Agrilus kulagini Obenberger

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2012, New Mexican and Central American species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) mimetic of flies, Zootaxa 3181, pp. 1-27 : 25-26

Agrilus kulagini Obenberger

(Figs. 59, 60)

Agrilus kulagini Obenberger 1933:66 . Hespenheide 1979:108.

Diagnosis. Holotype female: Form and coloration of A. percarus , moderately robust, 4.85 mm long, 1.35 mm wide; head with front convex from above, with a slight prominence at middle and weak medial depressions above and below, shallow and triangular on lower 1/2 of front with sparse uniform setae, surface distinctly rugose, only faintly shagreened; epistoma 2/5 as wide as distance between inner margins of eyes, golden green, transversely carinate above antennal insertions; antennae somewhat compact, antennomere 4 weakly triangular, 5–11 strongly triangular, 7–9 wider than long.

Pronotum slightly narrower than elytra at posterior margin, with sides widening slightly to basal 1/4 then nearly straight and narrowing only slightly to apical 1/4; when viewed from side marginal carina nearly straight, submarginal carina narrowly diverging for anterior 2/3; from above anterior margin produced as broadly rounded lobe; disc rugose, faintly shagreened only at middle at apex. Scutellum triangular, acuminate behind.

Elytra each with strong obliquely triangular-oval depression at base with small area of greenish blue coloration and few silvery setae, raised black area along suture posterior to basal depression, and abruptly costate for middle 1/2 of length anterior to middle with depressions between costae and suture; surface only with minute setae on posterior 1/2, longer toward apices; apices rather broadly separately rounded and coarsely denticulate.

Specimen examined. Costa Rica: “ Costa Rica, ” without further data (Holotype, NMPC).

Discussion. Earlier ( Hespenheide 1979), I had considered this a synonym of A. percarus , but closer study has shown that A. kulagini is a separate species in a group of very similar species. It is still known only from the unique female type, although the following species in the group is also known from Costa Rica. The combination of rugose front and pronotum and sparsely short-setose elytra distinguishes this species.