Agrilus (Agrilus) sundholmi, Curletti, Gianfranco, 2009

Curletti, Gianfranco, 2009, Agrilus (Agrilus) sundholmi, a new Agrilus from Australia (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 2137, pp. 66-68 : 66-68

Agrilus (Agrilus) sundholmi n. sp.

( Figures 1, 2 )

Description. Length 8.5 to 10.7 mm. Head and pronotum bronze, elytra dark green, not metallic. Head with wide vertex, more than 1/3 of the anterior edge of pronotum. Frons flattened, almost glabrous with pubescent oval white spot medially and a transverse stripe of white pubescence basally. Same pubescence, but more dense, covering the integument and gula. Clypeus separate from the frons by a deep sulcus. Pronotum squared, not very transverse, with lateral margins and posterior right-angled. Disc depressed at the sides, covered by white pruinose pubescence covering the integument. The same pubescence medially, densely within the longitudinal sulcus. Sculpture composed of numerous narrow transverse striae. Premarginal carinula entire. Marginal carinae subparallel, separate from the posterior margin. Anterior prosternal lobe without teeth, a little sinuate medially. Scutellum with transverse carina. Elytra with perisutural depression, covered by white pruinose pubescence forming two longitudinal stripes suturally; remaining surface glabrous. Apex subacute and microdenticulate. Ventral margins with two median stripes of white pubescence on the thoracic ventrites. The same pubescence on metepisterna and at the metacoxa. Apical margin of the last visible ventrite rounded and entire. Legs with protarsal claws bifid; mesotarsal and metatarsal claws mucronate. Metatarsus nearly as long as the metatibia in the male; metatarsus much shorter than the metatibia in the female and nearly the same length as the other tarsi. Aedeagus sclerotized, black, elongate and parallel. Median lobe with acute apex ( Fig. 2 ).

Variation. In the paratypes, the elytral color varies from dark green to brown. The females have a more rounded body, metatarsus only as long as the tibia, with the second tarsomere markedly shorter; anterior claws mucronate.

Specimens examined. Type locality: Holotype ♂, 8.5 mm. Australia N.S.W. Shepherds Hill 33°03’06.50”S 146°14’44.92”E, elev. ~ 166 m, 23.I.2005, ~ 8:45 pm AEDT, on leaves of Acacia calamifolia Sweet ex Lindl., A.

