Gyascutus (s. str.) granulatus (Van Dyke) 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 : 2277-2278

7. Gyascutus (s. str.) granulatus (Van Dyke) , comb. nov.

(®gures 9, 20, 25, 32, 40, 49)

Hippomelas (Nanularia) granulatus Van Dyke, 1942: 111 .

Hippomelas (Gyascutus) granulatus Barr, 1970: 4 .

Diagnosis. Colour black with slight copper tint; two males average 10 mm long, one female 12.6 mm; width between eyes 2.0 Ö width of eye (dorsal view); antennae reaching middle of pronotum when laid alongside in male, not reaching middle in female; pronotum widest at middle; pronotal surface coarsely, densely punctate with numerous irregular raised areas; elytra without costae; male genitalia broadly lanceolate (®gure 40).

Redescription, holotype male. Head width between eyes 2.0 Ö width of eye in dorsal view; front ¯at, surface with moderately coarse punctures and irregular smooth raised areas, clothed with long, semi-erect, white setae; clypeal margin shallowly arcuately emarginate; supra-antennal ridges concavely converging medially; antennae reaching midlength of pronotum when laid alongside, serrate from antennomeres 4±10, antennomeres becoming shorter and narrower apicalward, 11 apically rounded with small notch at outer angle (®gure 20).

Pronotal width 1.4 Ö length, widest at middle; laterally carinate in posterior half; lateral margins subparallel near posterior margin, gently expanded to middle, then converging to narrowest at anterior angles; anterior margin with weak arcuate lobe in middle; posterior margin with distinct emarginate median lobe; disc convex, faintly impressed transversely behind anterior margin, ