Chrysoprasis azurearegina, Clarke, 2015

Clarke, Robin O. S., 2015, Bolivian Cerambycinae: new anthophilous species (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Insecta Mundi 2015 (453), pp. 1-22 : 3-4

Chrysoprasis azurearegina sp. nov.

Fig. 4, 5

Description of holotype. Male, total length 8.40 mm. Color almost entirely dark blue, including antennae and legs; urosternites III–V orange. Head with uniformly dense, alveolate, microreticulate punctures. Frons about one third wider than long. Clypeus almost flat, rather densely punctate and microreticulate, separated from frons by interrupted, arced suture. Genae rather short, one-third length of inferior lobe of eye. Antennae filiform (antennomeres III–VI hardly wider at apex, VII–X feebly serrate) and weakly carinate; apex passing tip of elytra at middle of antennomere X; segments densely punctured and pubescent. Scape (0.65 mm) about half length of III, slightly shorter than IV (0.75); III (1.25 mm) much longer than V and XI (both 0.85 mm); XI about five times longer than wide. Prothorax quadrate (length and width 1.55 mm); sides rounded towards apex and base, somewhat straight and parallel-sided for middle half; widest at about middle; pronotum and sides of prothorax almost uniformly punctate (punctures small, dense and alveolate); and pubescent (setae black, dense, short, thick and erect). Prosternum with small rugose punctures embedded in reticulate matrix of micropunctures, partly hidden by unruly, dense, whitish pubescence. Metasternum with similar matrix; on disc punctures relatively deep and large, towards sides smaller and shallower; uniformly covered by moderately sparse, subrecumbent, ochreous colored setae. Elytra narrow, 3.16 longer than length of prothorax; uniformly punctured, punctures small, beveled and setose, distance between them less than length of one seta. Humeri rounded, but moderately projecting, hardly prominent; distance between them (1.75 mm) slightly more than one-third length of elytra. Apex of elytron subtruncate, rounded from suture to middle, slightly sinuate to small tooth laterally. Abdomen subcylindrical, tapering from base to apex. Urosternite V transverse, about half as long as wide, rounded at apex, the latter partially covered by completely exposed pygidium; urosternite I and basal half of II moderately densely punctured, towards apex of IV incrementally sparser. Legs elongate; femora narrow, cylindrical, with small, dense punctures and moderately dense, recumbent, short setae, surface microreticulate, but shining; metafemora passing apex of elytra by one-third its own length. Metatarsus narrow, elongate, one fifth shorter than metatibia; metatarsomere I 1.2 longer than II+III.

Male variation. In most paratypes apical segments of antennae brownish (without blue sheen); antennae may pass elytra at base of antennomere X, or at apex of X, depending upon the position of the head. Only in the holotype is the pygidium exposed.

Female ( Fig. 5 ). Weakly sexually dimorphic; apex of antennae failing to reach apex of elytra; apical antennomere more robust and shorter than in male (about 2.5 longer than wide).

Measurements (mm). 16 males / 5 females, total length 6.35–8.70/7.60–9.35; length of pronotum 1.30–1.75/1.40–1.85; width of pronotum 1.30–1.85/1.50–2.05; length of elytra 4.20–6,00/4.75–6.15; width at humeri 1.50–2.10/1.65–2.25.

Diagnosis. This species belongs to the hypocrita -group as defined by Napp & Martins (1998), and is closest to Chrysoprasis nigrina Bates, 1870 ; but may be separated from it by the following. In C. azurearegina color almost entirely royal blue, including most of antenna and legs (in C. nigrina elytra bluish-green, rest of body and appendages black); in C. azurearegina urosternites I and II dark blue, III–V orange (in C. nigrina urosternites orange with some dusky clouding on I); in C. azurearegina urosternite V transverse, about twice as wide as long (in C. nigrina elongate).

Type material. Holotype male: BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz , 19°48’S / 63°39’W, 1070 m, 6 km W Estancia Caraparacito, Quebrada Angostura, on Croton sp. A flower, 3.I.2008 ( MNKM). Paratypes: Santa Cruz , data as holotype, female ( RCSZ); 18°51’S / 63°22’W, Bo Hwy 9, 11 km S Cabezas, 5 males, 3 females, 11.XII.2012, Wappes, Bonaso & Skillman col. ( ACMT); 19°00’S / 63°14’W, 680m, 20 km S Abapo, on Croton sp. A flower, 17.XII.2007, male ( FSCA), male ( MZUSP), male ( RCSZ); 19°19’S / 63°25’W, 900 m, 83 km N Camiri, Rd to Itai, male, 17-18.XII.2011, Wappes, Bonaso & Skillman col. ( ACMT). Tarija, 21°01’S / 63°18’W, 600 m, 30 km N of Villamontes, 4 km E of Camatindi, Semi-dry Chaco Forest, on Croton sp. A flower, male, 11.XII.2007 ( RCSZ); 21°15’S / 63°34’W, Gran Chaco Rd to Tarija, 22 km W Villamontes, female, 13-15.XII.2011, Bonaso, Morris & Wappes col. ( ACMT); 21°42’S / 63°36’W, 762 m, 48 km N Yacuiba, 3-5 km Sanandita Road, flying to/on flowers of Croton sp. A , 8.I.2010, male ( FSCA), male ( MNKM), male ( RCSZ), male ( USNM).

Etymology. The species’ name refers to its color, Latin azurea for blue, regina for queen (i.e., royal blue).

Figures

Figures 4–9. Chrysoprasis and Rhopalophora species. Figures 4-5. Chrysoprasis azurearegina sp. nov., dorsal habitus. 4) male holotype. 5) female paratype. Figures 6-7. Chrysoprasis maryhowardi sp. nov., dorsal habitus. 6) male holotype. 7) female paratype. Figures 8-9. Rhopalophora santacruzensis sp. nov., dorsal habitus. 8) male holotype. 9) female paratype.