Tetragonoschema (Patagoschema) cobosi, Bílý, Svatopluk, 2012

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2012, A revision of the genera Anilaroides Théry, 1934, stat. nov. and Tetragonoschema Thomson, 1857 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Buprestinae: Anthaxiini), Zootaxa 3521, pp. 1-38 : 12-13

Tetragonoschema (Patagoschema) cobosi sp. nov.

( Figs. 42 , 63 , 74 )

Specimens examined. Holotype (male): “ Valle Fertil, San Juan [ Argt.] // flores de “ Jarilla ”, Larrea divaricata, Septiembre 1970 ” ; allotype (female): the same data ; paratypes: the same data (4 males, 1 female) ; “San Jerónimo, San Luis [Argt.], M. J. Viana coll. // flores de “ Jarilla ” Septiembre 1970 ” (9 males, 4 females) ; “Arg.– San Luis, S. Geronimo, ii.1974, M. Viana” (4 males) ; “San Jerónimo, San Luis, 2.–3.xi.1970, Williner” (1 male); “ Argentina, prov. San Luis, San Gerónimo, 5 nov. 1970, leg. M. Viana” (32 males, 10 females); “ Argentina, prov. San Luis, dic 1972, leg. M. Viana” (9 males, 4 females); “ Argentina, prov. San Juan, Valle Fértil, nov 1970, leg. M. Viana // on flowers of Jarilla sp. Caricaceae )” (163 males, 37 females). Holotype and allotype deposited in MNCN, paratypes deposited in CLBC, JEBC, MDCS and NMPC.

Specimens examined and not included among paratypes: Argentina, prov. San Luis, San Gerónimo, 5 nov. 1970, leg. M. Viana (250 specimens, JEBC) .

Diagnosis. Body small (2.0– 3.7 mm), convex, subcylindrical; head, pronotum and legs except for tarsi black with a slight bronze or green lustre; elytra bronze with more or less intense red or purple lustre; ventral surface black with slight metallic tinge; antennae and tarsi reddish-brown; frons and elytra with short, white pubescence; pronotum with very short, microscopic, white pubescence; abdominal ventrites with very short, sparse white pubescence.

Description of the male holotype. Head small, narrower than anterior pronotal margin; frons convex with a small, nearly rounded postclypeal impression; vertex convex, twice as wide as width of eye; eyes relatively large, oval, not projecting beyond outline of head; sculpture of head consisting of small, polygonal, weakly developed punctures without central granules; antennae short, reaching anterior third of pronotal length when laid alongside the pronotum; scape claviform, 2.5 times as long as wide, pedicel elliptical, slightly longer than wide; third antennomere axe head-shaped, 1.5 times as long as wide, antennomeres 4–9 obtusely triangular, about as long as wide; terminal antennomere ovoid, 1.3 times as long as wide.

Pronotum strongly convex, nearly cordiform, 1.50 times as wide as long with small prescutellar pit; anterior margin with rather prominent medial lobe, posterior margin distinctly biarcuate; lateral margins widely, regularly rounded, emarginate anterior to the nearly rectangular posterior angles; lateral carina absent; maximum pronotal width at anterior third; sculpture homogenous, consisting of rather deep, coarse, polygonal punctures without central granules. Scutellum small, triangular, 1.5 times as long as wide.

Elytra rather convex, subparallel, 1.30 times as long as wide; apex broadly rounded, sutural angle very small, nearly absent; humeral callosities small, transverse basal depression well-developed but narrow, interrupted by small, lustrous prominence; elytral epipleura narrow, not reaching suture; sculpture homogenous consisting of small, dense, regular punctures.

Ventral surface lustrous with indistinct, wide punctation; prosternal process as long as wide, flat, obtusely pointed apically, slightly widened posterior to the procoxae; anal ventrite shortly produced apically, with a wide, deep preapical depression ( Fig. 63 ). Legs relatively long, slender, tibiae straight; meso- and metatibiae becoming slightly enlarged apically, without inner serrations; tarsi long and slender, mesotarsi nearly as long as mesotibiae; tarsal claws thin, hook-shaped, not enlarged at base.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 74 ) short, spindle-shaped, both parameres and median lobe sharply pointed apically.

