Brachycoraebus minutus, Bellamy, C. L., 2005

Bellamy, C. L., 2005, The Philippine Coraebini Bedel, 1921 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilini) Part 6: new and resurrected genera and new species, Zootaxa 1038, pp. 23-40 : 36-37

Brachycoraebus minutus sp. nov.

( Fig. 12 )

Description of male holotype. Size: 2.8 mm length from frontovertex to elytral apex x 1.2 mm wide across widest portion of pronotum; color nitid black, a very faint aeneous reflection present as highlights depending upon angle of light, frontovertex, basal antennomeres and anterolateral angles of pronotum with faint blue­green tint; surface of head, pronotum, thoracic and abdominal ventrites nearly without sculpture except very shallow, widely separated imbrication; elytra with imbrications more closely spaced, rugose between; 1st abdominal ventrite with nearly longitudinal strigae in anterolateral portion; pubescence sparse, white, recurved setae on dorsal and ventral surfaces, slightly more dense, semierect in longitudinal depression on head, elytra with stout white setae in slightly more densely concentrated in posterior half of disc, ventral abdominal setae shorter, adpressed; head with longitudinal depression between large eyes, inner margin of eyes subparallel, very feebly converging dorsad; frontoclypeus closely constricted between antennal cavities; distal margin broadly shallowly arcuately emarginate; gena with oblique­angled tooth ventral to eye; antennae triangularly serrate beginning with antennomere 5; 1 elongate, angled; 2 more robust, longer than 3 or 4; 11 oblong; pronotum 1.73x as wide as long, widest medially; disc evenly transverse, depressed around posterolateral margin of disc, explanate laterally; one short, pre­lateral, sinuate carina on either side; anterior margin straight laterally, convex medially; posterior margin bisinuate; lateral margin broadly arcuate, widest anterad of middle, margin evenly crenulate; scutellum broadly cordiform, wider than long; elytra 1.48x as long as wide, widest opposite humeri, approximately same width as pronotum; lateral margin straight, very gradually narrowing from humerus to posterior 2/5, then more steeply converging to separately oblique apices; lateral margin entire until posterior 1/4, then finely denticulate around sutural angle of elytral apex, then entire until one or two fine sutural teeth; epipleuron widest from anterior margin, narrowing opposite anterior margin of metacoxal plate, then narrow, parallel to posterolateral rounded angle before oblique apex, apex feebly emarginate; disc more or less evenly transverse; prosternum with feeble, widely separated bilobed mentonniere; prosternal process with margins subparallel, gradually narrowing between procoxae, apex acuminate; posterior margin of metacoxae dilated; abdominal ventrites short, 1 longer than 2, 2–4 subequal, 5 longer than 4, broadly arcuate, with premarginal groove and wide, shallow medial arcuate emargination; pro­, mesofemora subfusiform, metafemur fusiform; tibiae straight; tarsi with tarsomere 1 longer than 2, 2–4 subequal, progressively longer ventral pulvilli on tarsomeres 1–4; claws bifid. Genitalia partially missing, limited to median lobe mounted on point.

Variation. ɗɗ (n = 2), 2.9 mm length x 1.2 mm width; ΨΨ (n = 2), 2.8–2.9 mm length x 1.1–1.2 mm width; the only other noted variation is that the female paratypes have more of an aeneous reflection.

Specimens examined. Holotype ɗ (USNM): [ Philippine Islands] Island of Basilan, Baker; 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ paratypes (USNM): same data; 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ paratypes (USNM, CLBC): same data except / 23714 (h).

Etymology. This new species is named for its small size.

Remarks. This is the smallest of the Brachycoraebus species from the Philippine archipelago.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 14, Brachycoraebus spp.; Fig. 9, B. luzonicus Obenberger, holotype; Figs. 10, 13, B. mindanaoensis, sp. nov., Fig. 10, dorsal habitus; Fig. 13, aedeagus; Figs. 11, 14, B. basilanensis, sp. nov., Fig. 11, dorsal habitus; Fig. 14, aedeagus; Fig. 12, B. minutus, sp. nov., dorsal habitus; scale bars for Figs. 10 – 12 = 1.0 mm, Figs. 12 – 14 = 0.5 mm.