Agrilus nevermanni Fisher

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2012, New Mexican and Central American species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) mimetic of flies, Zootaxa 3181, pp. 1-27 : 20-21

Agrilus nevermanni Fisher

(Figs. 45–47)

Agrilus nevermanni Fisher 1929:8 .

Description. Male: Relatively slender, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, elytra essentially flat from side, 4.35 mm long, 1.00 mm wide; front yellowish green, epistoma golden yellow, antennomeres 1–5 black with greenish reflections, antennomeres 6–11 black with coppery reflections, vertex of head and anterior 3/5 of pronotum red, pronotum somewhat purplish, posterior 2/5 of pronotum greenish-blue, scutellum black; elytra black with bluish reflections, brighter on elytral humeri, beneath black, metasternum, episterna, metacoxal plate, and abdomen with coppery-red reflections, femora with greenish and coppery reflections; most of head and pronotum, elytral humeri, basal 1/4 of elytra, and lateral 1/3 and small area beyond middle of elytral margins glabrous; setae short, recumbent, and dull orange on rest of elytra, setae short, recumbent, and white in transverse “moustache” above epistoma, on prosternum, pronotal epipleurae, along midline and anterior 1/2 of metasternum, epimeron, and in spot at posterior end of dorsal portion of abdominal ventrite 1, setae sparser at posterior angles of pronotum, in basal depressions of elytra, posterior 1/2 of metasternum, dorsal 1/2 of episterna, metacoxal plate, anterior portion of abdominal ventrite 1, lateral portions of abdominal ventrites 4–5, and somewhat denser in spot on anterolateral portion of abdominal ventrite 3.

Head with front moderately convex from above, with weak transverse oval depression above epistoma, surface rugose and shagreened, finely longitudinally rugose above; epistoma 1/3 as wide as distance between inner margins of eyes, transversely carinate between middle of antennal insertions and above ventral margin, ventral margin weakly emarginate, eyes large, oval; antennae elongate, nearly reaching posterior angles of pronotum, serrate from antennomere 4, antennomeres 4–11 triangular, 4 more narrowly so.

Pronotum slightly narrower than elytra at posterior margin, with sides nearly straight, broadening slightly; when viewed from side marginal carina nearly straight and submarginal carina undulate, separated for anterior 5/6, more widely so at middle; from above anterior margin produced as somewhat narrowly rounded lobe; basal margin nearly transverse, slightly produced before scutellum; anterior portion of disc with very weak transverse depression before apex and somewhat stronger transverse depression at basal 1/2, slightly deeper and narrower anterior to scutellum and at posterior angles, and more broadly so at margins at middle; prehumeral carinae very fine, parallel and close to margin for 1/2 length of pronotum; disc finely rugose. Scutellum shagreened, pentagonal, acuminate behind, with strong transverse carina.

Elytra broadest at humeri, lateral margins weakly emarginate to middle, then narrowing to apices, apices obliquely angulate with 4 teeth, outer 2 stronger; each elytron with triangular-oval depression at base and short raised area along suture posterior to basal depression, disc weakly costate for 1/4 length posterior to humeri with shallow depressions between costae and suture; surface finely imbricate throughout.

Prosternum with sides of prosternal process weakly narrowing between coxae to triangular apex; prosternal lobe weakly rounded. Metacoxal plate with posterior margin nearly straight, upper exterior angle rounded-obtuse. Abdomen with suture between ventrites 1 and 2 clearly indicated at sides, dorsal portion of ventrite 1 slightly broader behind and barely visible from above, dorsal portions of ventrites 2–5 narrow. All legs with femora with 3 small acute teeth on ventral margin; metatarsomere 1 almost 2/5 length of metatibia, longer than 2–4 combined, tarsal claws cleft with slightly shorter acute inner tooth on pro- and mesotarsi and short blunt inner tooth on metatarsi. Genitalia as in Fig. 47.

Specimens examined. Costa Rica: Prov. Punta[renas], Est. Quebrada Bonita, R.B. Carara, 50m, L N 194500_469850, Abr 1994, J. Saborío #2814 (INBC, INBIOCRI001754694).

Discussion. This species was described from a unique female collected in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica and is the only member of the basalis group to have an irregular, non-uniform pattern of setae on the apical 4/ 5 of the elytra. The male described here differs in being smaller, having the antennae serrate from the 4th antennomere, a reddish coppery abdomen, and only weakly costate elytra. The genitalia are similar to those of A. cavei but have narrower parameres and a more broadly exposed aedeagus.