Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) nabataea, Baiocchi, Daniele & Magnani, Gianluca, 2013

Baiocchi, Daniele & Magnani, Gianluca, 2013, Description of a new species of Anthaxia Eschscholtz, 1829 from Jordan, with notes on the Anthaxia winkleri species-group (Coleoptera, Buprestidae), Zootaxa 3637 (3), pp. 374-384 : 375-383

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) nabataea sp. nov.

(Figs. 1,3,4,5,6,7,11,13,15,17,19,21,23,27)

Description of the male holotype ( Fig. 1 ). Body slightly wedge-shaped, strongly convex. Length: 5.6 mm; maximum width behind the humerus: 2.1 mm; length to width ratio: 2.6 times longer than wide. Dorsal colouration golden bronze, slightly brighter on head and pronotum; clypeus, lower part of frons and anterior angles of pronotum with slight greenish lustre; ventral surface ( Fig. 3 ) bronze with strong greenish tinge; legs bronze, with a slight greenish lustre on dorsal part of protibiae.

Head ( Fig. 5 ) slightly wider than anterior pronotal margin; eyes large, slightly projecting beyond outline of head; vertex flat, 0.5 times as wide as width of head; frons ( Fig. 11 ) wide, very slightly depressed in middle, covered with recumbent yellowish pubescence; inner ocular margins slightly divergent on lower 1/3, subparallel in middle, moderately convergent on the vertex; sculpture of frons foveate-reticulate well defined only in central part of upper 1/2, consisting of very shallow cells with more obvious borders, slightly microreticulate bottom and large central grain; sculpture of remaining area consisting of hardly distinguishable cells merged in a widely diffused microsculpture, with cell borders becoming nearly indistinct; fronto-clypeal area slightly depressed; clypeus weakly protruding, sculpture slightly deeper, densely foveolate, anterior margin weakly arched.

Antennae ( Fig. 5 ) slightly longer than pronotal length in midline; antennomeres not flattened; scape stout, moderately long, club-shaped, strongly convex on inner margin; pedicel short, pyriform, as long as wide; antennomere 3 slightly longer than 2, weakly sub-conical; antennomeres 4–10 sub-trapezoidal, strongly transverse; last antennomere sub-rhomboidal.

Pronotum ( Fig. 5 ) transverse, 1.5 times wider than long, widest in anterior 1/3, strongly convex, slightly flattened along midline; anterior margin weakly bisinuate, median lobe rather narrow, strongly pronounced; lateral margins subparallel in basal 2/3, abruptly narrowed in anterior 1/3; posterior margin feebly arched backward in middle; lateroposterior angles slightly obtuse; lateroposterior depressions rather deep, transversally extended; sculpture areolate, shallow; sculpture of mid discal area consisting of irregular sub-round cells, with shiny bottom and eccentric grain; lateral sculpture partly consisting of a series of slightly oblong and contiguous cells, arranged in longitudinal, inconspicuous sequences; sculpture of laterobasal corners more regularly polygonal; pronotal pubescence whitish, thin, short and recumbent.

Scutellum ( Fig. 5 ) sub-trapezoidal, slightly vaulted, finely microreticulate.

Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) slightly wedge-shaped, 1.9 times longer than wide, widest behind the humerus, slightly narrowed at midlength, rectilinearly taperered and strongly costulate on distal 1/3, till the separately rounded apices; basal transverse depressions shallow, nearly reaching the scutellum; humeral swellings moderately developed; a well relieved callosity present on each elytron between humeral swellings and suture; wide central depression at basal 1/3; suture strongly raised on apical 1/4; lateral grooves wider and weakly serrated in apical 1/ 3; epipleura sub-parallel, disappearing before apex; superficial sculpture rather rough, irregularly imbricatepuncticulate.

Ventral surface ( Fig. 3 ). Anterior margin of prosternum straight; prosternal process wide, with sub-parallel lateral margins; posterior end of central metasternal suture widely divergent for a very short distance; all trochanters unarmed; sculpture of prosternum areolate, irregular, consisting of very shallow cells with small setigerous grain, slightly lengthened on the prosternal process, transversely stretched along anterior margin; sculpture of metasternum areolate-foveate, consisting of sub-round cells with fine central grain; metacoxal plates irregularly sculptured, with small cells mostly turning into simple punctures; abdominal sculpture widely imbricate-variolate, very shallow, with small setigerous pores; anal ventrite ( Fig. 13 ) moderately depressed along the slightly raised, serrated lateral margins, apex smooth, sub-round; whole ventral surface covered with short, whitish, recumbent pubescence, denser laterally and on anal ventrite.

