Paragrilus vicinus Waterhouse

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2002, A review of North and Central American Paragrilus Saunders, 1871 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae), Zootaxa 43, pp. 1-28 : 8

Paragrilus vicinus Waterhouse

( Figs. 2 , 20 )

Paragrilus vicinus Waterhouse, 1889: 126 .

Diagnosis: Robust, head black with golden reflections, pronotum reddish purple with dark blue reflections, scutellum coppery, elytra with dark blue reflections; 3.4­3.6 mm long. Head with front convex, rather broadly, moderately impressed along midline on upper 2/3; epistoma depressed and very narrow between antennal insertions, ventral margin slightly produced, very shallowly emarginate; surface densely but indistinctly punctate, shagreened. Pronotum convex, prehumeral callosity strongly indicated by narrow, deep lateral depressions; disc rather strongly depressed along basal margin, with raised ridge in front of scutellum; surface coarsely transversely rugose. Elytra with posthumeral carinae extending beyond hind coxae, surface rugose, with third interval slightly raised, a shallow transverse medial depression and strong subapical raised callosity; apices rounded­truncate. Posterior angles of hind coxae broadly acute or subquadrate, flared. Male genitalia black, with transparent tips to lateral lobes ( Fig. 20 ).

Distribution: Local, Costa Rica, and Panamá, possibly México (Chiapas, Vera Cruz).

Host: Unknown, but probably Sida spp.

Type: Panamá, “V. de Chiriqui,/ 3­4000 ft./Champion (Lectotype, BMNH; Hespenheide 1979).

Specimens examined: México, Vera Cruz, Fortin de las Flores, 28.VI.1975 (OSU), Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez, 20.VI.1955, R.B. & J.M. Selander (AMNH). Costa Rica, Puntarenas Pr., 6 km S San Vito, Las Cruces, 1200 m, 8° 48’ N 82° 58’ W, III.1988, P. Hanson, Malaise (UCR). Panamá, Chiriqui, V. de Chiriqui, 2500­4000 ft., Champion (BMNH).

Discussion: I previously synonymized this species with P. modicus ( Hespenheide 1979) , but recent study of the type series and additional material leads me to reconsider them distinct species. The type series of 10 specimens is very uniform in morphology, size and coloration, as is the specimen from nearby Costa Rica. The few widely separated specimens from México lack the apical elytral callosities and differ in other ways from the type series and may not belong to this species. Waterhouse (1889) compared vicinus to transitorius , to which it is very similar in coloration, but it seems closer to lesueuri and modicus in the coarsely rugose pronotal sculpture, apical elytral callosities, and male genitalia. Before reexamining the type series, I had in fact thought the few additional, widely scattered specimens might be hybrids between transitorius and lesueuri . The number and uniformity of the type series argues for retaining the species as distinct, but the questions of distinctiveness and relationships invite further study.

Figures

FIGURES 1 ­ 6. North and Central American Paragrilus, dorsal view ­ P. rugatulus group ­ 1. P. lesueuri Waterhouse; 2. P. vicinus Waterhouse; 3. P. transitorius Waterhouse; 4. P. exiguus (Chevrolat); 5. P. modicus (Solier); 6. P. rugatulus Thomson.

FIGURES 19 ­ 34. North and Central American Paragrilus, dorsal and lateral views of aedeagi ­ P. rugatulus group ­ 19. P. lesueuri Waterhouse; 20. P. vicinus Waterhouse; 21. P. transitorius Waterhouse; 22. P. exiguus (Chevrolat); 23. P. modicus (Solier); 24. P. rugatulus Thomson; P. trifoveolatus group ­ 25. P. tenuis (LeConte); 26. P. impressus (Chevrolat); 27. P. azureus n. sp.; 28. P. trifoveolatus Waterhouse; 29. P. fallorum n. sp.; P. aeraticollis group ­ 30. P. aeraticollis Waterhouse; 31. P. akersorum n. sp.; 32. P. burkei n. sp.; 33. P. heliocarpi n. sp.; 34. P. moldenkei n. sp.