Agrilus frankparkeri, 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 : 12

Agrilus frankparkeri , new species

(Figs. 24, 25)

Description. Holotype female: Relatively slender, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, elytra weakly convex from side, 5.50 mm long, 1.35 mm wide; head and anterior 3/4 of pronotum red, epistoma coppery-golden, rest of body black except 1/4 of elytra anterior to middle golden and portions of elytra with inconspicuous setae on basal 1/4 and transverse area posterior to middle with greenish-blue reflections; head and most of pronotum glabrous; elytra with minute inconspicuous setae, except short, recumbent and golden on costae and in sutural depressions on 1/4 of elytra anterior to middle, and silvery and sparse on posterior 1/3; beneath, setae short white and sparse on prosternum, pronotal epipleurae, anterior part of metasternum, epimeron, dorsal 1/2 of episterna, and sides of abdominal ventrites 4–5, denser on metacoxal plate, posterior margin of metasternum, in spot at posterior end of dorsal portion of abdominal ventrite 1, and in spot on anterolateral portion of abdominal ventrite 3.

Head with front moderately convex from above, with very weak medial depression, surface weakly rugose and shagreeened, finely longitudinally rugose above; epistoma 1/4 as wide as distance between inner margins of eyes, transversely carinate between middle of antennal insertions and above ventral margin, ventral margin weakly emarginate, eyes large, oval; antennae compact, barely reaching middle of pronotum, serrate from antennomere 4, antennomeres 4–11 rounded-triangular.

Pronotum subequal to elytra at posterior margin, with sides narrowly emarginate at base then slightly rounded but nearly straight, broadening slightly; when viewed from side marginal and submarginal carinae weakly undulate, narrowly separated for anterior 3/4; from above anterior margin produced as broadly rounded lobe; basal margin strongly angulately emarginate at middle of each elytron, very shallowly emarginate before scutellum; anterior portion of disc with weak transverse depression before apex and depression along midline at for basal 3/4, deeper and broader anterior to scutellum, narrow depressions at posterior angles on both sides of prehumeral carinae, broadening at margins at middle; prehumeral carinae very strong, curved, for 1/4 length of pronotum; disc rugose, shagreened in red area. Scutellum shagreened, triangular, broadly acuminate behind, with strong transverse carina.

Elytra about equally broad at humeri and just beyond middle, lateral margins weakly emarginate between, then narrowing to apices, apices narrowly obliquely rounded-angulate and denticulate; each elytron with obliquely triangular-oval depression at base and short raised area along suture posterior to basal depression, disc sharply costate for 1/3 length anterior to middle with rather strong depressions between costae and suture; surface finely imbricate throughout, more polished on posterior 1/2.

Prosternum with sides of prosternal process nearly parallel between coxae to rounded-triangular apex; prosternal lobe transverse. Metacoxal plate with posterior margin nearly straight, upper exterior angle subquadrate. Abdomen with suture between ventrites 1 and 2 obsolete except for slight depression at sides, dorsal portion of ventrites 1–5 narrow, posterior portion of ventrite 1 visible from above. All legs with femora with 2–3 small acute teeth on ventral margin; metatarsomere 1 shorter 2–4 combined, tarsal claws similar on all tarsi, cleft with short blunt inner tooth.

Type material. Holotype: Costa Rica: Guan[acaste Province], 3 km SE R. Naranjo, 18–23 Jun 1993, F.D. Parker ( EMUS). Paratypes: Same data as holotype, but 1–9, 8–12 Jun 1993 ( CHAH, EMUS); Costa Rica: Ala[juela Province], 20 km S Upala, 11–21 Oct 1991, F.D. Parker ( EMUS).

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Frank D. Parker, who collected all of the type series and many other Costa Rican Buprestidae .

Discussion. This is one of four species that show a variegated pattern of setae on the elytra with one or two dark transverse areas interrupting the pale setae: the female of A. opitzi (Fig. 10), A. lacordairei Gory (below, Fig. 32) and the smaller A. hectori Curletti (Fig. 26). This is the only species that has a relatively deep, narrow depression along the midline of the black base of the pronotum. The four females measure 5.00– 5.65 mm long (mean = 5.34 mm).