Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) isabellina Kerremans, 1900

Frank, David, 2024, Revision of the subgenus Chalcotaenia of Paracupta (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Chrysochroinae) and specification of Buprestis xanthocera Boisduval, 1835 as the type-species of the genus Paracupta, Zootaxa 5555 (4), pp. 535-568 : 546-548

Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) isabellina Kerremans, 1900 , assign. nov.

( Figs 14–19, 21, 23 , 64 , 79 )

Paracupta isabellina Kerremans (1900): 64 (original description); Kerremans (1903): 84 (catalogue); Kerremans (1909): 106 (key), 133 (redescription); Obenberger (1926): 123 (catalogue); Akiyama & Ohmomo (2000): Pl. 40, Figs 411-1, 411-2 (iconography, misidentification = P. (C.) gottwaldi sp. nov., see ‘Remarks’).

Paracupta (Paracupta) isabellina : Bellamy (2008): 505 (catalogue); Hołyński (2014): 406 (key), 409 (colour Fig. 8 ), 410 (comparison with P. rennelli , misidentification = P. (C.) jakli sp. nov., see ‘Remarks’).

Type locality. ‘ Ile Isabelle’ [ Solomon Islands, Isabel Province, Santa Isabel Island] .

Type material examined. SYNTYPES (2 ♀♀): ♀ (31.50 × 10.50 mm; Figs 14–16, 23 ), ‘ Isabel I. | Webster [w, p] || Kerremans. | 1903–59. [w, p] || isabellina | Kerr. Type [w, h (Kerremans' handwritting)] || Type [w, p; round; red border]’ ( BMNH); ♀ (34.00 × 11.00 mm; Figs 17, 21 ), ‘ Isabel I. | Webster [w, p] || Coll.|Jul.Moser [w, p] || Paracupta | isabellina | Kerr. - type [w, h] || isabellina Kerr. [w, h]’ ( MFNB).

Both specimens were provided with an additional red printed label: ‘ SYNTYPE ♀ | Paracupta | isabellina | KERREMANS, 1900 | David Frank labelled VI.2023 [date handwritten]’.

Additional material examined (1 ♂). ‘Nish [? illegible] [part of label; blue, h; black border] || ex cab | Baden [w(c), p; black border] || collection | Dr. LOTTE [pink, p] || [upper side]: Isabellina | Kerr | THERY det. [w(c), h/p]; [underside]: Paracupta [w(c), h; red letters]’ ♂ ( IRSN, Figs 18, 19 , 64 ).

Description of syntype (BMNH). Well preserved ♀ specimen with all appendages intact. Length 31.50 mm, width 10.50 mm, length/width ratio: 3.00.

Body navicular, black-violet with green-bronze intercostal areas, sulci on pronotum and macropunctures, laterally covered by yellow wax. Four well developed costae on each elytron. Ventral side and legs dark green.

Head black-violet with bronze reflections, macropunctate and sparsely micropunctate. Eyes large, oval. Frons 1.9× as wide as diameter of eye, impressed with deep medial sulcus, macropunctate, sparsely pubescent. Labrum brown, pubescent. Antennae serrate from antennomere IV. Antennomeres I and II dark green, metallic, sparsely macropunctate and pubescent, radicula and antennomeres from III dark yellow, sparsely pubescent. Antennomere II ca. 3× shorter than I and III. Antennomeres IV–X triangular, XI oval. Maxillae, labium, maxillary palpi and labial palpi light brown, densely pubescent.

Pronotum trapezoidal, narrowing anteriad with almost straight sides, widest at base, 1.4× as wide as long. Anterior margin arcuate, lobe not protruding, densely pubescent. Elevated areas dark black-violet with green-bronze macropunctures, micropunctate. Five longitudal sulci green-bronze, micropunctate. Lateral margin green with bronze reflections, shiny. Basal margin bisinuate.

Scutellum small, trapezoidal, green-bronze, shiny.

Elytra slightly wider than pronotum at base, parallel-sided at basal half, narrowing from mid-length to apex, convex in lateral view. Lateral margins moderately arcuate below humeral calli, serrate at apical third. Basic colour black-violet, intercostal intervals and macropunctures green-bronze. Four distinctly elevated costae on each elytron, 1 st costa parallel to suture, 2 nd joined to 1 st before apex. 3 rd costa separated, shortened, reaching to mid-length of elytra. 4 th costa starting at basal fifth, also separated but reaching to apex where it is almost joined to 2 nd. Suture and costae sparsely macropunctate and micropunctate, intercostal intervals irregularly very densely macropunctate, sparsely micropunctate and with sparse short pubescence. Intercostal intervals between 3 rd and 4 th costa covered by yellow wax. Epipleura horizontal, dark green, dark at apex, sparsely macropunctate and pubescent.

Legs dark green, metallic. Femora densely macropunctate and pubescent on inner side, sparsely on outer side, tibiae regularly macropunctate and pubescent. Tibiae with two apical ventral spurs. Tarsi dark green, metallic, tarsal claws divergent and simple.

Ventral side dark green, metallic. Hypomeron irregularly macropunctate by very shallow macropunctures, prosternum slightly furrowed. Anterior margin of prosternum densely pubescent. Prosternal process moderately biconcave-sided, arcuately narrowed at apex, approximately 3× as long as wide, sparsely macropunctate and pubescent at central part. Metasternum sparsely macropunctate at central part, densely and finely macropunctate with pubescence on sides. Sternum laterally covered by white-cream wax. Abdominal ventrites I–V centrally sparsely macropunctate, laterally densely and finely macropunctate with short pubescence. Yellow wax spots at laterobasal parts of ventrites II–V. Apical part with very broad ‘U’ shaped notch.

