Agrilus (Paralophotus) tsavoensis, Curletti & Sakalian, 2009

Curletti, Gianfranco & Sakalian, Vladimir, 2009, Sixteen new species of Agrilus Curtis, 1825 from East Africa (Coleoptera, Buprestidae), ZooKeys 24 (24), pp. 1-29 : 26-27

Agrilus (Paralophotus) tsavoensis , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:143D96AF-D5A7-4EF8-AF1B-507EDA70B723

Fig. 28

Type specimens. Holotype ♀: “ Kenya, Tsavo West National Park (03°30´S – 38°16´E), 4.11.2005, G. Curletti & V. Sakalian leg. “. Th e holotype is deposited in IZBAS.

Description. Body robust, subcylindrical, dark copper dorsally, underside bright copper, elytra with three spots of short golden pubescence.

Head with medial depression on vertex and upper portion of frons; depression with dense punctation; width of vertex between eyes 0.37 mm; frons flattened; frons, clypeus and genae with dense white pubescence; eyes narrow, long and flat, situated frontally; antennae very short, barely reaching posterior third of eyes; antennomeres 4–11 markedly wider than long, triangular.

Pronotum widest at anterior third; anterior margin straight, carinate; lateral margins strongly curved in posterior third; latero-posterior angles acute; pronotum with two wide and deep lateral depressions; disc with transverse central impression; prehumeral pronotal carinae straight, extending from posterior margin to posterior third of pronotum; marginal and submarginal carinae subparallel, not coalescent; discal sculpture consisting of transverse striae, pubescent.

Scutellum large and robust, anterior margin rounded; transverse carina present; hind projection short and acutely pointed.

Elytra distinctly widest at posterior third, width across humeri wider than pronotal base; humeral depressions deep, without pubescence; apices distinctly separately, arcuately acuminate, not serrulate; elytral disk with three spots of short, golden, pubescence in middle (not very distinct), posterior third and apical portions near suture; medial and postmedial spots arched; discal elytral sculpture consisting of polygonal cells.

Underside. Prosternal lobe robust, evenly arcuate. Prosternal process protruding in basal portion, sides parallel between procoxae, then narrowed apically; prosternum, prosternal process, meso- and metasternum with dense, white pubescence. Ventrites with uniform dense white pubescence; apex of last ventrite distinctly emarginate, with long setae. Metatarsus shorter than metatibia; basal metatarsomere shorter than following metatarsomeres together; tarsal claws bifid with short inner tooth.

Size. Length of the holotype 5.50 mm; width of the holotype 1.80 mm.

Differential diagnosis. There are no other Paralaphotus spp. known from Kenya with the eyes situated frontally as in this species. Curletti and Dutto (1999) described two species from Tanzania, Agrilus (Paralaphotus) invectus and A. (Paralaphotus) kenge with such character, but both of these species have mucronate elytral apices. Agrilus (Paralaphotus) myops Curletti,1998 from Somalia has strongly denticulate elytral apices while those of A. tsavoensis , sp. n. is smooth.

Etymology. Named for the type locality: Tsavo West National Park.

Figures

Figure 28. Agrilus (Paralophotus) tsavoensis, sp. n. (dorsal view).