Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) toxopeusi Obenberger, 1932

Frank, David, 2024, Revision of the subgenus Chalcotaenia of Paracupta (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Chrysochroinae) and specification of Buprestis xanthocera Boisduval, 1835 as the type-species of the genus Paracupta, Zootaxa 5555 (4), pp. 535-568 : 561-566

Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) toxopeusi Obenberger, 1932 , assign. nov.

( Figs 54–59 , 78 )

Paracupta toxopeusi Obenberger (1932): 367 (original description).

Paracupta (Paracupta) toxopeusi : Bellamy (2008): 508 (catalogue).

Type locality. Original type locality ‘ Buru, Station 7’ here specified to: Indonesia, Maluku Province, Buru Island , road between Leksula (3°46'39"S, 126°30'53"E) and Mngeswain (3°37'2"S, 126°29'45"E) (see ‘Remarks’) .

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE (by monotypy): ♀ (30.50 × 9.50 mm; Figs 54–56, 59 ), ‘L.J.TOXOPEUS | Buru, Station 7 | ult. Sept.1921 [w(c), p] || TYPUS [r, p (black border)] || Mus. Nat. Pragae | Inv. 20 054 [orange, p/h] || Paracupta | Toxopeusi | m. Type | Det. Dr Obenberger [w, h/p]’ ( NMPC).

The specimen was provided with an additional red printed label: ‘ HOLOTYPE (by monotypy) | Paracupta | toxopeusi ♀ | OBENBERGER, 1932 | David Frank des. VI.2023 [date handwritten]’.

Original specimen of unpublished manuscript name (see ‘Remarks’). Paracupta laperousei subsp. martini Théry : ♀ (32.50 × 10.25 mm; Figs 57, 58 ), ‘Tifoe Baai | Zuid Boeroe | Exp.Martin VI.[18]92 [w(c), p; black border] || Paracupta | Laperousei | ssp. Martini | Thery | TYPE [w(c), h/p—red letters)]’ ( MNHN).

The specimen was provided with an additional red printed label: ‘ Paracupta | laperousei | martini | THÉRY | unpublished manuscript name | David Frank VI. 2023 [date handwritten]’ and also white printed label ‘ Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) | toxopeusi | OBENBERGER, 1932 | David Frank det. VI.2023 [date handwritten]’.

Additional material examined (1 ♀). INDONESIA: MALUKU PROv.: Buru Island: BURU Isl., Indonesia , 4-97, 1 ♀ ( SGBG) .

Redescription of holotype. Well preserved ♀ specimen, only right hind tarsus missing. Length 30.50 mm, width 9.50 mm, length/width ratio: 3.21.

Body navicular, head, elytra and pronotum black-violet with green macropunctures and reflections. Ventral side and legs dark green, metallic.

Head black-violet with green macropunctures, macropunctate and sparsely micropunctate. Eyes large, oval. Frons 2.0× as wide as diameter of eye, impressed with medial sulcus, macropunctate and pubescent. Labrum brown, pubescent. Antennae serrate from antennomere IV. Antennomeres I and II dark green, macropunctate and pubescent, radicula and antennomeres from III yellow-brown, sparsely pubescent. Antennomere II ca. 3× shorter than I and III. Antennomeres IV–X triangular, XI oval. Maxillae, labium, maxillary palpi and labial palpi pale brown, densely pubescent.

Pronotum trapezoidal, moderately narrowing anteriad with moderately rounded sides, widest at base, black-violet with green macropunctures and sulci, 1.4× as wide as long. Anterior margin arcuate, lobe not protruding, densely pubescent. Medial sulcus well developed, intermedial and lateral sulci only very slightly indicated and reduced to small and shallow impressions. Sulci green macropunctate and sparsely micropunctate. Lateral margin dark green-violet, shiny. Basal margin slightly bisinuate.

Scutellum small, trapezoidal, black-violet with green reflections.

