Anthaxia (Cratomerus) tankenethi, Obořil & Baňař, 2021

Obořil, Martin & Baňař, Petr, 2021, A contribution to the taxonomy of Anthaxia (Cratomerus) (Coleoptera Buprestidae: Anthaxiini) of East Africa, Zootaxa 4969 (2), pp. 367-376 : 370-374

Anthaxia (Cratomerus) tankenethi sp. nov.

( Figs 4–6 , 9–10 , 13–14 , 17, 19 , 21, 23, 25–26 )

Type locality: South Kenya, Voi .

Type material examined. Holotype, male: KENYA - S. / VOI, / 13.-17.xii.1997 / M.Snížek leg // HOLOTYPUS / Anthaxia (Cratomerus) / tankenethi sp. nov. / M. Obořil & P. Baňař det. 2020’ [printed red label] ( NMPC). Allotype female: KENYA E. 2010 / E of Mawingi / W OF NGUNI / Snížek 1.12. // ALLOTYPUS / Anthaxia (Cratomerus) / tankenethi sp. nov. / M. Obořil & P. Baňař det. 2020’ [printed red label] ( MOCO). Paratypes (18 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀): ETHIOPIA: ETHIOPIA S.Sidamo pr. / 855m. 25km SE Konsa / 18.4.2007 / J.Halada lgt. (4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ MOCO); ETHIOPIA – S / 20km SE Konsa / 05°15´N / 37°32´E 850m / J.Halada. 10.V.2015 (1 ♀ MKNC); KENYA: KENYA - S. / VOI, / 13.-17.xii.1997 / M.Snížek leg. (1 ♀ SBPC); KENYA - S. / VOI, / 23.xii.1997 / M.Snížek leg. (1 ♂ MOCO; 1 ♂ MKNC); KENYA S / VOI / 11.1997 / Lgt. M.SNÍŽEK (1 ♂ MOCO); KENYA south / VOI (Tsavo)//23.3.- 4.4.1997 / leg.Ma. Halada (1 ♀ MKNC); KENYA Tsavo Nat. Park / Kilanguni Lodge / e.l.Acacia sp. VI.1986 / leg. R.Mourglia (1 ♀ MOCO); KENYA -CE, 4.xii. / EASTERN, 1997, / MWINGI env. /M.Snížek leg. (1 ♀ MOCO; 1 ♀ MKNC); KENYA centr. / 10 km E of MBUWU / 30.11.2007 / M.Škorpík lgt. (1 ♂ MOCO; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ MŠLC); KENYA Eastern / NGUNI 30.12. /A OF NGOMENI /Lgt.Snížek 2007 (1 ♂ MKNC); KENYA SE12.12. /VOI 2007 / S FOOT SAGALA / Lgt. Snížek Mts. (1 ♂ MKNC); KENYA E.2010 / E of Mawingi / W OF NGUNI / Snížek 1.12. (1 ♂ MOCO; 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀ RUPC; 1 ♂ MKNC); KENYA / Tsavo / Kilaguni lodge / e.l. x.1985 / leg. Mourglia / e.x. / Acacia / spec. (1 ♂ SBPC); KENYA SE / SW of Voi // 8.- 12.12.2009 / Snížek tgt. (1 ♂ SBPC); KENYA, coast prov. / Voi env.- SAGALLA HILLS / 10.- 16.12.2000 // Ivo Martinů Lgt. (1 ♂ SBPC); TANZANIA: TANZANIA 11.XII.94 / near Same / WERNER leg. (1 ♂, 1 ♀ MOCO).

Description of holotype. Body long and slender, cylindrical. Total body length 4.4 mm, widest across abdominal tergites, ratio of the total body length to maximum width (measured across abdomen) 3.28.

Head ( Figs 4–6 ) wide, rounded, dark green, vertex in the middle with wide blackish spot. Eyes large, broadly rounded, slightly exceeding anterior corners of pronotum, eye 0.91 times as wide as frons. Frons with weakly delimited black strip reaching to clypeus, epistome green. Clypeus black, with anterior margin straight. Vertex bare, frons with recumbent whitish pubescence. Cuticular sculpture of head prominent, consisting of polygonal cells with regularly elevated margins, without central grains. Inner surface of cells with microsculpture of minute cells. Width of eye the same as minimum interocular distance.

Antennae ( Figs 4–6 , 19 ) black, very short, not reaching middle of the pronotum when laid alongside, from antennomere IV segments conspicuously transverse, widest in antennomere VIII. Antennae sparsely covered with whitish setae. Scape elongate, pear-shaped, 2.8 times longer than wide. Pedicel shorter, 1.2 times longer than wide. Antennomere III elongate, 1.2 times longer than wide. Antennomere IV sub-trapezoidal, pointed anteriorly; antennomeres V – X sub-trapezoidal, rounded anteriorly; antennomere XI ovoid.

