Chrysobothris bimaculata, Macrae, 2016

Macrae, Ted C., 2016, Chrysobothris bimaculata (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a new species from Jamaica, with a key to the genus in Jamaica, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 56 (1), pp. 29-33 : 30-32

Chrysobothris bimaculata sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Type locality. Jamaica, Trelawny Parish, Cockpit Country, Windsor Research Center , 18°21′19″N, 77°38′49″W, ca. 100 m a.s.l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, “ JAMAICA, Trelawny, / Cockpit country, Windsor / research center [p] // 18°21’19” N 77°38’49” W / 26–29.v.2014 / E. RUZZIER leg. [printed white labels] // HOLOTYPE / Chrysobothris / bimaculata / MacRae [printed red label]” ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. Very small, convex above and below, elytra widest just behind middle and narrowing apically; eyes narrowly separated on vertex by less than length of antennomere III; pronotal surface evenly, weakly transversely punctate; elytral surface evenly, moderately punctate, without visible costae or foveae; above submetallic black with shining green, blue, red, and violet markings, head green to blue-green from frons to narrowly behind eyes, black behind, central area of frons golden-green, clypeus blue-green; pronotum with central aeneous reflections, front margin, base, and lateral areas green (blue-green in certain lights); elytra with base and basal two-fifths of suture and lateral margins green (blue-green in certain lights) that are expanded posteriorly, the lateral more strongly so, each elytron with large, red post-median spot that is more violaceous posteriorly, dark area surrounding spot with distinct violaceous reflections, apices bright green, green area extending forward along apical onefourth of suture and along lateral margin to narrowly connect with basal green area; below shining metallic black with lateral green, violet, and red markings; lateral portions of thorax underneath brassy to reddish cupreous, narrowly bright green on abdomen; legs with femora blue to blue-green, tibiae and tarsi dark violaceous.

Description. Holotype female ( Fig. 1 ). Size 5.00 mm long × 2.15 mm wide, subdepressed.

Head rather evenly shallowly convex, coarsely densely punctate, with an arcuate carina on vertex that ends in a distinct chevron at top of frons and an irregularly transverse callosity at middle; white setae on lower frons short, suberect, longer and subdepressed on clypeus; front margin of clypeus moderately broadly, deeply, arcuately emarginate; antennomere I dark blue, bright green at base, II and III dark violaceous, IV–XI black with brassy reflections.

Pronotum shallowly evenly convex, vaguely depressed on each side of middle before base; surface with punctures smaller, shallower, and sparser than on head, especially at middle, becoming confused laterally and with transverse rugae developing; front margin broadly, weakly produced at middle; hind margin evenly bisinuate, truncate in front of scutellum; sides slightly swollen, margins entire, nearly straight, front angles broadly triangular; setae short, sparse, barely visible on disk.

Elytra distinctly wider than pronotum, constricted basally, widest behind the middle, then gradually evenly converging to moderately rounded apices; basal margins weakly angularly produced at middle, lateral margins distinctly serrate from behind middle to apices; basal depressions distinct, humeral depressions present but shallow; surface without any visible costae; rather evenly moderately shallowly punctate, punctures similar to those on pronotum, becoming finer and sparser apically, setae short, sparse, indistinct; elytra covering eighth tergite.

Underside. Prosternum broadly lobed in front, coarsely densely punctate, with setae moderate, dense, recumbent. Abdomen without lateral callosities, moderately and sparsely punctate, setae long, recumbent; last visible ventrite with lateral margins entire, with weakly developed submarginal ridges, apex with a broad shallow emargination that is limited ventrally by a fine weakly arcuate margin. Anterior femur with a large broadly triangular acute tooth that is not denticulate on outer margin. Anterior tibia slightly arcuate, simple.

Differential diagnosis. Chrysobothris bimaculata sp. nov. is easily distinguished from all other known West Indian species by the unique pattern of markings on the elytra, in particular the two large round red postmedian spots. From the five other species known from Jamaica it also differs by the form of the pronotum; widest at the base with the sides straight and slightly converging towards the apex. In C. insulana Fisher, 1925 and C. sexfasciata jamaicensis Fisher, 1925 the pronotum is widest at the middle with the sides evenly arcuate; in C. gowdeyi Fisher, 1930 it is widest near the apex with the sides feebly expanded from the base; in C. pseudinsularis Hoscheck, 1931 it is widest at the base with the sides evenly arcuate; and in C. quadrimaculata (Fabricius, 1776) it is widest and strongly angulate near the apex. It is further distinguished from C. gowdeyi by the rounded elytral apices not produced into apical spines. Collecting circumstances. Nothing is known about the biology of this species. The area around the type locality contains some of the island’s few remaining tracts of moist low to middle elevation forest (PECK & KUKALOVA- PECK 1975). The single type specimen was collected by beating leaves on the tops of trees with a butterfly net during the early morning hours (E. Ruzzier, pers. comm.).

Etymology. The specific epithet, an adjective, refers to the two large red elytral spots.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Jamaica.

Comments. Chrysobothris bimaculata sp. nov. is one of many West Indian species in the genus exhibiting bright red spots or maculae on the elytra or pronotum; otherwise not common in the genus. These are often combined with brilliant metallic green, blue, or violaceous markings, as a result making Carribean Chrysobothris among the most ornate in the genus. The functional significance of this distinctive color motif is unknown.

Figures

Fig. 1. Chrysobothris bimaculata sp. nov. Holotype female, dorsal habitus. Scale bar = 1 mm.