Paragrilus azureus Hespenheide

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2002, A review of North and Central American Paragrilus Saunders, 1871 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae), Zootaxa 43, pp. 1-28 : 16

Paragrilus azureus Hespenheide , new species

( Figs. 11 , 27 )

Holotype male: Agriliform, flattened above, head with golden reflections, pronotum and scutellum olive green with golden reflections, elytra dark blue, black beneath; 6.7 mm long. Head with front strongly, angulately convex, narrowly impressed along midline with deeper linear depression above middle; epistoma narrowly depressed between antennal insertions, ventral margin somewhat produced, quadrate, angulate­emarginate, angles broadly acute; surface finely punctate, indistinctly shagreened. Pronotum weakly convex, prehumeral callosity weak, indicated by broad, shallow lateral depression, depression stronger anteriorly; prehumeral callosity produced outward and anteriorly to form narrow ridge above and roughly parallel to marginal carina; lateral margins broadening from basal 1/3 to anterior angles, anterior angles rounded­angulate; disc strongly ovately depressed along midline at basal margin before scutellum and deeply, more narrowly so at base of lateral depressions, surface with small linear punctures and shagreened throughout, somewhat more strongly shining at anterior margin. Elytra with posthumeral carina extending as far beyond hind coxae as before, surface indistinctly shagreened, with fifth interval faintly raised, forming broad costa; apices broad, rounded­subquadrate, outer angle somewhat produced. Posterior angles of hind coxae broadly acute, rounded, somewhat depressed. Male genitalia dark reddish brown, with small transparent tips to lateral lobes ( Fig. 27 ).

Holotype male: Costa Rica: Prov. Punt[arenas], Rancho Quemado, 200 m, Península de Osa, X.1991, F. Quesada, L­S­292500, 511000 ( INBC, barcode CRI 001190947).

Paratype: same data as Holotype ( INBC, barcode CRI 001190948).

Host: Unknown.

Discussion: This is the largest and arguably the most striking of Central American Paragrilus . The paratype is also 6.7 mm in length and may be a female. It was first thought to be laevicollis , but direct comparison with the type of that species showed azureus to be larger, differently colored, the pronotum more heavily punctate, and different in other ways.

Figures

FIGURES 7 ­ 12. North and Central American Paragrilus, dorsal view ­ P. trifoveolatus group ­ 7. P. tenuis (LeConte); 8. P. impressus (Chevrolat); 9. P. angulaticollis Waterhouse; 10. P. laevicollis Waterhouse; 11. P. azureus n. sp.; 12. P. trifoveolatus Waterhouse.

FIGURES 19 ­ 34. North and Central American Paragrilus, dorsal and lateral views of aedeagi ­ P. rugatulus group ­ 19. P. lesueuri Waterhouse; 20. P. vicinus Waterhouse; 21. P. transitorius Waterhouse; 22. P. exiguus (Chevrolat); 23. P. modicus (Solier); 24. P. rugatulus Thomson; P. trifoveolatus group ­ 25. P. tenuis (LeConte); 26. P. impressus (Chevrolat); 27. P. azureus n. sp.; 28. P. trifoveolatus Waterhouse; 29. P. fallorum n. sp.; P. aeraticollis group ­ 30. P. aeraticollis Waterhouse; 31. P. akersorum n. sp.; 32. P. burkei n. sp.; 33. P. heliocarpi n. sp.; 34. P. moldenkei n. sp.