Legs. Protibiae ( Fig. 21 ) weakly bent, with smooth, densely pubescent inner margins; protarsomere 1 slightly longer than each of 2 and 3, tarsomere 4 as long as 1 and shorter than 5; mesotibiae with inner margin slightly sinuate, weakly serrated on apical 1/3; mesotarsomere 1 slightly longer than each of 2, 3 and 4, tarsomere 5 longer than 4; metatibiae ( Fig. 19 ) rather flattened, sub-parallel, inner margin weakly serrated on distal 1/2; metatarsomere 1 longer than 2 and as long as 3 and 4 together, tarsomere 5 longer than 4; in the meso- and metatibiae the whitish pubescence is distally mixed with stout dark bristles; claws robust, light brown with darker tips.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 6 ) slender, subcylindrical, 7.5 times longer than wide, basal 1/2 subparallel; phallobase representing 1/4 of the total length; parameres more strongly chitinised, weakly narrowed before the slightly sinuate, sharply pointed apex ( Fig. 15 ); apical part of inner margin straight; setigerous areas oblong, narrow, located on lateral sides of the apex, bearing long setae; median lobe ( Fig. 7 ) narrow, subparallel, about 14 times longer than wide, rather convex at midlength, strongly chitinised in anterior 1/3; basal apodemes extending for more than 1/3 of the total length; pre-apical part with fine, irregular, laterodorsal serration; apex ( Fig. 17 ) smooth, acute, strongly bent upward.

Variation. Small to medium size species (3.8–7.5 mm); body subparallel to slightly wedge-shaped; the size of males ranges from 5.5 mm x 2.0 mm, to 7.0 mm x 2.6 mm (holotype: 5.6 mm x 2.1 mm), while the females vary from 3.8 mm x 1.4 mm, to 7.5 mm x 2.9 mm (allotype: 5.5 mm x 2.1 mm); females lack the greenish frontal lustre, and differ from males also in the smooth inner margin of meso- and metatibiae, and the more acutely shaped anal ventrite; in some males the greenish frontal lustre may be reduced or even absent; although rather constant, the overall colouration of both sexes can sometime turn to greenish bronze, and in few specimens, mostly females, the tone is more reddish; the lateroposterior pronotal depressions may occasionally be deeper, and in some of the male specimens, including the holotype, the head is slightly wider than the anterior pronotal margin, and meso- and metatibiae tend to be slightly bent inwards.

Ovipositor: ( Fig. 27 ).

Specimens studied. The following specimens were studied to compare A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov. with the most similar species.

Anthaxia (H.) nabataea sp. nov.: holotype 3: Jordan (Tafilah prov.), 650 m, Wadi Araba - road 60 Feifa- Tafila km 15, 21.III.1998 G. Magnani leg. / ex larva Astragalus sp. 8.VII.1998 (GMCC); allotype Ƥ: Jordanien CW, Al Karak env., 16.4.2002, lgt. V. Křivan (DBCR); paratypes: Jordan (Tafilah prov.). 650 m, Wadi Araba - road 60 Feifa-Tafila km 15, 21.III.1998 G. Magnani leg. / ex larva Astragalus sp. 18.VI.– 10.VII.1998 (25 exx., GMCC, DPPAJ); Jordanien CW, Al Karak env., 16.4.2002, lgt. M. Snížek (10 33 3 ƤƤ, DBCR, MKCN, VKCP); Jordanien CW, Al Karak env., 16.4.2002, lgt. V. Křivan (433 2ƤƤ, DBCR, MSCL); Jordan—Tafila, dint. Dana m. 1.500, G. Sama leg., 13/ 16.V.1999 / ex larva Astragalus spinosus (Forssk.) 2.V.1999 (13, GMCC), 24.V.1999 (13, GMCC), 29.V.1999 (14 exx., GMCC), 2. VI.1999 (2 exx., GMCC); Jordan (Tafilah prov.). 650 m, Wadi Araba - road 60 Feifa-Tafila km 15, 21.III.1998 D.Baiocchi leg. / ex larva Astragalus sp. 30.IV-17.V.1998 (1733 20ƤƤ, DBCR, ALCR, FICO, DGCC, ZIN, SBCP, IRSNB, MGCR, MNHN, NMPC, SBCP); SW Jordanien / Prov. Tafila, Wadi Dana, ca 200 m h auf Dornstrauch, M.Ringler leg. 0 4.05.2006 (131Ƥ, HMCM); Jordan, Tafilah, 30°51,39’ N 35°32,78’ E, ex larva 2012, M. Kafka lgt. (3433 36ƤƤ, MKCN, DBCR); JORDANIE - Dana, N30.68236 / E35.61434 / 1305 m, 0 5.06.2011 leg. C. Monnerat (1Ƥ, MNCA); CW JORDAN, Tafilah, 6 km NW Altafila, ex larva, 30°51’30”N 35°32’41”E, 4.5.2012 lgt. R. Rejzek (1533 18ƤƤ, RRCP, DBCR); CW JORDAN, Tafilah, 6 km NW Altafila, 900m., 30°51ʹ30ʺN 35°32ʹ41ʺE, 4.5.2012, lgt. M. Škorpík [adults in pupal cell in Astragalus sp., M. Škorpík pers. comm.] (633 7ƤƤ, MSCL).

