Anthaxomorphus Deyrolle, 1864

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2007, New genus and species of the subtribe Anthaxomorphina Hołyński, 1993 from Eastern Indonesia, with taxonomic and bionomical notes on the genus Anthaxomorphus Deyrolle, 1864 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Aphanisticini), Zootaxa 1583 (1), pp. 43-50 : 46-48

Anthaxomorphus Deyrolle, 1864

Anthaxomorphus Deyrolle, 1864: 219 .

Type species: Anthaxomorphus papuanus Deyrolle, 1864 (fixed by subsequent designation by Cobos, 1979).

Bolivarina Obenberger, 1921: 13 , syn. nov.

Type species: Bolivarina paradoxa Obenberger, 1921: 13 (fixed by original designation and monotypy).

The genus Anthaxomorphus was created by Deyrolle (1864) for four species from Papua New Guinea and adjacent islands. The type species, A. papuanus , was subsequently designated by Cobos (1979). The genus was recently reviewed by Bellamy (1987) who listed 22 species from the Afrotropical, Oriental and Australian Regions. An additional two species were described by Williams & Weir (1992) from Papua New Guinea and Queensland and one species by Kalashian (1993) from Africa ( Guinea).

The genus was alternatively shifted from Trachydini Laporte, 1835 (e.g. Descarpentries & Villiers, 1964) to Aphanisticini Jacquelin du Val, 1863 (e.g. Cobos, 1979; Williams & Weir, 1992) and most recently placed as the subtribe Anthaxomorphina Hołyński, 1993 into Aphanisticini by Bellamy (2003). Obenberger (1921) described the genus Bolivarina for the single species from Fernando Poo ( B. paradoxa ). This genus was later synonymised by Théry (1930) with Anthaxomorphus but again elevated by the same author ( Théry, 1933) as the subgenus of Anthaxomorphus . This division was also accepted by all subsequent authors ( Williams & Weir, 1992; Kalashian, 1993; Bellamy, 1987, 2003) although Descarpentries & Villiers (1964:250 footnote) suggested the separation of African and Oriental species into two genera on the basis of different shape of frontoclypeus. After having studied nearly all described species (except for A. queenslandicus Williams & Weir, 1992 and A. bouganvillensis Williams & Weir, 1992 ), I failed to find any substantial difference between the shape of frontoclypeus of African and Oriental species. Moreover diagnostic characters between Anthaxomorphus and Bolivarina given by Obenberger (1921) (blister-shaped elevations on elytra and width of head) are not distinctive enough for the separation of two taxa on the generic/subgeneric level and they were also rejected by Théry (1930). The width of head of Bolivarina paradoxa (holotype studied) is the same as in the most Anthaxomorphus species and the blister-shaped elytral elevations or knolls are developed in various degrees in other species of the genus; the transitory forms from regularly convex elytra through slightly uneven elytra to elytra with conspicuous elytral elevations or blister-shaped knolls can be found within the genus both in Afrotropical and Oriental Regions. The same variability of elytral sculpture can also be observed in the genera Endelus Deyrolle, 1864 and Aphanisticus Latreille, 1829 . Considering these facts, I regard the genera Anthaxomorphus and Bolivarina as synonymous, Bolivarina Obenberger, 1921 being a younger synonym of Anthaxomorphus Deyrolle, 1864 .

The subtribe Anthaxomorphina now includes two genera ( Anthaxomorphus and Endelomorphus gen. nov.) and can be separated from the probably closely related subtribe Aphanisticina (genera Aphanisticus and Endelus ) by the following characters: frontoclypeus not separated from frons (separated from frons by carina or deep groove in Aphanisticina ), frons without postclypeal pits (with 2, rarely 1 postclypeal pits in Aphanisticina ), metafemora strongly swollen, adapted for jumping (simple in Aphanisticina ), first tarsomere of hind tarsi as long as tarsomeres 2 and 3 together and with fully developed adhesive pad (as long as tarsomere 2 and with reduced adhesive pad in Aphanisticina ), by reduced anal veins of hind wings ( Williams & Weir, 1992) and by different form of male genitalia.

Both genera of Anthaxomorphina share some common characters alternatively with Aphanisticus and Endelus . The radial cell of hind wings is fully developed in Endelus , Anthaxomorphus and Endelomorphus gen. nov. (completely missing in Aphanisticus ) unlike the sternal groove on ventrites: reduced only to anal ventrite in Aphanisticus , Anthaxomorphus and Endelomorphus gen. nov. ( Figs. 4, 5 ) and fully developed on all ventrites in Endelus . This character is supposed to be rather important in the relationships among the genera of Aphanisticini ( Jendek, 2001) .

There are also substantial differences in the bionomy of the species in each genus: development of the Endelus species seem to be connected with ferns (Pteridophyta), larvae of Aphanisticus live in leaves of grasses ( Cyperaceae , Juncaceae , Poaceae ), larvae of Anthaxomorphus are leaf-miners of Moraceae ( Ficus spp. ) and larvae of Endelomorphus gen. nov. are leaf-miners of Euphorbiaceae ( Macaranga spp. ).

Théry (1933) did not believe that swollen metafemora in some genera of Buprestidae are adapted for jumping (like in Alticidae). On the base of my own field experiences I can confirm that representatives of Agrilinae with swollen metafemurs ( Sambus Deyrolle, 1864 ; Pseudagrilus Laporte, 1835 ; Anthaxomorphus and Endelomorphus gen. nov.) really jump like fleas. I observed this behaviour in the following species: Anthaxomorphus oblongus Deyrolle, 1864 (Seram) , A. papuanus (Biak) , Endelomorphus biakensis gen. nov., sp. nov. (Biak), Sambus auberti Théry, 1926 , S. oresitrophus Obenberger, 1924 , S. parisii Deyrolle, 1864 and Sambus sp. ( Thailand) , Pseudagrilus dubius Obenberger, 1924 and P. transvaalensis Obenberger, 1924 ( South Africa).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Fig. 1, Endelomorphus biakensis gen. nov., sp. nov., holotype, male, 3.3 mm; Fig. 2, the same, aedeagus, holotype; Fig. 3, Anthaxomorphus papuanus Deyrolle, 1864, aedeagus; Fig. 4, E. biakensis gen. nov., sp. nov., anal ventrite, holotype; Fig. 5, A. papuanus, anal ventrite; Fig. 6, E. biakensis gen. nov., sp. nov., right metatibia, holotype. Scale bars: a – 1 mm; b – 0.5 mm.