Pachyschelus schwartzi var. nicolayi, Obenberger 1925: 103

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2003, A Reconsideration of Pachyschelus schwarzi Kerremans and a Review of American Pachyschelus North of MÉxico (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (4), pp. 459-468 : 463-465

P. schwartzi var. nicolayi Obenberger 1925:103 .

Diagnosis. Male: Ovate, inconspicuously setose and strongly shining; head, pronotum, and scutellum black, front with golden reflections, elytra dark blue with violaceous reflections; beneath black ( Fig. 4 ). Head rounded-trapezoidal with inconspicuous medial depression from above, eyes not visible from above; from front, medial depression linear and moderately strong from top to middle of eyes; surface smooth and shining above, at top of eyes grading to inconspicuously shagreened on front with coarse point punctures; large pores at inner margin of eyes above antennal insertions. Pronotum moderately convex, 3-1/2 times as wide as long at middle, apex 3/ 7 as wide as base; sides nearly straight on basal 2/3 then slightly rounded to apical angles; anterior margin very shallowly emarginate; base broadly, shallowly emarginate anterior to scutellum, more narrowly and strongly so anterior to elytral lobes; disk glabrous, strongly shining, faintly ocellate punctate, only posterior angles finely shagreened. Scutellum 1/3 wider than long, anterior margin nearly transverse, surface polished. Elytra at base subequal to pronotum, widest just behind base; sides subparallel for basal 2/5 then weakly arcuately rounded to tips which are conjointly rounded; punctures on surface in distinct rows, some basal punctures coalescing into vague transverse rugae, setae in punctures inconspicuous. Meso- and metasternum with sparse long setae. Abdomen with last sternum with acute medial triangular process and sparse long setae on apical 1/2. Genitalia as in Figure 5 .

Female: As male but apex of terminal ventral abdominal sternum with two sets of four teeth separated by shallow V-shaped notch; of four teeth, innermost is broadly triangular, middle two subequal and acute, outermost acute and nearly obsolete ( Fig. 6 ).

Specimens Examined. Arkansas: ‘‘ South West Ark. ’’ (Holotype male, NMPC) , same data, C. Palm ( AMNH) . Delaware: New Castle Co., Wilmington , 20– 30.05.1954, G.B. Vogt ( USNM) . Florida: ‘‘ Fla. / Schffr. ’’ ( USNM) . Kansas: Patowatomie Co., 4–10 mi NE Manhattan , 25.06.1986, J.A. Jackman ( GHNC) .

Kentucky: Fayette Co., 10, 15.08.1959, J.M. Campbell (AMNH, GHNC). Louisiana: Grant Par., Iatt Lake, 30 mi N Alexandria, 01– 16.06.1998, A. Brazeel, N.M. Schiff, upland M.T. (NMSC); Tammany Par., jct Pearl Riv. and I-10, 11.04.1982, E.G. Riley (GHNC); Webster Par., Lake Bistineau St. Pk., 17.05.1996, E.G. Riley-310 (TAMU); Algiers, 17.04.1945, on Sanguinaria, #45-10022 (USNM); [Parish?], Corney Lake, 25.06.1983, B.F. and J.L. Carr (CHAH). Mississippi: Bolivar Co., 12.2 mi W Boyle on 446, 08– 21.06.1998, N.M. Schiff, Dahomey 1 Malaise (RLWE); Tishomingo Co., Tishomingo St. Pk., 12.05.1977, P.K. Lago (GHNC); Washington Co., Delta Experimental. Forest, Stoneville, 03.08.1997, 25.05– 03.08.1998, N.M. Schiff, clearing MT (NMSC, RLWE). Missouri: Crawford Co., Meramec State Park, 30.06.1994, J.M. Sullivan, feeding on the foliage of Wisteria frutescens (TCMC) ; Jefferson Co., House Springs, 23, 12.05.1986, T.C. MaRae, reared ex leaf Apios americana coll’d. 09.09.1986 (GHNC), 3 mi E House Springs, 23, 26.05.1988, T.C. MaRae, 87-R39: reared mined Apios americana leaf coll. 8/87 (GHNC, TCMC); Stoddard Co., Otter Slough Wdlf Ar, 27.06.1987, T.C. MacRae (GHNC), Otter Slough WA, trail ex W pkg. lot, T24N R9E S31, 05.07.??19986, T.C. MacRae, on mined leaves Apios americana Medikus (TCMC), 10 mi ESE Dexter, Otter Slough Wildlife Area, 30.05.1998, G.H. Nelson, T.C. MacRae, on Apios americana (GHNC) . North Carolina: So. Pines, 10.06.1953, G.H. Nelson (GHNC). North Dakota: Wahpeton, 07.07, Wickham Collection (USNM). Oklahoma: Shawnee, 23.05.1916, W.D. Pierce (USNM). South

Carolina: Colleton Co., 5 mi S Canadys, Edisto River , 21.05.1968, blacklight, O.L. Cartwright ( USNM) ; Charleston Co., McClellanville G Stowe Duckery, 27.06.1970, L.L. Dietz ( GHNC) . Texas: ‘‘Tex’’ ( USNM) ; Dallas , Wickham ( USNM) ; Columbus, 30.07, Hubbard and Schwarz, E.A. Schwarz ( USNM) ; Bastrop Co., Bastrop St. Pk. , 24.05– 16.08.1983, M. Kualbars ( CMNC) . West Virginia: Boone Co., Fork Creek Public Hunting Area , 21.07.1993, S.M. Clark ( CHAH) .

Hosts. Adults have been collected on and reared from Apios americana and Wisteria frutescens (both Fabaceae ).

Discussion. Of the four species previously included under the name of P. schwarzi this is the largest, most strongly shining, and most widely distributed in the United States. Males vary in size from 2.3 to 3.1 mm in length (mean ¼ 2.81 mm for 45 specimens); females vary from 2.35 to 3.25 mm in length (mean ¼ 2.90 mm for 46 specimens). Published records of P. schwarzi from other states than Florida (e.g., MacRae 1991) refer to this species. The only Florida record of this species is a single old male specimen in the U.S. National Museum collection labelled only ‘‘Fla.’’

Figures

Figs. 1–9. Species in the Pachyschelus schwarzi group. Scale bars indicate 1 mm for habitus drawings, 0.5 mm for genitalia and apices of abdominal sternites. 1–3) P. vogti n. sp. 1) Habitus; 2) male aedeagus; 3) apex of terminal abdominal sternum of female. 4–6) P. nicolayi. 4) Habitus; 5) male aedeagus; 6) apex of terminal abdominal sternum of female. 7–9) P. schwarzi. 7) Habitus; 8) male aedeagus; 9) apex of terminal abdominal sternum of female.