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) nabataea sp. nov. Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) gedrosiana Bílý, 1983

Body ( Fig. 1 ) slightly duller, bronze, often with golden- Body ( Fig. 2 ) with more brilliant appearance, golden-green coppery lustre to reddish bronze

Head ( Fig. 5 ). Eyes large; lower part of inner ocular margins Head ( Fig. 8 ). Eyes slightly smaller; lower part of inner more divergent, not particularly pubescent; frons ( Fig. 11 ) ocular margin subparallel, more densely pubescent; frons wide, 0.65 times as wide as total width of head; sculpture of ( Fig.12 ) slightly wider, 0.7 times as wide as total width of frons well defined only on central part of upper 1/2, with head; sculpture of frons areolate and better defined on upper remaining parts rather unclear, consisting of widely diffused 1/2, consisting of sub-rounded cells with rather shiny microsculpture and poorly distinct cell borders; bottom, central grain, and finely microsculptured frontoclypeal area more deeply depressed; clypeus distinctly interspaces; in lower 1/2 the sculpture turns more foveateprotruding forward; frontal pubescence yellowish, rather reticulate and largely microsculptured; frontoclypeal area translucent and slightly shorter very shallowly depressed; clypeus scarcely prominent, almost flat; frontal pubescence somewhat longer and more evident

Antennae ( Fig. 5 ) somewhat more robust, antennomeres Antennae ( Fig. 8 ) less robust, antennomeres slender; scape thicker; scape stout, proportionally shorter; antennomeres 4– slender, proportionally longer; antennomeres 4–10 as long 10 wider than long as wide

Pronotum ( Fig. 5 ) more transverse, on average 1.5 times Pronotum ( Fig. 8 ) slightly less transverse, on average 1.45 wider than long; anterior margin weakly bisinuate, central times wider than long; anterior margin strongly bisinuate, lobe rather narrow, well developed; pronotal sculpture central lobe wide, strongly pronounced; pronotal sculpture regularly areolate on mid disc; lateral sculpture partly more confusedly areolate on mid disc; lateral sculpture consisting of series of slightly oblong and contiguous cells, largely consisting of series of strongly lengthened and arranged in rather inconspicuous longitudinal sequences; contiguous cells, arranged in obvious longitudinal lateroposterior depressions rather deep, transversal sequences; lateroposterior depressions wide, shallow Elytra ( Fig. 1 ) sub-parallel, slightly wedge-shaped; lateral Elytra ( Fig. 2 ) strongly wedge-shaped; lateral elytral groove elytral groove wider in distal 1/2; elytral sculpture rather homogenously narrow, parallel; elytral sculpture finer rough

Legs proportionally shorter, somewhat thicker; male inner Legs proportionally longer, more slender; male inner protibial margin smooth ( Fig. 21 ); inner margin of male protibial margin feebly but distinctly serrated on apical part meso- and metatibiae feebly serrated on distal part; male ( Fig. 22 ); inner margin of male meso- and metatibiae with metatibia proportionally wider, moderately enlarged at apex clearly visible denticulation on distal part; male metatibiae ( Fig. 19 ); meso- and metatibial pubescence of both sexes slender, with strong inner apical spur ( Fig. 20 ); meso- and sparse, whitish, distally mixed with dark stout bristles metatibial pubescence of both sexes very scant, fully

yellowish

Aedeagus. Apex of parameres very sharply pointed, with Aedeagus. Apex of parameres not so sharp, with apical part apical part of inner margin straight ( Fig. 15 ). Median lobe of inner margin distinctly, shallowly notched ( Figs. 16 , 25 ). with apex smoothly tapered, acutely pointed ( Fig. 17 ), Median lobe with apex sub-trapezoidal ( Figs. 18 , 25 ), strongly bent upward; latero-dorsal denticulation irregular; slightly bent upward; latero-dorsal denticulation regular; basal apodemes longer, extending for 1/3 of the total length basal apodemes shorter, extending for 1/4 of the total length ( Fig. 7 ) ( Fig. 10 )