Variation. Body ♀♀ (n = 2): length: 31.50–34.00 mm, width: 10.50–11.00 mm, length/width ratio: 3.00– 3.10; ♂: length: 29.00 mm, width: 9.00 mm, length/width ratio: 3.22. Syntype females are almost identical in colouration, male specimen is dark green. Aedeagus ( Fig. 64 ): length: 6.91 mm, width: 1.45 mm, length/width ratio: 4.77. Parameres slightly biconvex-sided, opened from beyond their mid-length, apex truncated; penis narrowly navicular.

Differential diagnosis. Paracupta (C.) isabellina can be distinguished from similar P. (C.) gottwaldi and P. (C.) rennelli by green-bronze intercostal areas and sulci on pronotum, and moderately shiny dark green ventral side. Paracupta (C.) rennelli is completely brown-violet with bronze intercostal areas and sulci on pronotum, P. (C.) gottwaldi has shiny light green intercostal areas and sulci on pronotum, and golden-green ventral side. From P. (C.) jakli it can be distinguished by not developed intercostae. Paracupta (C.) lamberti has only three sulci on pronotum [ P. (C.) isabellina five] and species from Moluccas have yellow and not metallic tarsi. For additional characters see Key to species.

Distribution. Solomon Islands, Isabel Province, Santa Isabel Island ( Fig. 79 ).

Remarks. Kerremans (1900) did not specify explicitly how many specimens he had at his disposal when describing Paracupta isabellina nor mentioned any depository.Although there is only one measurement ‘Long., 34; larg., 10,5 mill.’ in the description, he mentioned ‘un seul exemplaire’ for other species ( Chrysodema cyanicollis , C. aenecollis and Chalcotaenia longicollis ) but not for P. isabellina . I examined two female specimens labelled as types from BMNH (31.50 × 10.50 mm; Figs 14–16, 23 ) and MFNB (34.00 × 11.00 mm; Figs 17, 21 ). Because both specimens have identical locality label, Kerremans’ type specimens are deposited in both collections and the specimens are very similar, I labelled them as syntypes although the specimen from BMNH has slightly different measures.

Akiyama & Ohmomo (2000) published photos of Paracupta isabellina (♂ from Rendova Is. and ♀ from ‘Rannonga Is.’) but both specimens belong to P. (C.) gottwaldi .

Hołyński (2014) published a photo of Paracupta isabellina from Russell Island but the specimen was determined as P. (C.) jakli (for more details see ‘Remarks’ P. (C.) jakli ). He also mentioned P. isabellina from San Cristoval Island which is different from the others. However it is improbable that this specimen belongs to P. isabellina , I have never examined any specimen from this island.

Figures

FIGURES 14–23. 14–16, 23—Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) isabellina Kerremans, 1900 (syntype, ♀ 31.50 mm, BMNH). 17, 21—P. (C.) isabellina (syntype, ♀ 34.00 mm, MFNB). 18, 19—P. (C.) isabellina (♂ 29.00 mm, IRSN, no locality). 20—P. (C.) rennelli Hołyński, 2014 (paratype, ♀ 35.50 mm, RHMP). 22—P. (C.) gottwaldi sp. nov. (holotype, ♀ 31.00 mm, NMPC). 14, 17, 18—dorsal view; 15—ventral view; 16—lateral view; 19–23—labels.

FIGURES 62–73. 62—Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) jakli sp. nov. (holotype, ♂ 28.50 mm, 7.04×1.54 mm, BMNH, Guadalcanal Is.). 63—P. (C.) jakli sp. nov. (paratype, ♂ 26.75 mm, 7.18×1.54 mm, DFPC, Malaita Is.). 64—P. (C.) isabellina (♂ 29.00 mm, 6.91×1.45 mm, IRSN, no locality). 65—P. (C.) lamberti (Laporte de Castelnau & Gory, 1837) (neotype, ♂ 22.75 mm, 5.45×0.91 mm, MNHN, Australia). 66—P. (C.) lamberti (♂ 19.50 mm, 5.09×0.86 mm, MNHN, Australia NSW). 67—horaki sp. nov. (holotype, ♂ 25.50 mm, 7.27×1.36 mm, BMNH, Seram Is.). 68, 73—P. (C.) horaki sp. nov. (paratype, ♂ 27.25 mm, 7.59×1.27 mm, MNHN, Seram Is.). 69—P. (C.) laperousei sp. nov. (holotype, ♂ 25.25 mm, 6.77×1.18 mm, NMPC, Bacan Is.). 70, 71—P. (C.) laperousei sp. nov. (paratype, ♂ 27,75 mm, 7.45×1.36 mm, MNHN, Halmahera Is.). 72—P. (C.) horaki sp. nov. (♀ 34.00 mm, SGBG, Mangole Is.). 62–64, 66–70—parameres (left) and penis (right); 65—aedeagus; 71–73—labels.

FIGURES 78–79. 78—map of distribution: Paracupta (C.) horaki sp. nov.—red; P. (C.) laperousei sp. nov.—yellow; P. (C.) toxopeusi—green. 79—map of distribution: P. (P.) xanthocera—yellow; P. (C.) jakli sp. nov.—red; P. (C.) isabellina—blue; P. (C.) gottwaldi sp. nov.—brown; P. (C.) rennelli—green. 78, 79—map of distribution.

FIGURES 8–13. 8–10—Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) gottwaldi sp. nov. (holotype, ♀ 31.00 mm, NMPC). 11–13—P. (C.) rennelli Hołyński, 2014 (paratype, ♀ 35.50 mm, RHMP). 8, 11—dorsal view; 9, 12—ventral view; 10, 13—lateral view.