Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) aeneogaster Gory & Laporte, 1839

Bílý, Svatopluk & Kubáň, Vítězslav, 2010, A study on the Nearctic species of the genus Anthaxia (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Buprestinae: Anthaxiini). Subgenus Melanthaxia. Part I, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 50 (2), pp. 535-546 : 545

Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) aeneogaster Gory & Laporte, 1839 species-group

( Figs. 8, 11–12 , 22, 30 )

Diagnosis. Medium-sized to rather large (4.1–6.6 mm), dark bronze to black, moderately convex, subparallel species; frons flat or weakly convex; vertex 1.3–1.6 times as wide as width of eye; pubescence of head brown to black, erect, rather long; pronotal and elytral pubescence short to very short, brown or black, recumbent; pronotum 1.7–2.0 times as wide as long usually with shallow but distinct laterobasal depressions, sometimes also with weak median, longitudinal depression or four more or less distinct, round foveae at midlength; pronotal sculpture homogenous, consisting of small, nearly regular, polygonal cells with or without central grains which are sometimes very flat merging with basal microsculpture of cells ( Fig. 30 ); elytra subparallel, regularly convex; elytral sculpture consisting of small, dense, simple punctures; apical portion of lateral margins without distinct or only with very indistinct serration; ventral surface lustrous, black or bronze with rather long, recumbent white pubescence; anal ventrite with very fine lateral serration or smooth; male meso- and metatrochanters unarmed or with very small teeth on posterior margin ( Fig. 12 ); male meso- and metatibiae with fine, inner preapical serration or unarmed; aedeagus moderately long, usually parallel-sided, median lobe sharply pointed apically ( Fig. 8 ).

This is the most problematic species-group which needs the most thorough taxonomic revision; some of the included species are most probably conspecific.

Species included. Anthaxia (M.) aeneogaster Gory & Laporte, 1839 , A. (M.) furnissi Barr, 1971 , A. (M.) inornata (Randall, 1838) , A. (M.) nevadensis Obenberger, 1928 , A. (M.) retifer LeConte, 1860 , A. (M.) sculpturata Barr, 1971 .

Figures

Figs. 6–14. 6–8 – Male genitalia: 6 – Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) strigata LeConte, 1859, California, Mt. Diabolo (NMPC); 7 – A. (M.) californica Obenberger, 1914, California, San Diego (NMPC); 8 – A. (M.) aeneogaster Gory & Laporte, 1839, syntype, California (Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris). 9–11 – male left metatibiae: 9 – A. (M.) oregonensis Obenberger, 1942, syntype, Oregon, Aspen Lake (NMPC); 10 – A. (M.) strigata, California, Mt. Diabolo (NMPC); 11 – A. (M.) aeneogaster, syntype, California (Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris). 12–14 – male metatrochanters: 12 – A. (M.) aeneogaster, syntype, California (Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris); 13– A. (M.) prasina Horn, 1882, California, Shingletown (NMPC); 14 – A. (M.) strigata, California, Mt. Diabolo (NMPC).

Figs. 23–30. Pronotal sculpture. 23 – Anthaxia (Melanthaxia) neofunerula Obenberger, 1942, holotype, New Hamp-shire, Charlestown; 24 – A. (M.) nanula Casey, 1884, California, Palomar Mts.; 25 – A. (M.) prasina Horn, 1882, California, Shingletown; 26 – A. (M.) leechi Cobos, 1958, California, near Hemet; 27 – A. (M.) oregonensis Obenberger, 1942, California, Riverside; 28 – A. (M.) strigata LeConte, 1859, California, E of Stockton; 29 – A. (M.) californica Obenberger, 1914, California, Palomar Mts.; 30 – A. (M.) aeneogaster Gory & Laporte, 1839, California, Mukelumne River.