Elytra slightly wider than pronotum at base, parallel at basal half, narrowing from mid-length to apex, convex in lateral view. Lateral margins arcuate below humeral calli, serrate at apical two fifths. Four weak costae on each elytron well developed from basal third to apex, slightly indicated at basal third. Intercostae also well developed from basal third, almost as developed as main costae. Basic colour black-violet with green reflections mainly at basal third, darker at apex. Macropunctures dark green or bronze, separated. Suture and costae almost without macropunctures. Elytra sparsely micropunctate and with sparse short pubescence. Epipleura horizontal, dark green at basal half, black at apical half, macropunctate and pubescent.

Legs dark green. Femora densely macropunctate and pubescent on inner side, sparsely on outer side, tibiae regularly macropunctate and pubescent. Tibiae with two apical ventral spurs. Tarsi yellow-brown, last tarsomere dark green, tarsal claws divergent and simple.

Ventral side dark green with violet reflections at lateral parts, metallic. Hypomeron more densely macropunctate than prosternum. Anterior margin of prosternum densely pubescent. Prosternal process almost parallel-sided, arcuately narrowed at apex, approximately 3.7× as long as wide, sparsely macropunctate and with sparse short pubescence. Metasternum sparsely macropunctate and pubescent at central part, densely at lateral parts, shiny. Abdominal ventrites I–V centrally sparsely macropunctate, laterally densely macropunctate with short pubescence, laterally covered by yellow-brown wax. Apical part dark, macropunctate and with small ‘U’ shaped notch.

Variation. Body ♀♀ (n = 3): length: 30.50–33.25 (average 32.08) mm, width: 9.50–11.25 (average 10.33) mm, length/width ratio: 2.96–3.21 (average 3.11). Colouration of all three specimens almost identical. Male unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Paracupta (C.) toxopeusi can be easily distinguished from the other taxa with yellow tarsi by well developed only medial sulcus on pronotum and well developed intercostae. For additional characters see Key to species.

Distribution. Indonesia, Maluku Province, Buru Island ( Fig. 78 ).

Remarks. There is a specimen of P. (C.) toxopeusi with Théry’s handwritten label ‘ Paracupta | Laperousei | ssp. Martini | Thery | TYPE [w(c), h/p (red stamp)]’ in MNHN but Théry never described this taxon. Therefore the specimen was provided with an additional red printed label ‘ Paracupta | laperousei | martini | THÉRY | unpublished manuscript name | David Frank VI.2023 [date handwritten]’.

Obenberger (1932) denoted ‘Buru, Station 7’ as the type locality of Paracupta (C.) toxopeusi because majority of original Toxopeus’ printed labels contain only locality data ‘Station’ and respective number. Toxopeus (1924) published a report from his expedition to Buru Island with a listing of localities.According to this article type locality is specified as follows: Indonesia, Maluku Province, Buru Island, road between Leksula (3°46'39"S, 126°30'53"E) and Mngeswain (3°37'2"S, 126°29'45"E).

Figures

FIGURES 54–61. 54–56, 59—Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) toxopeusi Obenberger, 1932 (holotype, ♀ 30.50 mm, NMPC, Buru Is.). 57, 58—Paracupta laperousei ssp. martini Théry (type, unpublished manuscript name) = P. (C.) toxopeusi (♀ 32.50 mm, MNHN, Buru Is.). 60—P. (C.) laperousei sp. nov. (holotype, ♂ 25.25 mm, NMPC, Bacan Is.). 61—P. laperousei Théry (cotype, unpublished manuscript name) = P. (C.) laperousei sp. nov. (paratype, ♀ 31.75 mm, MNHN, Bacan Is.). 54, 57—dorsal view; 55—ventral view; 56—lateral view; 58–61—labels.

FIGURES 78–79. 78—map of distribution: Paracupta (C.) horaki sp. nov.—red; P. (C.) laperousei sp. nov.—yellow; P. (C.) toxopeusi—green. 79—map of distribution: P. (P.) xanthocera—yellow; P. (C.) jakli sp. nov.—red; P. (C.) isabellina—blue; P. (C.) gottwaldi sp. nov.—brown; P. (C.) rennelli—green. 78, 79—map of distribution.