Chrysobothris thoracica, Schaeffer, 1905

Maier, Crystal A. & Ivie, Michael A., 2013, New Species and Records of Chrysobothris Eschscholtz (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from Montserrat, Saba, and Anguilla, with a Key to the Chrysobothris thoracica Species-Group in the West Indies, The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (2), pp. 81-88 : 87

Chrysobothris thoracica (F., 1798) ( Figs. 3 , 7 )

Buprestis thoracica Fabricius, 1798: 138 .

Buprestis amabilis Herbst, 1801:144 ; Fisher 1925: 123.

Chrysobothris thoracica ; LaPorte and Gory 1837: 96; Fisher 1925: 123; Obenberger 1934: 636; Blackwelder 1944: 318; Ivie and Miller 1984: 294; Ivie 2001: 56; Valentine and Ivie 2005: 276; Bellamy 2008: 1687, 2011: 1; Woodley and Touroult 2012: 3.

Diagnosis. This species most closely resembles

C. sabae due to its entirely red pronotum; however,

it can be distinguished by the humeral and first discal blue maculae confluent and the elytra with bluish green cast at apex ( Fig. 3 ). Furthermore, the male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ) differ from all other species of the group, with a broader apex of the median lobe than that seen in C. sabae . Chrysobothris thoracica is known from throughout the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. For a full description, see Woodley and Touroult (2012).

Length. 4.5–6.7 mm.

Distribution. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Great St. James, St. John, Sandy Cay, Jost Van Dyke, Guana, Necker Island, Anegada. Records that are tentatively included: St. Croix, Anguilla.

Type Locality. St. Thomas , 3 syntypes in ZMUC ( Zimsen 1964) .

Non-type Material Examined. 1 – VIRGIN IS: St. John; Est. Lameshur Bay; Yawzi Point Trail; 15JULY1994, night; M.S. Becker, beating/ WIBF 024912 ( WIBF). 1 – VIRGIN IS: St. John; Est. Lameshur Bay; Yawzi Point Trail; 24 JULY 1994; M.S. Becker, beating/ WIBF 025145 ( WIBF). 1 – VIRGIN IS: St. John; Est. Lameshur Bay; Europa-Lt. Lameshur; Bay 25JULY1994; M.S. Becker, at night/ WIBF 022927 ( WIBF). 1 – VIRGIN IS: Gt. St. James; house area, 10OCT1994; M.A. Ivie colr; on loblolly/ WIBF 024390 ( WIBF). 1–VIRGINIS:Gt.St.James;housearea, 10OCT1994; M.A. Ivie colr; on loblolly/ WIBF 024392 ( WIBF). 1 – BR. VIRGIN IS: Anegada; FLAMINGO POND; 22AUG1980 / ex. white;mangrove/ M A Ivie; colr./ WIBF 013094 ( WIBF). 2 – BR. VIRGIN IS: Anegada; 23AUG1980 / ex. Croton / M A Ivie; colr./ WIBF 013095, WIBF 013096 ( WIBF). 1 – BRITISH VIRGIN ISLS.; Guana I., plantation; area 16–20 Oct 1992; coll. R.R. Snelling/ ex malaise trap; dry evergreen; forest/ WIBF 016836 ( WIBF). 1 – BRITISH VIRGIN IS: Jost Van Dyke; North Side Bay; 24 JULY 1994; M. A. Ivie colr./ WIBF 026554 ( WIBF). 1 – BRITISH VIRGIN; ISLANDS; Necker Is./ 11-X-1994; W. Lu WIBF 059315 ( WIBF). 3 – BR. VIRGIN IS: Sandy Cay; 25–26 MAY 2000; M.A. Ivie & E.A. Ivie/ WIBF 059312, WIBF 059313, WIBF 059314 ( WIBF). 1 – BRITISH VIRGIN ISL.; Guana Island, 0– 80m.; 13–26 July 1986; S.E. Miller & M.G. Pogue/ WIBF 013097 ( WIBF). 1 – ANGUILLA: Sandy Ground; 18°12′20″N, 63°05′30″W; 24–30 March 1992; collrs. W.E. Steiner; & J.M. Swearingen/ Malaise Trap in Acacia ; scrub, hillside above; salt pond/ WIBF 059316 ( NMNH).

Biology. This species has been swept from the shrub Croton sp. (Euphorbiaceae) and beaten from dead vines and the tree L. racemosa . However, MAI has taken it repeatedly from living trees of Pisonia subcordata Sw. , (loblolly/water mampoo, Nyctaginaceae ), suggesting this may be a true host.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Chrysobothris species, dorsal habitus. 1) C. sabae; 2) C. hispaniolae; 3) C. thoracica; 4) C. marskeae.

Figs. 5–7. Chrysobothris species, male genitalia. 5) C. sabae; 6) C. marskeae; 7) C. thoracica.