Agrilus (Robertius) mungaii, Curletti & Sakalian, 2009

Curletti, Gianfranco & Sakalian, Vladimir, 2009, Sixteen new species of Agrilus Curtis, 1825 from East Africa (Coleoptera, Buprestidae), ZooKeys 24 (24), pp. 1-29 : 27-29

Agrilus (Robertius) mungaii , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0FEA0350-5791-46A8-9639-5B77136C21AC

Figs 29 , 30

Type specimens. Holotype ♁: “ Uganda, Bwamba Forest , Fort Portal, 2100′ (around 640 m), 04. 1951, E. Pinhoy leg.”. Th e holotype is deposited in NMK.

Description. Body elongate, flattened, dark copper, dorsum with blackish tinge, frons with greenish lustre; elytra with two spots of white pubescence.

Head. Vertex with wide medial sulcus sparsely punctate; width of vertex between eyes 0.90 mm; frons protruding, rhomboidal, wider in upper portion, densely granulate; clypeus with dense yellow pubescence, separated from frons by sharp carina; eyes large, protruding; antennae extending to anterior third of pronotum; antennomeres 4–10 very much wider than long, triangular; last antennomere rhomboidal.

Pronotum. Subparallel, slightly wider in anterior third; with two lateral and two medial depressions; anterior pronotal lobe only weakly developed; lateral margins slightly curved before acute lateroposterior angles; weak longitudinal basal depression in posterior portion of disc; anterior discal depression weak subtriangular; lateral depressions large, oblique; prehumeral pronotal carinae rib-formed, extending from latero-posterior angles to just before lateral margins at middle of pronotum; marginal and submarginal carinae subparallel, separate; discal sculpture consisting of weak transverse striae, which become denser and more oblique in lateral portions of pronotum.

Scutellum large, robust; transverse carina present; hind projection very short and acutely pointed.

Elytra. Distinctly elongate; only slightly wider across humeri than posterior pronotal margin; humeral depressions distinct, deep and large; elytra parallel to posterior third, widest at posterior third and subparallel to apical portion; apices very widely, separately arcuate, strongly serrulate; disc with short, sparse, fine pubescence and two spots of condensed white pubescence at the middle and posterior portions; discal sculpture consisting of fine, dense granulations and transverse wrinkles.

Underside. Prosternal lobe deeply, arcuately emarginate. Prosternal process wide, sides parallel between coxae, carinate laterally. Ventrites with golden short pubescence more condensed on lateral portions of venrites and laterosternites; apex of last ventrite rounded apically without medial emargination. Metatarsus shorter than metatibia; basal metatarsomere longer than following metatarsomeres together; tarsal claws bifid with acutely pointed teeth. Aedeagus ( Fig. 30 ).

Size. Length of the holotype 7.12 mm; width of the holotype 1.65 mm.

Differential diagnosis. This new species is closely related to Agrilus delenitor Obenberger, 1935 , described from Cameroon. It differs by its green color ( A. delenitor is bronze), flat vertex, more superficial sculpture of the pronotum, and sterna with denser lateral pubescence (uniform in A. delenitor ). Th e aedeagus of A. mungaii , sp. n. is broader with a broader penis ( Fig. 30 ).

Etymology. Dedicated to the curator of insects in the National Museum of Kenya, Mr. Michael Mungai, for his kindness to let us study the buprestid specimens in his care.

Figures

Figure 29. Agrilus (Robertius) mungaii, sp. n. (dorsal view).

Figure 30. Aedeagus of Agrilus (Robertius) mungaii, sp. n. (dorsal view). Scale: 1.5 mm.