Agrilus jenningsi Fisher

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2012, New Mexican and Central American species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) mimetic of flies, Zootaxa 3181, pp. 1-27 : 13-14

Agrilus jenningsi Fisher

(Figs. 29–31)

Agrilus jenningsi Fisher 1938:117 , Curletti 2005:549; Curletti & Brûlé 2011:39.

synonym: Agrilus plagiatus ( Waterhouse), 1889 :107 ( Paradomorphus , name preoccupied in Agrilus : plagiatus Ganglbauer 1889 ); Hespenheide 1989:197.

synonym: Agrilus hainesi Hespenheide 1974:50 (New name: Agrilus plagiatus (Waterhouse)

Diagnosis. Male. Somewhat robust, 4–5 mm long. Front green, vertex red, red on pronotum covers less than 1/2 of anterior portion, posterior portion bluish-green, strongly shining before basal margin; elytra black with bluishgreen in basal depressions shading to golden and coppery along suture on basal 1/3, greenish-blue reflections on posterior 2/3, black beneath, posterior coxae and sides of abdominal ventrites 3–5 with reddish-coppery reflections. Pattern of golden setae on elytra vaguely interrupted slightly before middle with area of inconspicuous setae; anterior corners of pronotum and prosternum with short silvery setae, and on metasternum, metepisternum and metacoxal plate, in small spot at upper anterior corner of abdominal ventrite 2 and at sides of abdominal ventrites 3–5. Pronotum with prehumeral carinae, and moderately strong basal transverse depression; elytral apices broadly rounded with coarse teeth. Femora with small teeth on ventral margin. Female with red front, more distinct dark area on elytra, with coppery reflections on posterior 2/3 of elytra and beneath on metasternum. Male genitalia as in Fig. 31.

Specimens examined. Costa Rica: Guan[acaste Prov.], 31 mi NW Liberia, VI-19-1974, C.W. & L. O’Brien & Marshall (RLWE); Heredia Pr., La Selva Biol. Sta., 3 km S Pto. Viejo, 10o 26’ N 84o 01’ W, 18.iv.1988, H.A. Hespenheide (CHAH); San Jose, Escazu, 02- 13.05.1991, F.D. Parker (EMUS). Guatemala: Suchitepeoquez, Los Tarrales Res., X/11/13 /07, J.&M. Heuther (CHAH). Honduras: Franc. Mor., 2 km S Zamorano, 900m, 27.VI.1994 - 134, R. Anderson, riparian, Ficus grove (CMNC). México: “ Mexique ” (MHNP), Chiapas, vic. El Aguacero, 19.vii.2007, J. Rifkind (CLBC); Sinaloa, 25 km W El Palmito, 7.08.1983, E. Giesbert (EMEC); [Veracruz], Cordova, Salle Coll. (Holotype of Paradomorphus plagiatus Waterhouse , BMNH). Nicaragua: Granada, Domitla, 07.– 09.06.2004, E. van den Berghe & H. Dauber (WBC). Panamá: Taboga Island, 0 8o 48’N 79o34’W, 14.viii.1974, H.A. Hespenheide (CHAH), Canal Zone, 3.5 km WNW Paraiso, 0 9o 02’ N 79o 40’ W, 16.vii.1971, H.A. Hespenheide, on Gouania sp. vine (CHAH), Howard AFB, 21.05.1991, R. Turnbow (FSCA); Panama Pr., Pr. Nat. Metropolitano, 2 Februar 1995, F. Oedegaard, on Stizophyllum riparium (FOC), Cerro Campana, 454 m, 20 May ’73, G. Ekis (CHAH).

Discussion. This is the commonest and most widely distributed of the putative fly mimics treated here and has been reported from Jalisco ( Hespenheide 1989) and recently from French Guiana in South America ( Curletti & Brûlé 2011). Its combination of medium to relatively small size and broadly rounded and coarsely toothed elytral apices is distinctive. Males measure 4.45–5.40 mm long (mean = 4.91 mm, n = 5), females measure 4.50–5.15 mm long (mean = 4.89 mm, n = 9).