Afagrilaxia magorgori Obořil & Sekerka, 2025

Obořil, Martin & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2025, New species of Afagrilaxia Bílý & Bellamy, 1999 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 5719 (1), pp. 133-138 : 134-137

Afagrilaxia magorgori Obořil & Sekerka , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2, 6–7 , 10–12, 16, 18–19 )

Type locality. Republic of South Africa, Limpopo Province, 19 km S of Musina, Magorgor Safari Lodge env., 22°30ʹ00ʺS, 30°00ʹ06ʺE, 580 m a.s.l.

Type material. Holotype ♂: “ South Africa, Limpopo prov., / 19 km S of Musina, Magorgor / Safari Lodge env., 580m. / 22°30´00´´S; 30°00´06´´E / 23.-24.xi.2022 M.Obořil lgt. [p, w]” ( NMPC) . Allotype ♀: the same data as holotype ( NMPC) . Paratypes: the same data as holotype ( 122 ♂♂, 63 ♀♀ MOCO; 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ MPPC, 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ TSMA) ; “ South Africa, Limpopo prov., / 15 km S of Musina, Magorgor Safari Lodge env., 539m. / 22°27´54´´S; 30°02´42´´E / 25.-26.xi.2022 M.Obořil lgt. [p, w]” ( 54 ♂♂, 13 ♀♀ MOCO;) ; “23.- 27.11.2022 RSA / Limpopo prov. / 15km O of Musina / L.Černý lgt. [p, w]” ( 4 ♂♂ LCPC) ; “R.S.A. Limpopo prov. / 18 km SW Musina , 590 m / 22°30´0´´S 30°0´6´´E / 23.XI. 2022 / lgt. R. Rejzek [p, w]” ( 29 ♂♂, 18 ♀♀ RRPC) ; “R.S.A. Limpopo prov. / 13 km S Musina , 540 m / 22°27´55´´S 30°2´43´´E / 25.XI. 2022 / lgt. R.Rejzek [p, w]” ( 25 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀ RRPC) ; “ Zimbabwe, Devule / 12.1995 C.R.Owen [p, w]” ( 1 ♀ MPPC) .

Diagnosis. Body cylindrical, slender and long. Body length 3.2–4.5 mm (males) and 3.2–5.0 (females). Colour bright green, with diffused dark stripe along middle of pronotum. Head large, slightly wider than pronotum; pronotum generally narrow, slightly wider than long. Elytra elongate, conspicuously tapering apically from basal 1/3 length. Legs slender, femora straight, smooth, and unmodified. Antennae slender and relatively short. Body strongly sculptured.

Description of the holotype ( Fig. 1 ). Measurements: length: 3.95 mm, width 1.1 mm. Head large, width 1.05 mm, length 0.45mm, width of vertex at base 0.45 mm and width of frons 0.55 mm, frons 2.1 times as wide as eye; slightly wider than pronotum. Eyes large, convex, laterally projecting beyond outline of pronotum. Frons convex, projecting beyond outer margin of eyes, slightly impressed along mid-length and thus with slightly emarginate outline around middle in full dorsal view. Frontoclypeus narrow, smooth and finely punctate, with deep vertical impression along middle, thus head in dorsal view conspicuously frontally emarginate. Frons, frontoclypeus and clypeus uniformly bright green. Vertex green, its basal margin black, in middle with diffused black triangular area projecting forward. Entire frons covered with coarse and regular cellular structure; each cell smooth with central setose and foveolate puncture; setae longer than diameter of cell and semirecumbent. Clypeus small, oval, conspicuously emarginate in middle, and with eight short erect and white setae. Antenna thin, 0.95 mm wide, and green, serrate from antennomere III onwards. Antennomere I longest, pear-shaped 1.6 mm long; II globose, 0.75 mm long; III triangular-shaped, 0.75 mm long; IV–X trapezoidal, subapproximate and 0.75 mm long; XI eggshaped, 0.75 mm long.

Pronotum ( Fig. 6 ) 1.1 mm wide and 0.8 mm long, widest approximately at mid-length, sides moderately rounded and tapering towards base and with prebasal constriction. Basal corners rectangular. Distal margin sinuate, conspicuously projecting around mid-lenght in arch towards head. Basal margin weakly projecting towards elytra. Disc of pronotum regularly convex in apical half; basal half irregular with shallow but distinct central and latero-basal impressions. Whole surface of pronotum covered with coarse and irregular cell structure; central cells transversely oval and smaller, cells in laterobasal areas conspicuously larger and irregularly pentagonal. Each cell centrally with small setose puncture; setae white, not reaching beyond cells and semirecumbent, except of laterobasal corners always directed forward (very conspicuous anterolaterally in dorsal view). Pronotum bright green, in middle (along central impression) with diffused black stripe.

Scutellum small, rectangular triangle shaped, centrally impressed. Surface transversely micro-striated; shiny black with mirror reflections due to striae.

