Agrilus obrienorum Hespenheide, 2009

Hespenheide, Henry A. & Bellamy, Charles L., 2009, New species, taxonomic notes, and records for Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) of México and the United States, Zootaxa 2084, pp. 50-68 : 57-58

Agrilus obrienorum Hespenheide , New Species

( Figs. 4, 5 , 19 )

Description. Holotype male: Robust, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, 6.05 mm long, 1.70 mm wide; purplish-red throughout, except brighter on pronotum and dorsal 1/2 of front, lower 1/2 of front and anterior femora golden; setae silvery, recumbent, and relatively conspicuous throughout, shorter and sparser on elytral disc with glabrous areas along suture, for basal 1/6, apical 1/5, and 1/6 beyond middle, producing a vague spot and apical 2/3, setae denser on dorsal 1/2 of posterior coxae, in upper posterior half of metasternum, and posterior 1/2 of dorsal portions of abdominal ventrites 1, 3 and 4; setae dense and erect or semi-erect on prosternum and continuing along midline of metasternum and anterior portion of abdominal ventrite 1.

Head with front convex, but with broad, narrow depression along midline on upper 1/2 and weak round protuberances on inner margins of eyes just above middle, surface rugose; epistoma shallowly concave between antennal insertions and below carina joining dorsal margin of antennal insertions, 2/5 width of distance between inner margins of eyes, narrowly arcuately emarginate below, eyes oval, slightly emarginate on upper inner margins; antennae compact, serrate from segment 5, segments 5–7 rounded-triangular, as wide as long, segments 8–11 rounded-rhomboidal, wider than long.

Pronotum subequal to elytra at posterior margin, with sides slightly expanded outward then nearly parallel to apex, then narrowing slightly; marginal and submarginal carinae nearly straight, separated except for basal 0.20 mm when viewed from side; from above anterior margin slightly produced as broadly, angulately rounded lobe; basal margin angulately emarginate at middle of each elytron, slightly emarginate before scutellum; disk moderately convex, with oblique depressions interior to and anterior to prehumeral carinae to lateral margins; prehumeral carinae arising from posterior angles at very small angle then parallel to lateral margins, 2/5 length of pronotum; surface transversely rugose. Scutellum pentagonal, acuminate behind, with transverse carina.

Elytra subequal in width at humeri and beyond middle, lateral margins nearly parallel to apical 3/5 then narrowing to apices, apices broadly, separately rounded, minutely toothed; disk weakly convex, each elytron with shallow oval depression at base, separated by slightly raised area from very indistinct costa along suture to apical 1/4; surface imbricate.

Prosternum with sides of prosternal process slightly narrowed between coxae, [concave,] truncate and slightly emarginate at apex, prosternal lobe nearly transverse. Posterior coxae with posterior margin weakly bi-emerginate, upper exterior angles obtuse. Abdomen with suture between ventrites 1 and 2 obsolete, convex along midline of ventrites1 and 2, apex of ventrite 5 truncate, dorsal portions of ventrites1–5 narrow, equal in width. Hind legs with first metatarsal segment slightly shorter in length than next three combined, tarsal claws cleft with nearly equal inner tooth on fore tarsi, tooth shorter on middle and hind tarsi. Genitalia as in Figure 19 .

Allotype female: As male except 6.00 mm long, 1.85 mm wide; lower 1/2 of front and anterior femora purplish-red; setae sparse and appressed on prosternum, midline of metasternum and anterior portion of abdominal ventrite 1; elytral apices flared, longest at outer angles; abdominal ventrites 1–2 very convex; tarsal claws similar on all legs, cleft with short, blunt inner tooth.

Type material. Holotype. México: Oaxaca, 3 mi W of Tehuantepec, 19.07.1965, G.H. Nelson, on Acacia pennatula (S. & C.) Benth. ( UNAM). Allotype: México: Oaxaca, 8 mi SE Totolapan, 4500’, 12.08.1974, C.W. &L. O’Brien & Marshall ( CLBC). Paratypes. México: Guerrero, 20 mi E Las Cruces, 11.07.1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner (1M, 1F, TAMU), 6.8 km S Zumpango del Rio, 1250 m, 11.10.1989, R.L. Westcott (1F, RLWE); Michoacán, 22 mi NE Arteaga, 3000’, 31.07.1988, Ferreira, Schaffner (1M, TAMU); Oaxaca, 43 km W Salina Cruz, 91m, 14.07.1987, R.S. Anderson 87–19, Acacia thorn scrub (1F, RLWE), Hwy. 190, 5 km W of Tehuantepec, 12.07.1992, G.H. Nelson (1M, FSCA).

Host. The holotype was collected on Acacia pennatula (S. & C.) Benth.

Etymology. Named in honor of Charles W. & Lois B. O’Brien, indefatigable collectors of the allotype and beetles of México and Central America and students of the Mexican fauna ( O’Brien 1989).

Discussion. This species somewhat superficially resembles the preceding, but is smaller, often more bright reddish-purple in color, lacks the pronotal “dimples,” has broader elytral apices, and conspicuous spots of setae on the edorsal portions of abdominal ventrites 1, 3 and 4. Males measure 5.50–6.30 mm long (mean = 5.87 mm for 6 specimens), and females measure 5.40–7.50 mm long (mean = 6.38 mm for 5 specimens).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Habitus views of Agrilus spp.; scale bars = 1 mm: 1 – 2., holotype, A. rifkindi, dorsal and lateral views; 3., holotype, A. rifkindi pueblae, dorsal view; 4 – 5., holotype, A. obrienorum, dorsal and lateral views; 6 – 7., holotype, A. giesberti, dorsal and lateral views; 8 – 9., holotype, A. anthaxioides, dorsal and lateral views.

FIGURES 18 – 25. Male genitalia of Agrilus spp.; scale bars = 1 mm: 18., holotype, A. rifkindi; 19., holotype, A. obrienorum; 20., holotype, A. giesberti; 21., holotype, A. anthaxioides; 22., holotype, A. leucaenae; 23., holotype, A. chrysobothroides; 24., holotype, A. paramacer; 25., holotype, A. parkinsoniae.