Chalcophora liberta ( Germar, 1824 )

Maier, Crystal A. & Ivie, Michael A., 2013, Reevaluation of Chalcophora angulicollis (LeConte) and Chalcophora virginiensis (Drury) with a Review and Key to the North American Species of Chalcophora Dejean (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (4), pp. 457-469 : 466-467

Chalcophora liberta ( Germar, 1824) ( Figs. 3 , 8 , 19, 20 )

Buprestis liberta Germar, 1824: 38 .

Buprestis borealis Laporte and Gory, 1836: 13 (synonymized by LeConte 1860: 191).

Chalcophora parviceps Casey, 1909: 83 (synonymized by Leng 1920: 197).

For complete synonymy, see Bellamy (2008).

Diagnosis. This, the smallest North American species of Chalcophora (length 15–25 mm), may be readily distinguished from other Chalcophora by its truncate or rounded elytral apices, without a sutural spine ( Fig. 8 ), small size, and usually bright metallic, orange-green color (see variation below).

Redescription. Male. Length 15–25 mm, width 6–10 mm at widest point. Brilliant orange-copper to metallic green dorsally; ventrally shiny bronze to metallic green; occasionally dull black. Head deeply incised medially, heavily punctate, sparsely setose. Antenna dark brown; arising just inside inner margin of eye; antennomeres quadrate, with sparse setae apically. Pronotum widest in basal half; lateral borders arcuate; with fringe anteriorly; anterior angles acute, projecting forward around head; dorsal surface heavily sculptured, with depressed patches of very dense, convergent punctation interspersed with smooth, black elevations; pronotal elevations narrow; elevation pattern variable. Protibia with broad tooth apically, lacking prominent longitudinal ridges posteriorly or with two very weak ridges; with two short apical spines. Tibiae and femora sparsely, evenly punctate and lightly setose, with tuft of setae apically, line of setae extends along the length of the tibia. Prosternal process expanded posterior to procoxae, with two longitudinal grooves. Elytra subparallel, narrowing in apical two-thirds. Elytron heavily sculptured, with depressed patches of very dense, convergent punctation interspersed with smooth, black elevations; elytral elevations narrow; elytral sculpturing variable; lateral border smooth to weakly crenulate posteriorly, never serrate. Elytral apex truncate to broadly rounded, without sutural spine. Ventrally setose; ventrites evenly punctate, posterior border smooth; apical ventrite with a deep V-shaped notch posteriorly. Aedeagus with paramere narrow, not wrapping around median lobe, with tuft of setae apically; tegmen deeply incised medially; median lobe narrow, apex strongly acute (approximately 20°), with single ridge dorsally.

Female. Generally larger; last ventrite rounded posteriorly, notch absent.

Variation. The color and luster of this species can vary from brilliant metallic coppery orange to dull black. Additionally, there is an enormous amount of variation in size, the amount of sculpturing on the elytra and pronotum, and the density of setae ventrally.

Type Material Examined. H O L O T Y P E : C. parviceps – “ N. Y; T. B. A./ CASEY; Bequest; 1925/ TYPE USNM; 35741/ parviceps; Csy.” ( USNM) .

Other Material Examined. 52 specimens (see Maier 2010, Appendix C) .

Notes. Chalcophora liberta is the smallest Chalcophora in the Nearctic Region, and is distinctive when compared to other members of the genus. However, small C. virginiensis are often found in collections misidentified as C. liberta . Chalcophora liberta is generally a northern species, and the few records of C. liberta from the southeastern United States (Florida, North Carolina) were found to be misidentified, small C. virginiensis . Therefore, identification based on size alone is not appropriate for this species.

Host Records. Pinus resinosa Aiton , P. strobus ( Nelson et al. 2008) .

Recorded Distribution. CANADA: Manitoba, Ontario, Québec. USA: Alabama, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin .

Chalcophora virginiensis ( Drury, 1770) ( Figs. 1 , 6 , 13 , 15, 16 , 25 )

Buprestis virginiensis Drury, 1770: 88 .

Buprestis cupreomaculata Goeze, 1777: 596 (synonymized by Saunders 1870: 34).

Buprestis virginica Gmelin, 1790: 1940 (synonymized by LeConte 1860: 191).

Chalcophora novaeboracensis Fitch, 1858: 701 (synonymized by LeConte 1860: 191).

Chalcophora virginiensis var. immaculata Fitch, 1858: 700 .

Chalcophora lacustris LeConte, 1860: 190 (synonymized by Wellso et al. 1976: 6).

Chalcophora lacustris brevicollis Casey, 1909: 79 (synonymized by Kerremans 1909: 29).

Chalcophora virginiensis obliterata Casey, 1909: 78 (synonymized by Kerremans 1909: 26).

Chalcophora melanotum Muttkowski, 1910: 135 (synonymized by Leng 1920: 179).

Chalcophora mariana filigriana Obenberger, 1913: 28 (synonymized by Bílý 1981: 348).

Chalcophora ingens Casey, 1914: 360 (synonymized by Leng 1920: 179).

For complete synonymy, see Bellamy (2008), Hansen et al. (2012), and Westcott and Bellamy (2013).