Pronotum rectangular, wider than long (ratio length to its maximum width 0.69); widest in the middle of its length, with very narrow collar on its anterior bisinuate margin, without pubescence. Posterior corners of pronotum sharp (90°). Structure regularly coarse on the whole surface consist of polygonal cells with inner wrinkles. Colour of pronotum green with two wide, black stripes in the middle.

Scutellum cordiform, dark green, with fine microsculpture.

Elytra 2.26 times as long as wide, widest in humeral angles, than regularly narrowing towards apex. Apical sixth of elytra serrate. Antero-lateral corners of elytra sharp. Humeral angles not exceeding elytra outline. Elytra narrow, not completely covering (brightly green) several abdominal tergites. Colour of elytra dark green with blackish tinge with brightly green stripe by elytral suture.

Venter ( Figs 9–10 , 13–14 ). Prosternal process widely cross-like, with sharp apices. Cuticular sculpture oval, coarse, with white short pubescence. Colour of prosternum golden-reddish, meso- and meta sternum and abdominal sternites blue with metallic lustre, with bowl-shaped structure with inner microstructure. Body venter sparsely covered with white pubescence. Anal ventrite ( Fig. 25 ) triangular, its apex sinuate, apical two thirds of lateral margins serrate.

Legs slender, of variable colour. Femora and tibiae with microsculpture a sparsely with whitish pubescence. Fore femur ventrally golden-reddish, on inner margin smooth. Fore tibia ( Fig. 17 ) on outer margin finely serrate, bent, on inner margin S- shaped with reddish setae on apical third, blackish from ventral side, greenish-red from dorsal side. Middle femur dorsally black, reddish-gold from ventral side. Middle tibia dorsally black, ventrally black with greenish tinge. Hind tibia straight, slightly S-shaped on inner margin.

Aedeagus ( Fig 21 ) robust and wide. Penis flat, 4.28 times as long as wide, weakly sclerotized, with sharp apex. Parameres with broadened basis (here almost as wide as in median part), 2.71 times as long as wide. Parameral apices broad, with four conspicuous setae each.

Intraspecific variability. No structural difference as well as colour differences of dorsum between sexes. Females less reddish coloured ventrally. Some specimens bluish instead of green colour.

Bionomy. Unknown, one paratype bears note „Acacia sp.“.

Etymology. Species name composed of the letters of countries of known distribution – Tan -zania, Ken -ya and Ethi -opia.

Differential diagnosis. Anthaxia tankenethi sp. nov. differs from A. gebhardti by wider and more robust head; robust and oustanding eyes, minimum interocular distance larger than width of eye (minimum interocular distance shorter than width of eye in A. gebhardti ); pronotum in the middle with cell-like cuticular structure (wrinkled structure in A. gebhardti ); male fore tibia on outer (posterior) margin very finely, inconspicuously serrate or smooth (conspicuously serrate in A. gebhardti ); body venter of various colouration – green, blue, reddish (uniformly green in A. gebhardti ); anal ventrite of male deeply cut (ventrite of male inconspicuously cut apically in A. gebhardti ).

Figures

FIGURES 4–8. 4–6 Dorsal habitus of Anthaxia (Cratomerus) tankenethi sp. nov. 4, male holotype; 5, female paratype (Kenya, Mwingi); 6, female paratype of aberrant bluish colour (Tanzania, Same). 7–8 Dorsal habitus of A. (C.) gebhardti Obenberger, 1924. 7, male; 8, female (both Tanzania, Dodoma).

FIGURES 9–12. 9–10 Ventral habitus of Anthaxia (Cratomerus) tankenethi sp. nov. 9, male paratype (Kenya, Voi); 10, female paratype (Ethiopia, Sidamo). 11–12 Ventral habitus of A. (C.) gebhardti Obenberger, 1924. 11, male; 12, female (both Tanzania, Dodoma).

FIGURES 13–16. 13–14 Lateral view of Anthaxia (Cratomerus) tankenethi sp. nov. 13, male holotype; 14, female paratype. 15–16 Lateral view of A. (C.) gebhardti Obenberger, 1924. 15, male; 16, female.

FIGURES 17–20. 17, 19 Anthaxia (Cratomerus) tankenethi sp. nov., male paratype. 18, 20 A. (C.) gebhardti Obenberger, 1924, male. 17–18, right foreleg, anterior view; 19–20, right antenna, dorsal view.

FIGURES 21–28. 21–22, aedeagi; 23–24, right hind tibiae indorsal view; 25–28, anal ventrites.21, 23, 25 Anthaxia (Cratomerus) tankenethi sp. nov., male holotype. 22, 24, 27 A. (C.) gebhardti Obenberger, 1924, male. 26, A. (C.) tankenethi sp. nov., female paratype; 28, A. (C.) gebhardti Obenberger, 1924, female. Scale bar 0.5 mm.