Agrilus opitzi, 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 : 6-7

Agrilus opitzi , new species

(Figs. 10–14)

Description. Holotype female: Somewhat robust, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, from side elytra weakly convex, 6.95 mm long, 1.85 mm wide; head and anterior margin of pronotum red, more broadly so at anterior angles; otherwise black, epistomal area, antennomeres 1–4, and basal 1/2 of elytra with golden reflections, upper lateral and dorsal portions of abdominal ventrites 1–2 with reddish-coppery reflections; head, pronotum and much of abdomen glabrous; setae short, inconspicuous, and recumbent on basal 1/8 and in irregular patch at middle 1/4 of elytra; setae denser, silvery and more conspicuous on prosternal process, metasternum and metacoxal plate, in oval patch on lateral portions of border between abdominal ventrites 1–2, and on anterior-lateral and dorsal portions of abdominal ventrites 3–5.

Head with front moderately convex, surface “rough” but not distinctly rugose or punctate, shagreened; epistoma slightly less than 1/3 as wide as distance between inner margins of eyes, slightly raised, bounded above by narrow groove, shagreened, ventral margin very weakly emarginate at middle; eyes narrowly oval with complete marginal grooves; antennae elongate, reaching 3/4 length of pronotum, antennomeres 5–6 slightly wider distally, distinctly serrate from antennomere 7, 7–9 elongate-triangular, 10–11 triangular.

Pronotum somewhat narrower than elytra at posterior margin, with sides emarginate at basal 1/3, then nearly parallel to apex; when viewed from side marginal carina nearly straight and submarginal carina slightly undulate, narrowly separated nearly from base; from above 1/5 wider than long, anterior margin produced as narrowly rounded lobe; basal margin angulately emarginate at middle of each elytron, then weakly produced and emarginate before scutellum; anterior portion of disc convex in cross section, with shallow transverse depression at basal 1/2, broadening and deepening at lateral margins; prehumeral carinae strong, at narrow acute angle with and then slightly curving toward marginal carina for basal 1/3; disc very finely concentrically rugose. Scutellum punctate, pentagonal, acuminate behind, with weak transverse carina.

Elytra with lateral margins slightly broader at middle than at humeri, weakly emarginate between, then narrowing somewhat to apices, apices slightly flared, obliquely truncate, longer on exterior side with several small teeth; disc weakly costate for entire length with two faint ridges in depression between costae and suture on basal 1/2, each elytron with shallow triangular depression at base; surface densely, finely imbricate; dorsal portions of ventrites 1–2 visible from above.

Prosternum with sides of prosternal process parallel between coxae, rounded at apex; prosternal lobe nearly transverse. Metacoxal plate with posterior margin weakly emarginate, upper exterior angle subquadrate. Abdomen with suture between ventrites 1 and 2 weakly indicated at sides by slight depression, dorsal portions of ventrites 1– 5 uniformly rather broad. Metatarsomere 1 longer than 2–4 combined, tarsal claws similar on all tarsi, cleft with short inner tooth.

Allotype male: As female, but front dark greenish-blue and red vertex; antennae very long, exceeding posterior margin of pronotum; elytra with inconspicuous short setae throughout, except for short silvery setae on apical 1/8 and small vague sutural spot at apical 3/4; anterior and middle tibiae with apical spur on interior margin; 5.80 mm long, 1.40 mm wide. Genitalia as in Fig. 12.

Type material. Holotype: Panamá: Panamá Pr., Cerro Campana, 850 m, 0 8o 40’ N 79o 56’ W, 27.vii.1974, H.A. Hespenheide ( USNM). Allotype: Same data as holotype but 13 May ’73, Stockwell ( STRI). Paratype: Same data as holotype but 14.vii.1974, H.A. Hespenheide, Hampea ( CHAH), same data as holotype but 24.vii.1978, N.E. Woodley ( NEWC), Cerro Campana, 11– 15.05.1980, E.G. Riley, D. Ledoux ( FSCA), Cerro Campana, 2700’, May 13, 1978, C.W. & L.B. O’Brien & Marshall ( RLWE). Costa Rica: Prov. Cartago, Guayabo Nat. Mont., ~ 1100 m ,, 0–20m, 0 9o 15’ 58” N; 83o 41’ 24” W, 3.-6-7.2008, Cate, Barries, Nagy ( INBC), Turrialba, IICA, 1-VI-1973, G. Ekis ( CHAH).

Etymology. The name is given in honor of Weston Opitz, formerly Ginter Ekis, specialist on the Cleridae , including their participation in mimicry complexes ( Ekis 1977), and who collected one of the first specimens of this species.

Discussion. This is among the less typical putative fly mimics in that the red on the head and pronotum is duller and less extensive, the base of the pronotum and elytra are black rather than blue, and the pattern of setae on the elytra differs and is formed by small silvery setae rather than golden ones. As in Agrilus dipterioides , this species is sexually dimorphic in the pattern of setae on the elytra - the male has essentially unpatterned inconspicuous setae (Fig. 13) and the female has a conspicuous pattern of silvery setae (Fig. 10). Males measure 5.75–6.00 mm long (mean = 5.85 mm for 3 specimens), and females measure 6.10–6.95 mm long (mean = 6.52 mm for 4 specimens).

PLATE 2. FIGURES 10–19. Fly-mimicking Agrilus : A. opitzi , n. sp.: figs. 10 11, holotype female, dorsal, lateral, figs. 12 14, allotype male, aedeagus, dorsal, lateral; exquisitus , n. sp.: figs. 15 17, holotype, dorsal, lateral, aedeagus; A. zumbadoi , n. sp., figs. 18 19 holotype, dorsal, lateral; Scale bars = 1.0 mm.