Anthaxia (H.) gedrosiana Bílý, 1983 : holotype 3: SE. Iran, Rask, vall. riv. Sarbaz 3– 4.4.1973, loc. no. 146. Coll. Nat. Mus., Prague, cat. no. 26651 (NMPC); paratype 3: SE. Iran, 25 km W. Ghasre-ghand, 9– 10.4 .1973, loc. no. 153 (NMPC); non typical specimens: SE Iran, 1– 2.4 .1973, env. Sarbaz, valley of river Sarbaz / Loc. no. 145, Exped. Nat. Mus. Praha (13, NMPC); SE Iran, Ziarat, 23 km NWN Bila’i, 14– 15.5.1977 / Loc. no. 330, Exped. Nat. Mus. Praha (13, DBCR); IRAN, Baluchestan, Bampur, ex larva 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, M. Kafka (various ex., MKCN, DBCR, GMCC, VKCP, SBCP); Iran, Hormozgan prov., 4 km NNE Hosagan (N Bandarabbas), 30.IV.2002 P. Kabatek leg. (13, MSCL); Iran, Kerman prov., Deh Bakri (Bam) 7–12.V.2004 S. Prepsl leg. (13, SPCV); IRAN (Hormozgan), env. Genu, 70 m, 27°26’N 56°19’E, 19–22.IV.06 D.Baiocchi leg. [beating of Acacia sp.] (1Ƥ, DBCR).

Anthaxia (H.) sagartiana Baiocchi & Magnani, 2011 : holotype 3: Iran, Ispahan [Eşfahān], R. Bénard 1966 / ouest Na-in [Nāīn] 3000 m / Juin (NMPC); allotype Ƥ: Deh Bala, Yezd [Yazd], Persia, 31.VII.35, 9000 ft, Coll. H.E.J.Biggs (NMPC).

The holotype of A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov. is deposited in GMCC; allotype in DBCR; paratypes in ALCR, DBCR, DGCC, DPPAJ, FICO, GMCC, HMCM, IRSNB, MGCR, MKCN, MNCA, MOCB, MSCL, NMPC, RRCP SBCP, VKCP, ZIN.

Comments. Although A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov. and A. (H.) gedrosiana show a strong morphological resemblance, the overall colouration helps in separation, since A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov. has a constant deep bronze colouration, while A. (H.) gedrosiana is strongly variable and goes from completely bright green to dark reddish bronze, often with a different tone of pronotal and elytral colouration. Despite this different dorsal colouration, it may occasionally be difficult to separate females of these two species, though they are easily differentiated by a distinctive character in meso- and metatibial pubescence; moreover the anal ventrite of A. (H.) gedrosiana is usually more roundly shaped than in A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov., which has a more acute apex. Additional highly distinctive and reliable characters are also found in male genitalia. All the characters that differentiate A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov. from A. (H.) gedrosiana are listed in Table 1.

Anthaxia (H.) sagartiana is currently only known from a single pair of specimens, and a complete evaluation of its intraspecific variability is therefore not possible, though the species is easily separated from the other two by its homogenous areolate pronotal sculpture ( Baiocchi & Magnani 2011: Fig. 11 ).

Bionomy and distribution. Anthaxia (H.) nabataea sp. nov. is the only representative of its species-group known to develop in Astragalus species, although A. (H.) sagartiana is also suspected to develop in the same plant, differing from A. (H.) gedrosiana that was reared by our collegue M. Kafka (pers. comm.) on Calotropis procera (Ait.) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) , from Bampur, in south-eastern Iran (first hostplant record). A further interesting species that was also reared from Astragalus sp. in the same area of A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov. is Anthaxia (Anthaxia) amasina ssp. maceki Bílý, 1980, a new species for Jordan ( Bílý 1997, 2006; Katbeh Bader 1996).

