Anthaxia candens

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2006, Two new species in the Anthaxia (Anthaxia) candens (Panzer, 1793) species­group from Iran and Turkey, with taxonomic notes on the group (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 1309, pp. 25-35 : 27-28

Key to species of the Anthaxia candens species­group

1 Pronotum green with two black, longitudinal spots; elytra green or golden­green with two longitudinal orange or purple stripes or with large, black, saddle­shaped spot margined by yellow­orange and with long, green postscutellar stripe; pronotal sculpture consisting of rounded or transversely widened cells with distinct central grains; elytra never caudiform............................................................................................................. 2

­ Different colouration; central part of pronotum with transversely very enlarged cells without central grains or with transverse wrinkles which are laterally bent towards anterior pronotal angles; elytra very often caudiform................................................... 4

2 Elytra green with two orange or purple longitudinal stripes and with silky lustre; male metatibiae ( Fig. 8 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 1 ; 6.8–8.5 mm; Syria, Turkey........................................................................................ A . rutilipennis Abeille de Perrin, 1891 ( Fig.15 )

­ Elytra lustrous, green with black, saddle­shaped spot margined by golden­orange and with long, green postscutellar stripe.............................................................................. 3

3 Central part of pronotum with more transverse sculpture; male metatibiae less curved ( Fig. 9 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 2 ; 5.5–8.0 mm; Turkey (Taurus)......................................................................................................................... A. turcica Svoboda, 1994 ( Fig. 16 )

­ Central part of pronotum only with slightly transversely enlarged cells; male metatibiae strongly curved ( Fig. 10 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 3 ; 6.0–8.0 mm; Greece................................................................................................ A. vittula Kiesenwetter, 1857 ( Fig. 19 )

4 Elytra not caudiform, black with blue­green lustre (male) or violet with golden green or blue­green postscutellar, triangular field; pronotum with orange lateral portions and large, black central spot which is nearly divided into two parts by very narrow, bluegreen stripe; cells on lateral portions of pronotum small, rounded with tiny, nearly indistinct central grains; male metatibiae nearly straight, very slightly incurved and finely serrate on inner margin ( Fig. 14 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 4 ; the largest species of the subgenus Anthaxia : 9.0– 13.5 mm; Crete...................... A . ariadna Bílý, 1982 ( Fig. 18 )

­ Elytra more or less caudiform, purple with large, black, saddle­shape and well­limited spot or whole body completely bright­bronze with or without indistinct, dark, saddleshaped spot; male metatibiae strongly curved............................................................... 5

5 Entire body bronze or bright bronze with or without indistinct, dark, saddle­shaped elytral spot..................................................................................................................... 6

­ Elytra red, purple or golden­orange with large, black or blue­black and well­limited, saddle­shaped spot ........................................................................................................ 7

6 Entire body bronze or bright­bronze; lateral pronotal margins slightly rounded, maximum pronotal width at anterior third; central part of pronotum with transverse wrinkles which are laterally bent towards anterior pronotal angles; male unknown; 6.1–7.5 mm; S Iran...................................................................... A. jenisi new species ( Fig. 21 )

­ Whole body bronze, sometimes with greenish lustre, elytra with poorly limited and unclear, dark, saddle­shaped spot; pronotum with two large, indistinct and dark spots;

central part of pronotum with fine, transverse wrinkles which are arcuately bent towards anterior pronotal angles; male unknown; 7.0– 7.2 mm; Armenia...................... .................................................................. A. superba Abeille de Perrin, 1900 ( Fig. 17 ) 7 Ventral surface bright bronze or red­bronze; pronotum red­bronze with two large, poorly limited and sometimes merging dark spots; male metatibiae only very slightly bent with several very small, preapical teeth on inner margin ( Fig. 11 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 5 ; 6.0– 7.1 mm; SE Turkey............ ....... A. pyrosoma new species ( Fig. 22 )

­ Ventral surface black, blue or green; pronotum black or black with green lateral margins and narrow, blue­green medial stripe; male metatibiae strongly curved; larger species................................................................................................................................. 8

8 Ventral surface and pronotum black; elytra distinctly caudiform; metallic postscutellar field missing; black, saddle­shaped elytral spot reaching nearly apex of elytra; male unknown; 6.0– 10.2 mm; SE Turkey, Syria................................................................................................................................ A . lucens urens Abeille de Perrin, 1882 ( Fig. 23 )

­ Ventral surface blue or green; pronotum black with narrow, blue or green medial line; lateral portions of pronotum green, blue­green or violet; elytra only slightly caudiform; metallic (blue or green) postscutellar field well­developed reaching midlength of elytra; black, saddle­shaped elytral spot far not reaching elytral apex ..................... 9

9 Slender species, elytra 1.9–2.0 times as long as wide; pronotum 1.7–1.8 times as wide as long, less rounded laterally; black, saddle­shaped elytral spot truncate or incurved posteriorly reaching only apical fourth of elytra; male metatibiae distinctly more strongly curved ( Fig. 12 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 6 ; 7.0–10.0 mm; Austria, Czech Rep., France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine......................................................................................................... A.candens (Panzer, 1793) ( Fig. 24 )

­ Stouter species, elytra 1.7–1.9 times as long as wide; pronotum 1.6–1.7 times as wide as long, more rounded laterally; black, saddle­shaped elytral spot rounded posteriorly, reaching apical fifth of elytra; male metatibiae distinctly less curved ( Fig. 13 ); aedeagus as in Fig. 7 ; 5.8–9.1 mm; Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Malta, Turkey......................................... A. lucens lucens Küster, 1852 ( Fig. 23 )

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 14. Aedeagi: 1, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) rutilipennis Abeille de Perrin; 2, A. (A.) turcica Svoboda; 3, A. (A.) vittula Kiesenwetter; 4, A. (A.) ariadna Bílý; 5, A. (A.) pyrosoma new species; 6, A. (A.) candens (Panzer); 7, A. (A.) lucens lucens Küster. Male metatibiae: 8, Anthaxia (A.) rutilipennis; 9, A. (A.) turcica; 10, A. (A.) vittula; 11, A. (A.) pyrosoma new species; 12, A. (A.) candens; 13, A. (A.) lucens lucens; 14, A. (A.) ariadna.

FIGURES 15 – 19. Habitus. 15, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) rutilipennis Abeille de Perrin, male, 7.5 mm; 16, A. (A.) turcica Svoboda, male, 7.0 mm; 17, A. (A.) superba Abeille de Perrin, female, 7.2 mm; 18, A. (A.) ariadna Bílý, male, 11.5 mm; 19, A. (A.) vittula Kiesenvetter, male, 7.0 mm.

FIGURES 20 – 24. Habitus. 20, A. (Anthaxia) lucens urens Abeille de Perrin, female, 8.5 mm; 21, A. (A.) jenisi new species, holotype, female, 7.9 mm; 22, A. (A.) pyrosoma new species, holotype, male, 6.2 mm; 23, A. (A.) lucens lucens Küster, female, 7.5 mm; 24, A. (A.) candens (Panzer), male, 9.0 mm.