Agrilus updikei, 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 : 2-3

Agrilus updikei , new species

(Figs. 1, 2)

Description. Holotype female: Robust, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, 10.9 mm long, 2.95 mm wide; antennae, dorsal 1/2 of front and anterior 1/2 of pronotum dark coppery-red, epistomal area greenish-golden; posterior 1/2 of pronotum and anterior 1/2 of elytral sutural depressions black; spots at basal 1/4 of elytral sutural depressions, posterior 2/3 of elytral margins and posterior 1/2 of elytral sutural depressions golden coppery; scutellum, metepisterna and elytral costae posterior to humeri bright greenish-blue, femora bluish with reddish-coppery reflections, otherwise lower 1/2 of front above epistoma and ventral surface reddish-coppery; setae short, dense, pale, and recumbent in sutural spots at basal 1/4 of elytral costae, posterior 2/3 of elytral margins and posterior 1/2 of elytral costae, silvery, denser and more conspicuous in frontal fovea, basal elytral depressions, on upper posterior angles of metasternum, and on lateral and dorsal portions of abdominal ventrites 2–5.

Head with front convex, but with depression along midline broadening into medial fovea on lower 1/2, surface densely finely punctate and shagreened on dorsal 1/2, less densely punctate and polished on lower 1/2; epistoma 1/ 3 as wide as distance between inner margins of eyes, rugose, slightly raised and with fine carina between dorsal margins of antennal insertions, ventral margin emarginate, eyes narrowly oval; antennae compact, serrate from antennomere 4, antennomeres 4–5 triangular, 5 as wide as long, 6–11 narrowly oval.

Pronotum subequal to elytra at posterior margin, with sides weakly expanded outward to basal 1/3, then narrowing; when viewed from side marginal and submarginal carinae slightly undulate, narrowly separated for slightly less than anterior 2/3; from above anterior margin produced as broadly, weakly rounded lobe; basal margin shallowly angulately emarginate at middle of each elytron, transverse before scutellum; anterior portion of disc convex in cross section, with deep transverse depression at basal 1/3, broadening and deepening at lateral margins which are narrowly flared and polished; prehumeral carinae absent; disc finely transversely rugose, shagreened on apical 1/2. Scutellum shagreened, pentagonal, acuminate behind with transverse carina.

Elytra broadest at humeri, lateral margins slightly emarginate to middle, then narrowing to apices, apices truncate and narrowly emarginate, the emargination flanked on both sides by 1–3 strong teeth; disc strongly costate on basal 3/4, each elytron with shallow oval depression at base; surface imbricate, finely transversely rugose on basal 1/3, humeri and costa more polished on basal 1/5; dorsal portions of ventrites 1–2 barely visible from above.

Prosternum with sides of prosternal process slightly broadening behind coxae, triangular at apex; prosternal lobe very broadly, shallowly emarginate. Metacoxal plate with posterior margin nearly straight, upper exterior angle quadrate. Abdomen with suture weakly indicated between ventrites 1 and 2 at sides, dorsal portions of ventrites 1–5 very narrow. Metatarsomere 1 as long as 2–3 combined, tarsal claws similar on all tarsi, cleft with shorter acute inner tooth.

Type material. Holotype: México: Chiapas, Montebello LK area, June 15–16, 1987, J.E. Wappes ( CNIN).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of the late writer John Updike. Although Updike published sparingly on Neotropical beetles (1963), his use of metaphors, widely admired by critics, recommends this honor because, in a sense, a species which mimics another is a kind of metaphor for the mimicked species and benefits by being confused for its model by uncritical predators.

Discussion. The unusually deep transverse depression on the pronotum gives a strong visual impression of a separate red head, and the flared narrow and polished pronotal margins are unique in my knowledge of the genus. Visually, it is very similar to the following species and differences will be discussed there.