Burnsiellus

Levey, B. & Bellamy, C. L., 2013, A taxonomic revision of Neobuprestis Kerremans (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) with the description of a new genus and two new species, Zootaxa 3681 (3), pp. 225-240 : 236

Relationships of Burnsiellus gen. n.

Burnsiellus has three unusual, probably apomorphic characters which are very rare in the Buprestinae . Tarsal segments 1 and 2 have very reduced pulvilli ( Fig. 20 ); the pronotum is strongly, broadly depressed at the centre ( Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10), and the apical part of the mandible is sharply angled with the basal part. The latter character is also seen in the Nearctic and Neotropical genera Ditriaena Waterhouse , Spectralia Casey and the monotypic Jamaican genus Aglaostola Thomson , and probably also in the monotypic Panamanian genus Panapulla Nelson to judge from the figure of its head ( Nelson, 2000). Some species of Spectralia e.g. S. arcuata (Laporte & Gory) also have the former two characters as well. Volkovitsh (2001) places Ditriaena , Spectralia and Aglaostola in the Aglaostola branch of the subfamily Buprestinae , where Panapulla is also currrently placed ( Bellamy, 2008). Amongst the genera under consideration it shares with Spectralia , Aglaostola , and Ditriaena an excised posterior margin to the apical ventrite with a well developed flange in the excision. We consider this to be a relatively apomorphic characteristic in the Buprestinae , the more plesiomorphic condition being a rounded posterior margin lacking a flange or spines. The occurrence of a suite of shared probably apomorphic characters in Burnsiellus and the Neotropical genera mentioned above would suggest a relatively close phylogenetic relationship.

The four species assigned to Burnsiellus show considerable differences from one another which might suggest that they are not very closely related, and could be assigned to different genera or subgenera, however the most important difference are the swollen mid tibia in male B. trisulcata and the large semitransparent lobe of the posterior margin of the second visible ventrite in B. lobatum sp. n., which may also be a secondary sexual character. We therefore refrain from erecting more monotypic genera or subgenera based solely on secondary sexual characters.

Bionomy. Little is known about the biology of Burnsiellus . Paul Hutchinson has found B. trisulcata emerging from a large Acacia sp. (probably A. aneura ) at L. Monger causeway, W. Australia. The emergence holes were mostly within four feet of the ground in a trunk more than 1 foot in diameter. Mike Powell had one male and one female B. marmorata emerge from a billet of Melaleuca lanceolata collected at Hopetoun, WA. The billet was cut from living tree on 17/12/2010, and the specimens emerged on 29/12/2011 and in mid January 2012 (M. Powell pers comm.). At the same locality Paul Hutchinson has found dead and live individuals of this species beneath 20+ foot high Melaleuca lanceolata with suitable sized emergence holes in the trunks and branches. Two of the four known species are widely distributed, however specimens are rarely collected which might suggest that their adult behaviour may not be that of typical adult Buprestidae . The essentially cryptic colouration of B. trisulcata (Carter) , B. albosparsa (Carter) and B. lobatum sp. n. and the capture of one specimen of B. trisulcata at light might suggests that adults are crepuscular or nocturnal, however Mike Powell collected a very active male specimen of B. trisulcata in shade at 11 am at 32 km N of Gascoyne Junction, W.A. on 2 Nov 1999.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 20. 14. head & pronotum N. williamsi sp. n. (paratype, Barrington Tops, New South Wales); 15 – 17 head: 15. N. williamsi sp. n. (paratype, Barrington Tops, New South Wales); 16. N. peroni (Gory & Laporte) Ƥ (no locality); 17. B. lobatum sp. n. (holotype); 18. antenna 3 N. peroni (Gory & Laporte) (Birchip, Victoria); 19. apical 7 antennomeres of B. lobatum sp. n. (holotype); 20. tarsal segments of B. lobatum sp. n. (holotype).