Diagnosis. This species is most similar to the western species C. angulicollis . These species both possess two strong, longitudinal ridges on the posterior face of the protibia. Chalcophora virginiensis can be distinguished from C. angulicollis by the rounded shape of the penultimate maxillary palpomere, which is at least 1.7 times as long as wide ( Fig. 12 ), and the usually strongly serrate elytral margins ( Fig. 6 ). Additional confirmation of this species can be obtained by examining the aedeagus, which is always greater than 3.9 times as long as wide ( Figs. 15–16 ).

Redescription. Male. Length 18–30 mm, width 11–14 mm at widest point. Blackish, with a slight metallic copper luster; ventrally shining bronze to copper. Head deeply incised medially, heavily punctate, sparsely setose. Penultimate maxillary palpomere cylindrical, 1.7–1.8 times as long as wide. Antenna dark brown; arising just inside inner margin of eye; antennomeres quadrate, with sparse setae apically. Pronotum widest in basal two-thirds; lateral borders arcuate, moderately crenulate on apical one-third; with fringe anteriorly; anterior angles acute, projecting forward around head; dorsal surface heavily sculptured, with depressed patches of dense punctation interspersed with smooth, black elevations; pronotal elevations narrow; elevation pattern variable. Protibia with broad tooth apically; with two prominent, longitudinal ridges; with two short apical spines. Tibiae and femora sparsely, evenly punctate and lightly setose, with tuft of setae apically, line of setae extends along the length of the tibia. Prosternal process expanded posterior to procoxae, with two longitudinal grooves. Elytra subparallel, narrowing in apical two-thirds. Elytron heavily sculptured, with depressed patches of dense punctation interspersed with smooth black elevations; elytral elevations wide; elytral sculpturing variable; lateral border weakly to strongly serrate posteriorly. Elytral apex trunate to broadly rounded, with weak sutural spine or sutural spine absent. Ventrally setose; ventrites evenly punctate, posterior border smooth; apical ventrite with deep V-shaped notch posteriorly. Aedeagus four times as long as wide; parameres wrapping around median lobe, with tuft of setae apically; tegmen deeply incised medially; median lobe wide, apex acute (approximately 45°), with median ridge dorsally.

Female. Generally larger; last ventrite rounded posteriorly, notch absent.

Variation. The characters used in the diagnosis vary little within the species; the genitalia have consistent proportions, the penultimate maxillary palpomere is always cylindrical in this species, and the posterior face of the protibia always has strong ridges. The serration of the elytra varies slightly, but still remains a good character for identification.

Type Material Examined. H O L O T Y P E: C. virginiensis ssp. obliterata – “Fla./ CASEY; bequest; 1925/ TYPE USNM; 35731/ obliterata Csy.” ( USNM). HOLOTYPE : C. lacustris ssp. brevicollis – “Mass./ CASEY; bequest; 1925/ TYPE USNM; 35732/ brevicollis Csy.” ( USNM). HOLOTYPE : C. ingens – “ CASEY; bequest; 1925/ TYPE USNM; 35736/ ingens Csy. ” ( USNM).

Other Material Examined. 232 specimens (see Maier 2010, Appendix C) .

Notes. The variation in external characters in C. virginiensis is similar to that of C. angulicollis , and some of the characters used in the old species definitions are shared between the two, so that there are many C. virginiensis that closely resemble C. angulicollis . In fact, one synonym, C. lacustris , was named simply as an eastern species which displayed many external characters of C. angulicollis . Specimens collected in Japan and Europe are presumably specimens that have been transported through the movement of wood across oceans.

Host Records. Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch (Pinaceae) (from specimen labels), P. echinata , P. palustris , P. resinosa , Pinus rigida Miller , P. strobus , P. taeda , Pinus virginiana Miller , Taxodium distichum (L.) Richard ( Cupressaceae ) (Bright 1987; Nelson et al. 2008).

Recorded Distribution. CANADA: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan. USA: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Wisconsin. Outside NANM: Japan, Europe. Records from Mexico and Central America are based on misidentifications (Westcott and Bellamy 2013) .

Figures

Figs. 1–5. Chalcophora species, habitus. 1) C. virginiensis, Arkansas; 2) C. angulicollis, Idaho; 3) C. liberta, Wisconsin; 4) C. georgiana, Florida; 5) C. fortis, New York.

Figs. 6–10. Chalcophora species, elytral apices. 6) C. virginiensis; 7) C. angulicollis; 8) C. liberta; 9) C. georgiana;

Figs. 15–24. Chalcophora species, male genitalia, dorsal view (top row), ventral view (bottom row). 15–16) C. virginiensis; 17–18) C. angulicollis; 19–20) C. liberta; 21–22) C. georgiana; 23–24) C. fortis.

Figs. 11–14. Chalcophora species.11) C. angulicollis, maxillary palpus; 12) C. virginiensis, maxillary palpus; 13) C. fortis, protibia, posterior face; 14) C. angulicollis, protibia, posterior face.

Fig. 25. Distribution map of Chalcophora angulicollis and Chalcophora virginiensis in North America, indicating the disjunction between the two populations. Circles approximate localities of specimens examined; squares centered in state/provinces are literature records not represented by specimens examined. The grey shaded area indicates forest cover in North America (adapted from Global Forest Watch 2013).