Agrilus exquisitus, Hespenheide, Henry A., 2012

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2012, New Mexican and Central American species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) mimetic of flies, Zootaxa 3181, pp. 1-27 : 8

Agrilus exquisitus , new species

(Figs. 15–17)

Description. Holotype male: Robust, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, 8.80 mm long, 2.40 mm wide; color pattern complex: antennae, front and anterior 1/2 of pronotum dark coppery-red, epistomal area golden; inner middle margins of eyes green, legs, posterior 1/2 of pronotum and anterior 1/3 of elytral sutural depressions black except narrow polished posterior margin of pronotum golden-reddish and humeri and sutural spot behind scutellum bright blue; posterior 3/4 of elytral margins and posterior 2/3 of elytral sutural depressions yellowish green, scutellum golden-green; beneath reddish-coppery, except anterior portions of metasternum and abdominal ventrite 1 with bluish reflections; pattern of setae complex: front, anterior 2/3 of pronotum and part of abdominal ventrites glabrous; setae short, rather dense, and recumbent but inconspicuous over much of body, short, pale, recumbent and obvious on midline on lower 1/2 of front; short, silvery and scattered on posterior 1/2 of elytra; longer, silvery and more dense on prosternum, semierect on anterior 1/3, recumbent on posterior 2/3; short, silvery and conspicuous in sutural spot behind scutellum; longer, denser, and silvery on lateral and dorsal portions of abdominal ventrites 2–5.

Head with front convex, but with linear depression along midline broadening on lower 1/2, surface densely punctate and shagreened on dorsal 1/2, less densely punctate on lower 1/2 and polished and impunctate on slightly raised areas beside medial depression; epistoma 1/3 as wide as distance between inner margins of eyes, shagreeened, slightly concave and with coarse carina between dorsal margins of antennal insertions, ventral margin emarginate in middle and on both sides, eyes narrowly oval; antennae somewhat compact, serrate from antennomere 4, antennomeres 4–5 triangular, 6–11 rounded-triangular.

Pronotum subequal to elytra at posterior margin, with sides slightly emarginate at base then shallowly expanded outward to basal 1/3, then narrowing slightly; when viewed from side marginal and submarginal carinae slightly undulate, narrowly separated for slightly more than anterior 1/2; from above anterior margin produced as broadly, weakly rounded lobe; basal margin shallowly angulately emarginate at middle of each elytron, transverse before scutellum; anterior portion of disc convex in cross section, with deep transverse depression at basal 1/3, broadening and deepening at lateral margins; prehumeral carinae weak, arcuately rounded from posterior angles to near middle of lateral margins; disc finely transversely rugose, shagreened on apical 1/3, finely transversely rugose on middle 1/3, densely minutely punctate on posterior 1/3, with very narrow polished posterior margin and impunctate shagreened areas from inner margin of basal emarginations for 1/3 of pronotum toward disc. Scutellum pentagonal, acuminate behind with transverse carina, polished anterior and shagreened posterior to carina.

Elytra about equally broad at humeri and at middle, lateral margins slightly emarginate between, then narrowing somewhat to broadly, separately rounded apices, apices with several short teeth; disc strongly costate for somewhat more than basal 1/2, each elytron with narrow transverse depression at base; surface finely imbricate throughout.

Prosternum with sides of prosternal process broadening behind coxae, rounded-triangular at apex; prosternal lobe nearly transverse. Metacoxal plate with posterior margin shallowly emarginate, upper exterior angle roundedquadrate. Abdomen with suture very weakly indicated between ventrites 1 and 2 at sides, dorsal portions of ventrites 1–5 very narrow. Pro- and mesofemora with short acute teeth on outer 1/2 of ventral margins; metatarsomere 1 equal in length to 2–4 combined, meso- and metatarsi with claws similar, cleft with inner tooth shorter and acute, protarsal claws missing. Genitalia as in Fig. 17.

Type material. Holotype: Costa Rica: Prov. Alaju[ela], Sect. San Ramon de Dos Rios, 620m, L-N-318100- 381900, 27 Abr–11 May 1995, F.A. Quesada, #5282 ( INBC, INBIOCRI 002146784).

Etymology. The name refers to the unusual beauty of this species.

Discussion. As with the Mexican Agrilus updikei and A. marthae , the deep transverse depression on the pronotum gives a stronger visual impression of a separate red head. The small post-scutellar spot of silvery setae is unique in these first six larger species. In other respects it is visually similar to Agrilus updikei but has a welldefined prehumeral carina that A. updikei lacks. This and the following Costa Rican species possess more or less rounded elytral apices rather than the broad and emarginate or transversely truncate ones of the other large species.