Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) vlasta, Bílý, Svatopluk, 2014

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2014, A new species of the genus Anthaxia Eschscholtz, 1829 from southern Africa (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Anthaxiini), Zootaxa 3774 (2), pp. 193-196 : 193-195

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) vlasta sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–3 )

Type specimens studied. Holotype (male, NMPC): “ Zimbabwe West, Victoria Falls, 5.xii.1996, lgt. P. Macháček”; allotype (female, NMPC): “ Zimbabwe, Matobo N. P., S of Bulawayo, 3.xii.–5.xii.1998, A. Kudrna Jr. leg.”; paratypes: the same data as holotype (1 male, MKCN); “S. Rhodesia Afr. [ Zimbabwe], Inyati, A. H. Capener c.; Dec. 1951 [reverse side,] // “Inyati, S. Rhodesia, Dec. [19]51” (1 male, NMPC); “ Zimbabwe mer., Bubi River vall., 70 km N of Beitbridge, 8.xii.1998, lgt. F. Kantner” (1 male, MKCN); “Southern Malawi, Nchema, 2 km E Ndunde, SE 15 35 Cb, 4.xii. 1983, 800 m, CLBellamy, E. Holm, J. vd Berg, M. Edwardes” (1 male, NMPC); “S. Afr: Northern Prov.Geelhoutbosch farm, 24.22S- 27.34E // 29.xi.–2.xii.1999, E-Y: 3389, leg. Bellamy: MacFayden” (1 female, NMPC); “ Rwanda, Rusumo, Ibanda Makera, x. [19]93, Th. Wagner leg.” (1 female, NMPC); “Tanganyika [ Tanzania], Ukiriguru, 24.x.1960, S. Net Hill, I. A. D. Robertson” (1 female, NMPC).

Diagnosis. Small (3.5–4.2 mm), convex, subparallel, rather lustrous; dorsal surface bicolorous: head green, pronotum golden-orange with greenish anterior angles, elytra and scutellum blue-green (male—Fig. 1) or head black with red lustre, pronotum golden-red with darkened anterior third, elytra dark green with blue lustre, scutellum goldenorange (female—Fig. 2); ventral surface black with green lustre (male) or black with violet lustre (female); antennae and legs green (male) or black with golden lustre (female); dorsal surface asetose, frons with extremely short, sparse, white pubescence; ventral surface asetose, abdominal ventrites with short, sparse, microscopic, white pubescence.

Description of the male holotype ( Fig. 1 ). Head small, as wide as anterior pronotal margin, partly retracted into prothorax; anterior margin of frontoclypeus widely, shallowly emarginate; frons slightly convex with weak depression above frontoclypeus; vertex flat, nearly twice as wide as width of eye; eyes small, reniform, very slightly projecting beyond outline of head; sculpture of head consisting of dense, polygonal cells with central grains; antennae slender reaching midlength of lateral pronotal margins when laid alongside; scape claviform, slightly curved, 4 times as long as wide; pedicel ovoid, 1.4 times as long as wide; third antennomere nearly triangular, twice as long as wide; antennomeres 4–10 trapezoidal, 0.9–1.1 as wide as long, terminal antennomere subcylindrical, 2.3 times as long as wide.

Pronotum nearly regularly convex with very small central depression, 1.7 times as wide as long; lateroposterior depressions very shallow, weakly developed; anterior margin biarcuate, posterior margin very slightly biarcuate; lateral margins regularly rounded, posterior angles obtuse; maximum pronotal width at anterior third; sculpture homogeneous, consisting of regular, polygonal cells with large central grains. Scutellum small, triangular, slightly convex, 1.2 times as long as wide.

Elytra regularly convex, twice as long as wide, subparallel at anterior two thirds, regularly tapering posteriorly at apical third; posterior fourth of elytral margins very slightly, almost indistinctly serrate, each elytron rounded separately; humeral swellings small, not projecting beyond elytral outline; basal transverse depression wide and shallow, reaching scutellum; elytral epipleura relatively wide, parallel-sided, nearly reaching elytral apex; elytral sculpture very fine, consisting of small punctures on disc and fine, transverse rugae along lateral margins and at humeral part.

Ventral surface lustrous with fine (on abdominal ventrites very fine) ocellation; prosternal process flat, sharply pointed apically, strongly, abruptly enlarged posterior to procoxae; anal ventrite widely rounded, weakly truncate apically, without lateral serrations. Legs very slender, relatively long, both meso- and metatibiae almost straight; inner margin of metatibiae with several very small teeth at posterior third. Tarsal claws small, weakly hook-shaped, with basal tooth.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 3 ) widely spindle-shaped, parameres conspicuously widened at midlength; median lobe pointed apically, without lateral serrations.

Sexual dimorphism. Female differs from male by the colouration (see above and Fig. 2 ), much deeper and wider lateroposterior pronotal depressions, narrowly rounded anal ventrite and by the simple metatibiae.

Measurements. Length: 3.5–4.2 mm (holotype 3.7 mm); width: 1.2–1.5 mm (holotype 1.4 mm).

Variability. Vertex: 1.8–2.3 times wider than width of eye; pronotum 1.6–1.7 times as wide as long; elytra 1.9–2.0 times as long as wide. The colouration of pronotum in 3 females varies from golden-red with darkened anterior third to almost red with blue-black triangle at anterior third.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Etymology. Noun in apposition; this species is dedicated to my wife Vlasta as my thanks for her whole-life help, support and patience.

Differential diagnosis. Among the Ethiopian species, Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) vlasta sp. nov. somewhat resembles by its colouration females of A. (H.) chlorophyla Obenberger, 1928 (treated erroneously in the subgenus Anthaxia s. str. in Bílý (1997) and Bellamy (2008)) but it differs strongly from it by its very slightly convex frons, longer antennae, quite different pronotal sculpture and shape of elytra, form of male metatibiae, genitalia and tarsal claws. The shape of tarsal claws, with the relatively large basal tooth resembles tarsal claws of A. (H.) gussmannae Bílý, 2002 but this is the only similarity. Anthaxia (H.) vlasta sp. nov. differs from it by the large size, completely different sculpture of pronotum and elytra, colouration and by the different male metatibiae and genitalia (see Bílý, 2002). Tarsal claws with a basal tooth are a very unusual character in the Ethiopian Anthaxia and they were recorded only in A. (H.) gussmannae . Similar shaped tarsal claws in Anthaxia was observed only in the A. (H.) collaris Kerremans, 1893 species-group from south-eastern Asia ( Bílý, 1995). By its lustrous body, bright orange pronotum and blue-green elytra it also resembles small specimens of the Palaearctic species Anthaxia (H.) turcomanica Obenberger, 1937 from Turkey.

Anthaxia (H.) vlasta sp. nov. is a rather isolated species and it is impossible to attribute it (at present) to any known Ethiopian species-group.

Distribution. Malawi, Republic of South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) vlasta sp. nov. Fig. 1: holotype, male, 3.7 mm; Fig. 2: allotype, female, 4.2