Elytra 2.85 mm long and 1.1 mm wide at humeral angles (their widest point). Elytra laterally constricted at base before humeri; outer humeral angle sharply subrectangular. Elytra gradually tapering from humeri to basal 1/3 length, then subparallel and again gradually tapering in apical 1/3. In subparallel part elytra narrower than body thus first three abdominal ventrites visible in dorsal view; ventrites IV–V covered by elytra.

Lateral margin in apical 1/3 conspicuously but finely serrate. Apices separately rounded bent downwards and suture with cleft. Suture in basal half unmodified and at same level as rest of elytra; in apical half with carinate margin (keel-shaped) due to shallow but distinct impression along suture; this area black. Humeri with conspicuous rose gold metallic sheen; rest of elytra dark metallic green with slight rose tinge. Epipleura distinct in whole length of elytron, uniformly wide, coarsely sculptured, semiopaque, dark green.

Disc of elytra strongly sculptured in form of numerous and partly connected small pyramids. Punctation of elytra irregular and partly hardly visible due to sculpture but centrally quite distinct; punctures small in diameter but deeply foveolate.

Ventral side uniformly shiny green. Hypomera flattened, with cell structure (smoother than on pronotum), cells rounded with central setose puncture; setae short, white and semirecumbent. Prosternal process laterally subparallel, then obstusely rounded and apically strongly tapering and projecting in very long spine. Thoracic sclerites convex, cell structure fine, not elevated as in other parts of body, cells separated by wide interspaces, with fine setose punctures. Abdominal ventrites shiny green, laterally with coarse cell structure, centrally gradually smoother. Ventrite I apicolaterally with impression of long white tomentose pubescence and with white wax, visible also in dorsal view. Ventrites II–IV less sculptured than I. Ventrite V rounded with 6–7 denticles on each side, apex smooth ( Fig. 18 ). Legs slender, tibiae straight. Fore legs uniformly dark green, tibia smooth and straight. Mid and hind legs darker green, mid tibiae with 3–4 denticles on inner margin, hind tibiae with irregular fine serration on inner margin ( Fig. 16 ). Aedeagus small, parameres broadened, with conspicuous acute recurved tooth on sides ( Fig. 10 ); penis straight and acutely pointed ( Figs 11–12 ).

Female ( Fig. 2 ) dark green, eyes not protruding from outline of head (compare Fig. 2 vs Fig. 1 ). All tibiae smooth without any serration. In general, females appear to have more robust body than males, but otherwise they are similar. Apical margin of ventrite V convex, without emargination ( Fig. 19 ).

Etymology. The epithet reflects type locality of this species—the Magorgor Lodge.

Distribution. Republic of South Africa ( Limpopo), Zimbabwe.

character Afagrilaxia natalensis Afagrilaxia magorgori sp. nov.

Head: frons regularly convex or slightly notched (Figs conspicuously emarginate around mid-lenght ( Figs 3–5 ) 1–2)

Pronotum: laterobasal large, reaching almost centre of pronotum small, limited to laterobasal corners ( Figs 6–7 )

impressions ( Figs 8–9 )

Pronotum: central absent, surface flat moderately deep oval impression along mid-length impression

Elytra shape parallel-sided for most length, weakly parallel-sided only centrally, conspicuously tapering tapering at apical 1/4; apices broad and at apical 1/3; apices narrower and more pointed (Figs broadly rounded ( Figs 3–5 ) 1–2)

Female anal ventrite V deeply emarginate in the middle ( Fig. 20 ) entire, without emargination ( Fig. 19 )

Male anal ventrite V with central carina ( Fig. 21 ) without central carina ( Fig. 18 )

Aedeagus: parameres narrow and smooth, without tooth ( Fig. 13 ) broad with recurved tooth on each side of apex ( Fig. 10 )

Aedeagus: penis narrow and strongly elongate ( Fig. 14–15 ) broader and shorter ( Figs 11–12 )

Colour of body blue-violet to black ( Figs 3–5 ) bright green ( Figs 1–2 )

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Dorsal habitus of Afagrilaxia magorgori Obořil & Sekerka, sp. nov. and A. natalenis (Bellamy, 1986). 1—A. magorgori, male, holotype; 2—A. magorgori, female, allotype; 3—A. natalensis, male from Tanzania; 4—A. natalensis, female from Tanzania; 5—A. natalensis, female, holotype; 6–9—detail of pronota of the respective specimens, males (6, 8) and females (7, 9).

FIGURES 10–21. Afagrilaxia magorgori Obořil & Sekerka, sp. nov. (holotype): 10–12, 16, 18 (allotype): 19; A. natalenis (Bellamy, 1986) (specimens from Tanzania): 13–15, 17, 20–21; 10, 13—aedeagi in dorsal view; 11, 14—penis in dorsal view; 12, 15—aedeagi in lateral view; 16–17—right metatibiae, males; 18, 21—ventrites V, males; 19–20—ventrites V, females.