Sexual dimorphism. The female differs from the male only by the somewhat larger and stouter body and usually also by the more intense red lustre of elytra.

Variability. Except for the size, slight variability was observed in the colouration of pronotum and elytra; pronotum sometimes has a green lustre and elytra is sometimes bronze or black-bronze, almost without a red tinge; some specimens possess two small, rounded depressions on the pronotal disc.

Measurements. Length: 2.0– 3.7 mm (holotype 3.2 mm); width: 0.9–1.6 mm (holotype 1.3 mm).

Etymology. Tetragonoschema (P.) cobosi sp. nov. is named in the honour of my late colleague, Antonio Cobos Sánchez, well known world specialist in the family Buprestidae .

Bionomy. Larval host plant unknown; most paratypes were collected on flowers of Jarilla sp. ( Caricaceae ).

Distribution. Argentina (provinces San Juan and San Luis).

Differential diagnosis. Tetragonoschema (P.) cobosi sp. nov. differs from the other species of the subgenus Patagoschema subgen. nov. in having a much smaller and less robust body, convex frons, cordiform pronotum, relatively longer aedeagus and the unicolorous elytra which are usually completely bronze with a red or purple lustre (see the key above).

Note. The specimens from MNCN, from which the holotype was selected, were recognised as a new species and were to be described by the late Antonio Cobos Sánchez just before his death.

Figures

FIGURES 37 – 45. 37 – 40. Historical types: 37 — Tetragonoschema fallaciosum Théry, 1944, paratype, 5.5 mm; 38 — T. santafeanum Obenberger, 1947, lectotype, 4.2 mm; 39 — T. vianai Obenberger, 1947, lectotype, 4.1 mm; 40 — T. monrosi Cobos, 1949, holotype, 4.5 mm. 41 – 45. Habitus: 41 — Anilaroides brasiliensis (Kerremans, 1897), male, 4.3 mm (Brasil, S. Antonio da Barra); 42 — T. (Patagoschema) cobosi sp. nov., male, 2.7 mm (paratype); 43 — T. (Tetragonoschema) aeneum Kerremans, 1899, male, 4.5 mm (Paraguay, Serro Acahay); 44 — T. (T.) barriesi sp. nov., male, 5.0 mm (paratype); 45 — T. (T.) cupreocingulatum Hoscheck, 1931, male, 3.7 mm (Paraguay, Loma Plata).

FIGURES 55 – 63. 55 – 57. Habitus: 55 — Tetragonoschema (T.) trinidadense Bellamy 1991, male, 4.5 mm, typical form (Trinidad, S. Benedico); 56 — the same, male, 3.5 mm, blue form (Venezuela, Guamacho); 57 — the same, female, 5.0 mm, green form (Venezuela, Maicillal); 58 – 63. 58 — elytral apex of Tetragonoschema (Patagoschema) torresi Cobos, 1959 (holotype); 59 — the same, T. (T.) humerale Waterhouse, 1882 (Mexico, Michoacán); 60 — the same, T. (T.) strandi Obenberger, 1924 (lectotype); 61 — pronotum of T. (T.) barriesi sp. nov. (holotype), lateral view; 62 — the same, T. (T.) strandi (holotype); 63 — anal ventrite of T. (P.) cobosi sp. nov. (holotype).

FIGURES 72 – 81. Aedeagi: 72 — Tetragonoschema (Patagoschema) patagonicum Obenberger, 1922 (holotype); 73 — T. (P.) torresi Cobos, 1959 (holotype); 74 — T. (P.) cobosi sp. nov. (holotype); 75 — T. (T.) rubromarginatum Théry, 1944 (lectotype); 76 — T. (T.) barriesi sp. nov. (holotype); 77 — T. (T.) strandi Obenberger, 1924 (Argentina, Tucuman); 78 — T. (T.) cupreocingulatum Hoscheck, 1931 (lectotype); 79 — T. (T.) fossicolle Kerremans, 1900 (lectotype); 80 — T. (T.) humerale Waterhouse, 1882 (Mexico, Michoacan); 81 — T. (T.) trinidadense Bellamy, 1991 (holotype).