Agrilus coloradoensis, Hespenheide, Henry A., 2012

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2012, New Mexican and Central American species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) mimetic of flies, Zootaxa 3181, pp. 1-27 : 10-12

Agrilus coloradoensis , new species

(Figs. 22, 23)

Description. Holotype female: Moderately robust, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, very weakly convex from side, 6.40 mm long, 1.70 mm wide; front and anterior 3/4 of pronotum red, epistoma and antennae golden-green, posterior 1/4 of pronotum and small posthumeral spot on elytral costae bright blue, scutellum blue, otherwise black, elytral costae with greenish reflections, anterior 2/5 becoming blue at elytral margin, posterior 4/5 of elytra interior to costae, abdominal ventrites 3–5, and pro- and mesothoracic legs with greenish reflections, metathoracic legs golden green; metasternum, posterior coxae and abdominal ventrites 1–2 with strong greenishblue reflections; head, pronotum, metasternum and abdominal ventrites 1–2 mostly glabrous; setae white and dense with white efflorescence in medial depression on lower 1/2 of front, in small area at anterior angles of pronotum, anterior 1/2 of hypomeron, epimeron. dorsal 1/2 of episterna, metacoxal plate, in spot at posterior end of dorsal portions of abdominal ventrite 1, and in spots on anterolateral portions of abdominal ventrites 3–4; setae recumbent and inconspicuous elsewhere except short and golden on posterior 3/5 of elytra; setae longer and brighter golden from middle to anterior 1/5 of elytra in sutural depressions and in vague, narrow transverse band to elytral margins at middle.

Head with front weakly convex, with shallow depression along midline becoming deeper and slightly broader on lower 1/2, surface rugose, rugae obsolete and surface polished between medial depression and inner margins of eyes at middle; epistoma 1/4 as wide as distance between inner margins of eyes, polished, raised, transversely carinate between middle of antennal insertions and above ventral margin, ventral margin weakly emarginate, eyes large, oval; antennae elongate, nearly reaching posterior angles of pronotum, serrate from antennomere 4, antennomeres 4–8 triangular, 9–11 more rounded.

Pronotum slightly narrower than elytra at posterior margin, sides narrowly emarginate at base, then nearly parallel, narrowing slightly at apex; when viewed from side marginal and submarginal carinae slightly undulate, very narrowly separated for anterior 2/3; from above anterior margin produced as broadly rounded lobe; basal margin angulately emarginate at middle of each elytron, shallowly emarginate before scutellum; anterior portion of disc very convex in cross section, with small but moderately deep depression anterior to scutellum at basal 1/3 and deeper depressions at sides angling forward to lateral margins interior to prehumeral carinae; prehumeral carinae weak, parallel and close to margin for 1/3 length of pronotum; disc finely transversely rugose, rugae angled forward and somewhat obsolete and shining at basal medial depression. Scutellum strongly shagreened, pentagonal, broadly acuminate behind, with strong transverse carina.

Elytra broadest at humeri, lateral margins emarginate to middle, then narrowing to obliquely truncate apices, apices with strong broad tooth at outer angles and single small teeth at exterior to large tooth and at suture; each elytron with triangular-oval depression at base and short raised swollen area along suture posterior to basal depression, disc weakly costate on basal 4/5; surface finely imbricate throughout.

Prosternum with sides of prosternal process expanded behind coxae, apex broadly triangular with blunt tooth at lateral angles; prosternal lobe weakly emarginate, nearly transverse. Metacoxal plate with posterior margin nearly straight, upper exterior angle sharply quadrate. Abdomen with suture between ventrites 1 and 2 indicated at sides with weak depression and strong, somewhat oblique polished ridge anterior to it, dorsal portions of ventrites 1–5 very narrow. All legs with femora with small acute teeth on ventral margin - profemora with 8–9 teeth, mesofemora with 6–7 stronger teeth, metafemora with 4 small teeth; metatarsi with metatarsomere 1 as long as 2–4 combined, tarsal claws similar on all tarsi, cleft with shorter acute inner tooth.

PLATE 3. FIGURES 20–27. Fly-mimicking Agrilus : A. dimidiatus Waterhouse : figs. 20, 21, holotype, dorsal, lateral; A. coloradoensis , n. sp.: plate 3, figs. 22, 23, holotype, dorsal, lateral; A. frankparkeri , n. sp.: figs. 24, 25, holotype, dorsal, lateral; A. hectori Curletti : figs. 26 28, holotype, dorsal, lateral, aedeagus. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Type material. Holotype: Panamá: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Is., 0 9o 10’N 79o50’W, 14.viii.1978, H.A. Hespenheide, Balb 4–5 ( USNM). Paratypes: Costa Rica: Prov. Puntarenas, Centro Juvenil Tropical, Sendero Mirador, 100 m, L-S-294700, 517100, 5–12 Jul 1997, M. Lobo, Malaise, #47735 ( INBC, INBIOCRI 002524602). Panamá: same data as Holotype but 14.vii.1978, H.A. Hespenheide ( CHAH).

Etymology. Named for the type locality of the holotype and one of the paratypes.

Discussion. In this medium-sized species, the bright blue base of the pronotum gives a stronger visual impression of a separate red head, and the dark greenish blue scutellum is striking. The strong teeth at the middle of the elytral apices are distinctive. The two female paratypes are 6.80 and 7.25 mm long.