of the key by Williams (1987). It superficially resembles N. multesimus (Olliff, 1886) and N. falsomutesimu s Williams, 1987, but may be more closely related to N. viridis (Macleay, 1872) . It differs by having the punctation of the pronotum more simple and less dense, and the elytra have uniform, feebly elevated costae rather than the more typical sharp-edged carinae found in the Australian species. In addition, N. viridis has an almost asperate pronotal punctation and one very noticeably elevated presutural carina. The condition of the subapical spines are distinct and are illustrated in Fig. 2.