Agrilus (Agrilus) piuraensis Juárez & González, 2017

Juárez-Noé, Gino & González-Coronado, Uzbekia, 2023, Redescription of Agrilus (Agrilus) piuraensis Juárez & González, 2017 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae), with notes on its ecology and distribution in Peru, Revista Chilena de Entomología (Rev. Chil. Entomol.) 49 (1), pp. 67-72 : 68-71

Agrilus (Agrilus) piuraensis Juárez & González, 2017

( Figs. 1-3 )

Agrilus piuraensis Juárez & González, 2017: 277 ; Juárez-Noé & González-Coronado 2018: 13, 2019: 9, 2021: 91.

Redescription. Female. Body elongate, black with greenish blue reflections; head, pronotum, elytra and ventral side with yellow pubescence spots. Head. With a longitudinal depression, wide on vertex and narrow on frons, covered with yellow pubescence; frons with two small depressions, covered with yellow pubescence; vertex with golden reflections. Eyes large; antennae short, reaching middle of pronotum when laid alongside, serrate from antennomere IV; antennomeres with thin, short, scattered white hairs. Thorax. Pronotum with transverse striae; lateral margins arcuate, posterior angles acute; disc and lateral side with deep longitudinal depression covered with yellow pubescence; lateral and submarginal carinae parallel, joined at base; prosternal lobe slender, elongated, with anterior margin straight. Prosternum densely punctate, prosternal process flat, rectangular, densely punctate; proepisternum with sparse white pubescence; mesepimerum, mesepisternum, metepisternum and sides of metasternum with abundant yellow pubescence. Elytra. With transversal striae and four pair´s spots of yellow pubescence: the first, oblique in humeral callus, the second, elongate and in the middle of the elytra, the third and fourth rounded before the apex; apex microdenticulate with three spines: two small at inner angle and one large at outer angle. Legs. Slender, densely punctate; outer margin of metatibiae with thin, short, abundant black hairs; metatarsus slightly shorter than metatibiae; ventral side of tarsomeres with yellow hairs; tarsomere 1 longer than 2–4 combined. Claws bifid. Abdomen. Ventrites shiny, densely punctate; ventrite 1 with sparse yellow pubescence intermixed with white pubescence on sides; ventrite 2 with abundant yellow pubescence on sides; ventrite 4 with thin, short, scattered white hairs toward posterior margin; laterotergites wide, laterotergites 1 and 2 with yellow pubescence.

Male. Similar to female except ventrite 1 with abundant yellow pubescence intermixed with white pubescence on sides; laterotergites narrow. Aedeagus strongly sclerotized, median lobe with apex pointed ( Fig. 3 ).

Variation. Some females have ventrite 1 completely glabrous.

Dimensions (mm) (males/females). Total length: 7.80-8.10/8.80-9.10; humeral width: 2.60- 2.80/2.90-3.00; width of laterotergites: 2.80-3.00/3.20-3.35; elytral length: 5.80-6.10/6.80- 7.10.

Type specimen. Holotipo macho / Buprestidae / Agrilus piuraensis / Juárez & González, 2017 (red label) // PERÚ, Piura, distrito Castilla / Universidad Nacional de Piura / 05°10’S – 80°37’O, 29 m, 16.VII.2016 / colecta manual, U. González leg. (white label) // Holotipo hembra / Buprestidae / Agrilus (Agrilus) piuraensis / Juárez & González , 2017 / Det. Juárez-Noé & González-Coronado, 2022 (yellow label) [ MUPRG].

