Chrysobothris fiji, Bellamy, 2009

Bellamy, C. L., 2009, A new species of Chrysobothris Eschscholtz, 1829, the first from Fiji (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 2261 (1), pp. 63-65 : 63-65

Chrysobothris fiji sp. nov.

(Figs. 2–6)

Description of holotype (♀). Diagnosis. Body generally flattened above although slightly transversely convex laterally; very slightly transversely convex below on disc of thoracic and abdominal ventrites; length 13.2 mm, maximum width (across elytral humeri) 5.8 mm; dark aeneous dorsally, with a red-cupreous tint on distal clypeal margin, base of each mandible, thoracic and abdominal ventrites laterally and most of each femur and tibia; otherwise with bright green to blue-green as follows: eight elytral foveae, basal antennomeres, maxillary palpomeres, median portion of thoracic ventrites and abdominal ventrites 1 –4, apicolateral angles of abdominal ventrites 2, 3, 4, at bispinose apex of 5; additionally the elytral foveae each have a very thin bright cupreous perimeter; surface of head rugulose-lacunose laterally, imbricate medially; pronotum punctate generally, additionally irregularly transversely or obliquely rugose medially; elytra generally punctate, with posterior half additionally transversely rugose; ventral surface generally more finely punctate, lateroposterior surface of prosternum transversely rugose; dorsal surface mostly glabrous, sparse, moderately long, recumbant white setae on frontovertex and on apicolateral portions of pronotum and elytra; a more dense amount of setae along posterior margin of each eye, partially underlying anterior margin of pronotum; one seta posteriad each lateroposterior marginal spine projecting posteriorly; antennomeres, labrum, legs and ventral surface with a slightly more dense setal covering, especially on disc of thoracic ventrites. Head. Frontovertex very feebly projecting beyond outline of head; surface flattened to a broad, shallow depression medially, which narrows between antennal cavities; eyes very large with inner margins very strongly converging dorsally; antennal cavities large, shallow, separated by distance approximately equal to width of each cavity; clypeal distal margin nearly evenly transverse, slightly thickened laterally and with very slight median angulate emargination; gena with very slight oblique depression beneath eye to receive basal antennomeres in repose. Antennae. Short, compact, antennomere 1 stout, subequal in length to 2+3; 2 short, flattened; 3 nearly 2x length of 2; 4–10 short, compact, slight wider than long, each with lateral projection rounded; 11 slightly longer than 10, roundly oblique. Pronotum. Width 2x length, maximum width slightly anterior to posterior margin; anterior margin evenly transverse medially, with slight anterior arch laterally; lateral margin bisinuate, generally subparallel to each other; posterior margin moderately biarcuate, with very feeble medial emargination anterior to scutellum; lateroposterior angles broadly rounded, subacute; disc more or less evenly transversly convex. Scutellum. Moderate in size, subtriangular, anterior margin feebly convex, lateral margins feebly concave, all three angles narrowly acuminate. Elytra. Wider opposite humeri than maximum pronotal width; anterior margin bisinuate, one slightly projecting anterior lobe inside median longitude; disc flattened, very slightly transversely convex; with four very slightly elevated, impunctate costae as in Fig. 2; each elytron with four impressed foveae as follows: one between costae 1 and 2 on anterior lobe; one between costae 1 and 2 before midpoint of elytral length; one pair, with one each overlying costae 2 and 3 respectively; lateral margins with humeral angle broadly arcuate, then slightly narrowing before widening at posterior 1/3, then moderately attenuate to separately spinose apices; margin serrulate from humeral angle to about anterior 1/3, thereafter widely serrate to apex. Pygidium not visible beyond elytral apices. Thoracic ventrites. Prosternum slightly longitudinally convex on disc, process strongly trispinose, with lateral projections longer than posterior projection; metacoxae moderately dilated. Legs. Femora fusiform, profemora each with a single short, broad angulate tooth projecting ventrad; tibiae feebly arcuate, each with single distal spine; tarsomeres 1 subequal in length to 2+3, 2 very slightly longer than 3, 4 shorter than 3, 5 longer than 1–4 together; 2–4 with single ventral pulvillus; claws simple but with very slight basal appendix. Abdominal ventrites. Suture between 1 and 2 invisible medially; posterolateral angles of ventrites 1–4 strongly acute (Fig. 3); 5 with longitudinal medial carina with extends onto median angulate projection beyond distal margin, apex strongly laterally bispinose (Fig. 6). Female genitalia. Not dissected.

Variation. Only known from the holotype.

Etymology. The specific epithet is obviously chosen for the country of origin.

Specimens examined. Holotype ♀ from FIJI: Vanua Levu, Bua Prov., Batiqere Range , 6 km NW Kilaka Village , 98m, 28.VI–21.VII.2004, Malaise 5, Schlinger, Tokota’a. 16.807ES, 178.991EE. FBA 146231 . Holotype to be deposited in FNIC .

Fiji Distribution: Vanua Levu

Comments. Traditionally (e.g. Fisher 1942), the important diagnostic features used to distinguish species of Chrysobothris are: clypeal margin (Fig. 3), armature of the male protibia, apex of abdominal ventrite 5 (Fig. 5) and male genitalia. According to comments of my colleague Wolfgang Barries (in litt., 25 February 2009), C. fiji comes near to C. costata Kerremans, 1895 ( Fig. 1 , syntype, BMNH) from the Mariana Islands, differing by color, three pairs of elytral foveae and prominence of the elytral costae. Barries (2006, 2008, 2009) has begun a long-term study of Chrysobothris from the wider Indo-Oriental biogeographic region. He suspects that each Pacific island may have one, or more, endemic species, many of which belong to the C. indica Gory & Laporte species-group characterized by having three pairs of elytral foveae and has seen undescribed species from Palau and Samoa.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Chrysobothris costata Kerremans, 1895. Figs. 2–6, Chrysobothris fiji, sp. nov., holotype: Fig. 2, dorsal habitus; Fig. 3, ventral habitus; Fig. 4, right foreleg; Fig. 5, frontal aspect; Fig. 6, apex of ventrite 5, ventral aspect. Scale bars = 1.0 mm; the same scale for Figs. 2, 3.