Sundholm, J. Bugeja, J. Hokin legg. (AMSA). Paratypes (in order of date of collection), all Australia, N.S.W.: 1 Ƥ, Orange to Broken Hill Railway access road, apx. 6 km W of Euabalong West, apx. – 33°03’ 21.00”S, 146°19’46.00”E, elev. 164 m, 17.I.1987, on leaves of spikey-leaved Acacia sp., A. Sundholm, J. Bugeja leg., ASSA; 2 specimens ♂ and Ƥ, Matakana, 32°59’32.00”S, 145°54’26.00”E, elev. ~ 151 m, 1.II.2000, on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm, A. Scott, R. Chin leg., ASSA; 15 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ (how many of each?), Orange to Broken Hill Railway access road, Mellelea Loop, near Shepherds Hill, 33°03’06.50”S, 146°14’44.90”E, elev. 166 m, 23.I.2004, on leaves of Acacia calamifolia Sweet ex Lindl., A. Sundholm, R. Chin leg., ASSA; 3 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, Orange to Broken Hill Railway access road, Mellelea Loop, near Shepherds Hill, 33°03’06.50”S, 146°14’44.90”E, elev. 166 m, 23.I.2004, on leaves of Acacia calamifolia Sweet ex Lindl., A. Sundholm, R. Chin leg., MCCI; 1 Ƥ, Orange to Broken Hill Railway access road, Mellelea Loop, near Shepherds Hill, 33°03’05.50”S, 146°14’44.00”E, elev. 167 m, 31.I.2004, on leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm, A. Scott, R. Chin leg., ASSA; 2 specimens, Mellelea Loop, near Shepherds Hill Quarry. 33°03’06.50”S, 146°14’44.90”E, elev. 166 m, Elev. 166 m. 28.XII.2004, on leaves of Acacia calamifolia Sweet ex Lindl., A. Scott leg., ASCA; 1 Ƥ, 1 km. ESE of Mt. Hope, N.S.W., 8.I.2005, on Acacia leaves, T.M. Hanlon leg., MHPA; 4 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, Shepherds Hill; Round Hill Reserve, N.S.W., 8.I.2005, on spiky leaf Acacia, T.M. Hanlon leg., MHPA; 5 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, 6 km. NW of Yathong H.S., N.S.W., 5.II.2005, on Acacia leaves, T.M. Hanlon leg., MHPA; 7 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, Shepherds Hill, 33°03’06.50”S, 146°14’44.92”E, elev. ~ 166 m, 23.I.2005, ~ 8:45 pm AEDT, on leaves of Acacia calamifolia Sweet ex Lindl., A. Sundholm, J. Bugeja, J. Hokin leg., ASSA; 3 ♂, Shepherds Hill, 33°03’06.50”S, 146°14’44.92”E, elev. ~ 166 m, 23.I.2005, ~ 8:45 pm AEDT, on leaves of Acacia calamifolia Sweet ex Lindl., A. Sundholm, J. Bugeja, J. Hokin leg., MCCI; 2 specimens ♂ and Ƥ, Kidman Way Highway, 0.2 km N of Mount Hope (measured from hotel), 32°50’13.76”S, 145°52’48.74”E, elev. ~ 234 m, 22.XII.2005, on leaves of Acacia calamifolia Sweet ex Lindl., A. Sundholm leg., ASSA; 2 specimens ♂ and Ƥ, Mellelea Loop, near Shepherds Hill Quarry, 33°03’05.50”S, 146°14’44.00”E, elev. 167 m. Elev. ~ 172 m. 22.XII.2005, 9:18 am AEDT. 27.7° C., on dull upright green leaves of a fine-leaved Acacia sp., Allen Sundholm leg., ASSA; 4 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, Shepherds Hill, 13.5 km W of Euabalong West, 33°03’05.00”S, 146°14’43.00”E, elev. ~ 170 m, 27.XI.2006, ~ 12:45 pm AEDT, 31.8° C., on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm leg., ASSA; 10 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, 1.6 km SSW of The Round Hill, 32°58’34.00”S, 146°08’41.10”E, elev. ~ 170 m, 28.XI.2006, ~ 11:40 am AEDT, on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm leg., ASSA; 3 specimens, 1.6 km SSW of The Round Hill, 32°58’34.00”S, 146°08’41.10”E, elev. ~ 170 m, 28.XI.2006, ~ 11:40 am AEDT, on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm leg., AMSA; 4 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, 1.6 km SSW of The Round Hill, 32°58’34.00”S, 146°08’41.10”E, elev. ~ 170 m, 28.XI.2006, ~ 11:40 am AEDT, on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm leg., MCCI; 7 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, 1.5 km SSW of The Round Hill, 32°57’46.00”S, 146°08’00.30”E, elev. ~ 170 m, 31.XII.2006, ~ 6:15 pm AEDT, on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm leg., ASSA; 2 specimens, Shepherds Hill, 33°03’05.30”S, 146°14’43.70”E, elev. ~ 170 m, 21.I.2007, ~ 10:35 am AEDT, 17° C., on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm, A. Scott leg., ASSA; 4 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, 8.3 km W of Matakana railway siding, 32°59’38.70”S, 145°48’53.6”E, elev. ~ 144 m, 8.XII.2007, ~ 4:20 pm AEDT, 32.7° C., on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm, A. Scott leg., ASSA; 4 specimens, ♂ and ƤƤ, 8.3 km W of Matakana railway siding, 32°59’38.70”S, 145°48’53.6”E, elev. ~ 144 m, 8.XII.2007, ~ 4:20 pm AEDT, 32.7° C., on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., A. Sundholm, A. Scott leg., ASCA; 2 specimens, Lachlan Plains, Lake Cargelligo Mount Hope Road, 1.27 km SW of summit of Mount Hope, 32°58’16.70”S – 146°08’26.10”E, 29.XII.2008, between 5:00 pm and 5:12 pm AEDT, on upright dark green leaves of Acacia sp., Allen Sundholm, Joe Bugeja, Julie Hokin. Male holotype (K264568) and 3 paratypes (ƤƤ♂) in AMSA; 2 paratypes (Ƥ) in QMBA: T156299 and T156300; 57 (♂ and ƤƤ) paratypes in ASSA; 10 (♂ and ƤƤ) paratypes in MCCI; 10 (♂ and ƤƤ) paratypes in MHPA; 6 (♂ and ƤƤ) paratypes in ASCA.

Remarks. Due to a combination of the absence of teeth on the anterior prosternal lobe, the perisutural pubescence, the premarginal carinula entire, and the length of the metatarsi in the male, this new species can be grouped with A. mastersii Macleay, 1873 . Agrilus sundholmi differs from A. mastersii by having a shorter metatarsus in the female than the male, and an acute median lobe.

The key proposed by Curletti (2001) for the Australian Agrilus is modified to include A. sundholmi as follows:

8. Metatarsus longer than the metatibia in the male. ...................................................................................................... 8a - Metatarsus shorter or at most not longer than metatibia in the male............................................................................ 9 8a. Male and female with metatarsomere longer than metatibia. Female with only the first metatarsomere very long, almost as long as the sum of all others. Male also with second very long metatarsomere, with the length of the first two metatarsomeres longer than metatibia. .................................................................................. A. mastersii Macleay - Male with metatarsomere longer than metatibia, female with metatarsomere as long as the metatibia. In the male, the length of the first two metatarsomeres is not longer than the metatibia. ......................................... A. sundholmi n. sp.

Distribution. All specimens have been collected in the same general area (Lachlan Plains) north of the Lachlan River, New South Wales. In terms of the Interim Biological Regionalisation of Australia, (IBRA 6.1), the species is known from Murray Darling Depression (MDD) and Cobar Peneplain (CP).

Etymology. Named for Mr. Allen Michael Sundholm, a passionate Australian Buprestidae enthusiast.

Figures

FIGURE 1, 2. Agrilus (Agrilus) sundholmi n. sp. 1, Habitus of paratype Ƥ, 9.5 mm; 2, aedeagus, dorsal view, 3 mm.