Gyascutus (s. str.) westcotti Nelson, 2000

Nelson, G. H., 2000, A revision of the subtribe Hippomelanina, part II: Gyascutus (Gyascutus) LeConte (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Journal of Natural History 34 (12), pp. 2251-2292 : 2278-2279

8. Gyascutus (s. str.) westcotti Nelson , sp. nov.

(®gures 10, 21, 26, 28, 49)

Diagnosis. Coppery black in colour; two females average 13.4 mm long; width between eyes 1.9 Ö width of eye in dorsal view; antennae reaching to near middle of pronotum when laid alongside in female (male unknown); pronotum widest along posterior half; pronotal disc a mixture of moderate to large punctures and large smooth raised areas; elytra costate.

Description, holotype female. Head broad, width between eyes 1.9 Ö width of eye in dorsal view; front slightly impressed between antennal ridges that converge in straight line; surface coarsely densely punctate with mostly longitudinal callosities, three large ones converging toward vertex; clothed by moderately long, semirecumbent, white, hair-like setae; clypeal margin shallowly, triangularly emarginate; antennae reaching to near middle of pronotum when laid alongside, antennomere 1 elbowed elongate clavate, 2 short clavate, 3 elongate slightly dilated apically, serrate from 4, sensilla beginning with 5, serrate portion of roundly triangular antennomeres, 11 with apical notch (®gure 21).

Pronotal width 1.8 Ö length, widest at posterior margin, narrowest at anterior margin; laterally carinate in posterior half; lateral margins subparallel in posterior half, then weakly arcuately converging to anterior angle; anterior margin weakly bisinuate; posterior margin with strong emarginate median lobe; disc moderately convex, weakly transversely impressed behind anterior margin, more strongly so on either side along posterior margin; surface mixture of moderate to large punctures and large smooth raised areas on disc, punctures smaller and more numerous especially toward anterior and lateral margins, punctate areas with short, semirecumbent, white, hair-like setae. Scutellum transversely oval, surface slightly impressed by several punctures.

Elytra at base barely wider than pronotum at base; lateral margins subparallel in basal half, then weakly converging to shallowly emarginate bidentate apices, margins serrulate in apical quarter; disc moderately convex, depressed along base; surface with four weak discal costae that are irregularly punctate and occasionally interrupted; intervals irregularly, ®nely punctate; punctate areas clothed by short, curved, white, hair-like setae.

Ventrally ®nely densely punctate and somewhat scabrous laterally, densely clothed by moderately long, recumbent and semi-recumbent, white, hair-like setae, punctures less dense medially and along posterior margins of abdominal sterna 2± 4; prosternal anterior margin transverse, prosternal process angulatel y expande d behind procoxal cavities then converging to rounded apex, surface with irregular row of midline punctures and sulcus along lateral margins; metasternum with midline sulcus; protrochanter with acute tooth; profemur slightly more robust than meso- or metafemur; tibiae straight, protibia more robust than meso- or metatibia, all without teeth (®gure 26); metatarsomere subequal in length to 2 1 3, slightly longer than 5; last visible abdominal sternum elongate triangular with serrate submarginal crest, apex emarginate with broad truncate median lobe and dentate posterolateral angles (®gure 28). Length, 12.8 mm; width, 5.0 mm.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Described from three females, holotype m (California Academy of Sciences) is labelled as follows: MEX, Baja Calif. Sur Bahia ConceptioÂn (p) Posada ConceptioÂn (h) 19/ 20-VI-1987 (p)/Beating mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana (p)/R. L. Westcott Collector (p)/(red label) HOLOTYPE Gyascutus (s. str.) westcotti G. H. Nelson (p) m (h). One paratype has labels one and three identical to the holotype; labels two and four as follows: beating dead branch of Parkinsonia aculeata (h)/ (yellow label) PARATYPE Gyascutus (s. str.) westcotti G. H. Nelson (p) m (h). The second paratype is labelled as follows: MEX, Baja Calif. N. 7.5 mi S Las Arrastras, 520 m 29 ss 28 ¾, 114 ss 17 ¾ 24-V-1989 (p)/R. L. Westcott Collector (p)/(yellow label) PARATYPE Gyascutus (s. str.) westcotti G.H. Nelson (p) m (h). Paratypes in (RLWE).

Variation. The paratypes are similar to the holotype except they are larger, one 14.0 mm long and 5.0 mm wide, and the other 15.0 mm long and 5.4 mm wide. The last is a little more coppery and the lateral margins of the pronotum are slightly ¯aired.

Distribution (®gure 49). As indicated in the type series, it is known from the southern third of Baja California Norte to near the middle of Baja California Sur.

Biology. Larval habits are unknown. Adults collected from late May to late June, as indicated on the labels.

Etymology. Named in honour of my friend and colleague, Richard L. Westcott, who collected the type series.