Anthaxia (H.) nabataea sp. nov. represents the westernmost species of the A. (H.) winkleri species-group and at present it seems to be endemic to Jordan, though likely to be found also in southern Israel and in the Arabian Peninsula. With regard to this possibility, an unidentified specimen of Anthaxia that might be referred to this species, is reported in a recent study of the fauna of U.A.E. ( Bílý et al. 2011). If its identity is confirmed, and the presence of this new taxon is also confirmed from the Arabian Peninsula, it is possible to hypothesize that this interesting complex of species, ancestrally originated in the Makran area, across the Arabian Sea. More than 10000 years ago, before of the so called “megafloods”, the catastrophic inundations that occurred at the end of the latest glacial period, the area currently regarded as the Persian Gulf was an entirely dry basin, a fertile lowland crossed by the Tigris-Euphrates rivers, and represented a natural route through which many middle eastern species have expanded their distribution westwards. Similar patterns of distribution are found also in other relatively closely related species as Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) iranica (Richter), 1949 and Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) pinda Bílý & Baiocchi, 2009 ( Bílý & Baiocchi 2009; Bílý et al. 2011), or in the distribution of Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) roxana Bílý, 1983 ( Bílý 1983; Bílý et al. 2011). Nevertheless, since the actual distribution of this new species is still far from being well known, for the time being we will tentatively assign A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov. to the Arabian chorotype ( Vigna Taglianti et al. 1999).

Etymology. Anthaxia (H.) nabataea sp. nov. is named after the Nabateans, an ancient Arabic people that settled in the area of Petra, in southwestern Jordan, from the seventh century B.C.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Fig. 1, Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) nabataea sp. nov., holotype 3 (GMCC), dorsal aspect, 5.6 mm; Fig. 3, the same, holotype 3 (GMCC), ventral aspect; Fig. 4, the same, allotype Ƥ (DBCR) dorsal aspect, 5.5 mm; Fig. 2, A. (H.) gedrosiana Bílý, 1983, 3 specimen, Iran, Sīstān-ō-Bālūčestān prov., Bampūr, (DBCR), dorsal aspect, 4.8 mm.

FIGURES 5 – 10. Fig. 5, Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) nabataea sp. nov., holotype 3 (GMCC), dorsal aspect of anterior portion of boby; Fig. 6, the same, holotype 3 (GMCC), dorsal aspect of parameres, 1.9 mm; Fig. 7, the same, holotype 3 (GMCC), dorsal aspect of median lobe, 1.8 mm; Fig. 8, A. (H.) gedrosiana Bílý, 1983, 3 specimen (DBCR), dorsal aspect of anterior portion of boby; Fig. 9, the same, 3 specimen (DBCR), dorsal aspect of parameres, 1.8 mm; Fig. 10, the same, 3 specimen (DBCR), dorsal aspect of median lobe, 1.7 mm.

FIGURES 11 – 18. Fig. 11, Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) nabataea sp. nov., holotype 3 (GMCC), frontal aspect of head; Fig. 13, the same, holotype 3 (GMCC), anal ventrite; Fig. 15, the same, holotype 3 (GMCC), dorsal aspect of apical portion of parameres; Fig. 17, the same, holotype 3 (GMCC), dorsal aspect of apical portion on median lobe; Fig. 12, A. (H.) gedrosiana Bílý, 1983, holotype 3 (NMPC), frontal aspect of head; Fig. 14, the same, holotype 3 (NMPC), anal ventrite; Fig. 16, the same, 3 specimen (DBCR), dorsal aspect of apical portion of parameres; Fig. 18, the same, 3 specimen (DBCR), dorsal aspect of apical portion on median lobe.

FIGURES 19 – 23. Fig. 19, Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) nabataea sp. nov., holotype 3 (GMCC), right metatibia; Fig. 21, the same, holotype 3 (GMCC), right protibia; Fig. 20, A. (H.) gedrosiana Bílý, 1983, 3 specimen (DBCR), right metatibia; Fig. 22, the same, holotype 3 (NMPC), right protibia; Fig. 23, map of distribution of A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov. (black squares), A. (H.) sagartiana Baiocchi & Magnani, 2011 (white squares), and A. (H.) gedrosiana Bílý, 1983 (red squares).

FIGURES 24 – 27. Fig. 24, Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) gedrosiana Bílý, 1983, holotype 3 (NMPC), dorsal aspect; Fig. 25, the same, holotype 3 (NMPC), dorsal aspect of aedeagus; Fig. 26, the same, holotype 3 (NMPC), data labels; Fig. 27, A. (H.) nabataea sp. nov., allotype Ƥ (DBCR), dorsal aspect of ovipositor.