Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) gottwaldi, Frank, 2024

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 : 541-544

Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) gottwaldi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1444B4F1-22CA-46A0-8238-50ED8374B77D

( Figs 8–10 , 22 , 79 )

Paracupta isabellina [misidentification, see ‘Remarks’]: Akiyama & Ohmomo (2000): Pl. 40, Figs 411-1, 411-2 (iconography).

Type locality. Solomon Islands, Western Province, New Georgia Islands, Ranongga Island.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀ (31.00 × 10.25 mm; Figs 8–10 , 22 ), ‘ Coll. P. BLEUZEN | RANONGA | Salomons | 7 IX 1987 [w, h; black border] || Coll. S. Gottwald (Berlin) | ex Coll. Thierry | NEEF DE SAINVAL | (Ellezelles, BE) [w, p]’ ( NMPC).

PARATYPES (15 ♀♀): SOLOMON ISLANDS: ♀ ‘Solononis [sic!] Is. [w, p] || Coll. S. Gottwald (Berlin) | ex Coll. Thierry | NEEF DE SAINVAL | (Ellezelles, BE) [w, p] || Paracupta | isabellina [w, h; black border]’ ( SGBG); ♀ ‘Solononis [sic!] Is. [w, p] || Solomon | Isl [w, h] || Coll. S. Gottwald (Berlin) | ex Coll. Thierry | NEEF DE SAINVAL | (Ellezelles, BE) [w, p] || PARAC | ISABE | LINA [w, h]’ ( SGBG). WESTERN PROv.: Ranongga Island: 2 ♀♀ the same data as holotype (♀ SGBG; ♀ DFPC); ♀ ‘ ♀ [w, p] || Coll. P. BLEUZEN | RANONGA | Salomons | 7 IX 1987 [w, h; black border] || Coll. | de Sainval [w, p; black border] || Coll. S. Gottwald (Berlin) | ex Coll. Thierry | NEEF DE SAINVAL | (Ellezelles, BE) [w, p] || Paracupta | isabellina Kerr. | det. S. Gottwald 2006 [w, p]’ ( SGBG); 2 ♀♀ ‘I - [19]87 SALOMONS | RANOONGA [w, h; black border] || Coll. S. Gottwald (Berlin) | ex Coll. Thierry | NEEF DE SAINVAL | (Ellezelles, BE) [w, p]’ ( SGBG); ♀ ‘Ranogga | Solomon Is. [w, h] || Nov [19]'86 [w, h] || Coll. | S. GOTTWALD | (Berlin) [w, p]’ ( SGBG); 2 ♀♀ ‘Ramonga | Ile SALOMON | I.1987 | Coll. T. LANDER [w, h/p] || Paracupta | isabellina | Kerr., 1900 | Dét.T. LANDER 1992 [w, h/p]’ ( MHNG, ex coll. Lander). WITHOUT OR UNCLEAR LOCALITY DATA: ♀ ‘[upper side]: Buprestidae | Remonya, Sol. | Island 1.79 [w, p]; [underside]: leg. Fritz v. d. Crone [w, h] || Coll. | S. GOTTWALD | (Berlin) [w, p]’ ( SGBG) [see ‘Remarks’]; 3 ♀♀ ‘Coll. S. Gottwald (Berlin) | ex Coll. Thierry | NEEF DE SAINVAL | (Ellezelles, BE) [w, p]’ ( SGBG); ♀ ‘Mark Hanlon | Collection [w, p] || PARACUPTA | isabellina? | Kerr. [w, h]’ ( MHPA).

All specimens were provided with an additional red printed label: ‘ HOLOTYPE [or PARATYPE respectively] ♀ | Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) | gottwaldi sp. nov. | David Frank det. I. 2024 [date handwritten]’.

Description of holotype. Well preserved ♀ specimen with all appendages intact. Length 31.00 mm, width 10.25 mm, length/width ratio: 3.02.

Body navicular, elytra and pronotum light green with black-violet costae. Head, ventral side and legs green with golden reflections.

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

Pronotum trapezoidal, narrowing anteriad with almost straight sides, widest at base, 1.5× as wide as long. Anterior margin arcuate, lobe not protruding, densely pubescent. Elevated areas dark violet with golden-green macropunctures, micropunctate. Five longitudal sulci light green with golden reflections, micropunctate. Lateral margin green with golden reflections, shiny. Basal margin slightly bisinuate.

Scutellum small, almost quadrate, green with gold-red reflections.

Elytra slightly wider than pronotum at base, parallel-sided at basal half, narrowing from mid-length to apex, convex in lateral view. Lateral margins arcuate below humeral calli, serrate at apical third. Last four serrations, suture and costae black-violet, intercostal intervals golden-green. Four distinctly elevated costae on each elytron less distinct at basal third. 1 st costa parallel to suture, 2 nd joined to 1 st before apex. 3 rd costa separated, shortened, reaching to 3/5 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, macropunctures with golden-green border. Basal third irregularly furrowed, more deeply toward base. Furrows and intercostal intervals irregularly very densely macropunctate and with sparse short pubescence. Epipleura horizontal, golden-green, dark at apex, sparsely macropunctate and pubescent.

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

Ventral side golden-green, metallic. Hypomeron irregularly macropunctate more coarsely than prosternum. Anterior margin of prosternum densely pubescent.Prosternal process moderately biconcave-sided, arcuately narrowed at apex, approximately 4× as long as wide, sparsely macropunctate and pubescent at central part. Metasternum shiny, sparsely macropunctate at central part, not shiny, densely, coarsely macropunctate and pubescent on sides. Abdominal ventrites I–V centrally sparsely macropunctate, laterally densely macropunctate in entire width, with short pubescence. Apical part coppery-red, macropunctate and with broad ‘U’ shaped notch.

Variation. Body ♀♀ (n = 13): length: 30.00–35.25(37.00) (average 32.88) mm, width: 9.50–12.50 (average 10.90) mm, length/width ratio: 2.90–3.15 (average 3.02). Colour of costae from red-violet to black-violet, colour of intercostal intervals from golden-green to green. Macropunctures are variable in size as well as in density. Male unknown.

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

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Stephan Gottwald (Berlin, Germany), a specialist in Buprestidae , who kindly provided me with specimens.

Distribution. Solomon Islands, Western Province, New Georgia Islands, Ranongga Island and probably also Rendova Is. [see ‘Remarks’] ( Fig. 79 ).

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

I examined one specimen ( SGBG) with locality data ‘ Remonya , Sol.[omon] Island 1.[19]79’ but I did not find a place with this name on Solomon Islands. Remonya can be misspelled Ranongga or Rendova Island .

Figures

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.

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 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.