Other specimens examined. 11 males, 7 females. PERÚ, Región Piura, distrito Castilla / Universidad Nacional de Piura / 05°10’S- 80°37’O, 26 m, 07-I-2019 / G. Juárez & U. González leg. [ GJNC] . 1 female / PERÚ, región Piura, distrito Morropón / 05°11’S- 79°58’O, 550 m, 05-VII-2021 / colecta manual, G. Juárez leg. [ GJNC] . 1 male, 1 female / PERÚ, región Piura, distrito Piura / 05°11’S – 80°38’O, 26 m, 19-X-2019 / colecta manual, G. Juárez & U. González leg. [ MUSM] . 1 male, 1 female / PERÚ, región Piura, distrito Piura / 05°11’S- 80°38’O, 26 m, 02-IX-2021 / batido de hojas, G. Juárez leg. [ MUPRG] . 1 female / PERÚ, region Tumbes, distrito Tumbes / 03°34’S- 80°27’O, 7 m, 17-IV-2021 / colecta manual, G. Juárez leg. [ GJNC] (new regional record) . 1 males / Peru, Lambayeque / Chiclayo , 60 m / 08-III-1984 / M. Cooper leg. // M. Cooper / BMNH / 2004-275 // Agrilus piuraensis / Juárez & González, 2017 / det. G. Juárez, 2021 / (det. from photo) // NHMUK015014031 . (new regional record) [ BMNH] ( Fig. 4 ).

Remarks. Juárez & González (2017), stated the holotype of A. piuraensis was a male; however, our examination of the holotype and additional specimens, reveal the type is actually a female ( Fig. 5 ).

The shape, color, and distribution of the yellow pubescence on A. piuraensis is similar to that of Agrilus (Agrilus) mendacium Curletti, 2020 . However, the former differs by the head and pronotum with longitudinal yellow pubescence (head without longitudinal yellow pubescence and pronotum with yellow pubescence only at base in A. mendacium ), the elongate yellow pubescent spot in the middle of the elytra (yellow pubescent spot is rounded in A. mendacium ), the elytral apex with two small spines at the inner angle and a larger spine at the angle (elytral apex rounded and microdenticulate in A. mendacium ), and the median lobe of the aedeagus with the apex sharply pointed (apex acuminate in A. mendacium ).

Distribution and ecology. Agrilus piuraensis is known from Peru (Piura Region) and Ecuador (ManabÍ Province) ( Juárez & González 2017; Curletti 2022). We here report species also from the Peruvian regions of Tumbes and Lambayeque. In Peru, A. piuraensis is distributed along the Pacific Ocean coast from sea level to 550 m altitude, in seasonally dry lowland forests dominated by Neltuma piurensis (L. Vásquez, Escurra & Huamán) C.E. Hughes & G.P. Lewis (Leguminosae). The specimens were beaten and hand-collected from foliage of Senna sp. (Leguminosae), adults were observed feeding and copulating on the plant ( Figs. 6-7 ). Jendek & Poláková (2014) recorded Senna spp. as a host plant for nine other species of Agrilus . Although many Agrilus species are considered plant pests, it is unknown if A. piuraensis causes economic damage to Senna sp.

Correction to holotype depository. Juárez & González (2017) stated the holotype of A. piuraensis is deposited at the Entomology Collection of the Universidad Nacional de Piura. However, as indicated herein it is deposited at MUPRG.

Figures

Figures 1-3. Agrilus (Agrilus) piuraensis Juárez & González, 2017. 1a-b. Female, dorsal and ventral view. 2a–b. Male, dorsal and ventral view. Scale: 5 mm. 3. Aedeagus, ventral view. Scale: 1 mm. / 1ab. Hembra, vista dorsal y ventral. 2a-b. Macho, vista dorsal y ventral. Escala: 5 mm. 3. Edeago, vista ventral. Escala: 1 mm.

Figures 4-5. Agrilus (Agrilus) piuraensis Juárez & González, 2017. 4a-b. Male, dorsal view and labels. (BMNH). Scale: 5 mm. Photographs by Keita Matsumoto (BMNH). 5a-b. Holotype, dorsal view and labels. (MUPRG). Scale: 5 mm. / 4a-b. Macho, vista dorsal y etiquetas. (BMNH). Escala: 5 mm. FotografÍas por Keita Matsumoto (BMNH).5a-b. Holotipo, vista dorsal y etiquetas (MUPRG). Escala: 5 mm.

Figures 6-7. Agrilus (Agrilus) piuraensis Juárez & González, 2017. 6. Feeding on leaves of Senna sp. 7. Copulating on leaves of Senna sp. / 6. Alimentándose sobre hojas de Senna sp. 7. Copulando sobre hojas de Senna sp.