Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) bellamyorum Bílý, 2014

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2014, A Supplement to the Revision of theAnthaxia (Haplanthaxia) KheilianaSpecies-Group (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Buprestinae: Anthaxiini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (1), pp. 41-43 : 41-42

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) bellamyorum Bílý , new species

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Type Specimens. Holotype male ( NMPC): “ Kenya, Eastern , Nguni , 30.xii.207, A[N] of Ngomeni , Snížek lgt.”; allotype ( NMPC): “ Kenya, 8.-18.xi.1996, Voi, Tsawo, M. Snížek leg.”; paratypes (7 males, 6 females): same data as holotype (2 males, 1 female); same data as allotype (3 males, 3 females); “ Kenya, Eastern, E of Thika, 28.iv.2008, SW Kangonde, Snížek lgt.” (2 males, 1 female); “ Kenya, Eastern, 26.iv.[20]08, E 729, Sosoma, 202 km E of Thika, Snížek leg.” (1 female) . Paratypes are deposited in NMPC and MKCN .

Description. Holotype ( Fig. 1 ): Head: Large, slightly wider than anterior pronotal margin; eyes large, subelliptical, slightly projecting beyond outline of head; frontoclypeus narrow, slightly triangularly emarginate anteriorly, frons regularly convex; vertex 1.5X as wide as width of eye; antennae very short, barely reaching midlength of lateral pronotal margins when laid alongside; scape claviform, slightly curved, 3X as long as wide, pedicel subcylindrical, 1.5X as long as wide; third antennomere obtusely triangular, as long as wide; antennomeres 4–10 obtusely triangular to trapezoidal, 1.5–1.8X as wide as long; terminal antennomere rhomboid, 1.5X as wide as long; sculpture of head consisting of very small, dense, polygonal cells with tiny, nearly indistinct central grains. Pronotum: Convex, 1.8X as wide as long; anterior margin distinctly biarcuate, posterior margin feebly biarcuate; lateral margins slightly rounded, nearly subparallel at midlength; posterior angles obtuse; sculpture very fine, consisting of small, polygonal cells with fine central grains; central part with slightly transverse cells on posterior half and with nearly indistinct cells on anterior half; lateroposterior depressions wide and shallow. Scutellum: Relatively large, subcordiform, flat, slightly longer than wide. Elytra: Nearly cuneate, rather convex, 1.8X as long as wide, slightly uneven, humeral swellings small but distinct, transverse; basal depression deep, reaching scutellum, interrupted by small callosity near humerus; supralateral groove distinct, deep and wide at posterior third; epipleura wide, parallel-sided, not reaching elytral apex; apical fourth of costal margins very finely serrate; sculpture very fine, consisting of rather sparse, small punctures which are rougher in circumscutellar region. Venter: Surface lustrous, very finely punctate, prosternal process flat, densely punctate; anal ventrite obtusely truncate. Legs: Slender, relatively long, mesotibiae straight, metatibiae very slightly, widely emarginate and indistinctly serrate on posterior third. Tarsal claws fine, slightly curved, only slightly enlarged at base. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2 ): Short, fusiform, dorsal fields of bristles (one of the principal characters of the species-group) rather large; median lobe sharply pointed apically, not serrate laterally.

Sexual Dimorphism. Female differs from male only by the rounded anal ventrite, straight, unarmed metatibiae, and by the red tinge of the frons.

Measurements. Length: 3.8–5.0 mm (holotype 3.9 mm); width: 1.3–1.8 mm (holotype 1.4 mm).

Variability. No variability was observed except for size.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to my late, long time friend and colleague Dr. Charles “Chuck” L. Bellamy and to his loving wife, Rose Bellamy.

Diagnosis. Small (3.8–5.0 mm), lustrous, robust, rather convex, slightly wedge-shaped ( Fig. 1 ); dorsal surface bronze, frons of female with red luster; ventral surface dark bronze with brassy tinge; antennae and tarsi black; dorsal surface asetose, frons with short, rather dense, cream-white pubescence; ventral surface with sparse, recumbent, short, white pubescence.

Anthaxia bellamyorum looks like a small version of Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) occulta Bílý, 2008 , but strongly differs from it by the size, the wider vertex (as wide as width of eye in A. occulta ), absence of two punctiform depressions on the pronotal disc, much finer, medially transverse pronotal sculpture, and by the completely different male genitalia ( Fig. 2 vs. fig. 14 in Bílý 2008). Within the A. kheiliana speciesgroup, A.bellamyorum is easily distinguished by its wide vertex, which varies between 0.6–1.0 times as wide as the eye in the remaining species. By the fusiform male genitalia, it somewhat resembles Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) teloukatiae Descarpentries and Brunneau de Miré, 1963 , but other characters (body shape and pubescence, form of male tibiae, distribution) are quite different (Bílý 2008).

Distribution. Kenya.

Figures

Fig. 1. Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) bellamyorum, holotype, male, 3.9 mm;.

Fig. 2. Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) bellamyorum, aedeagus, paratype, 0.7 mm.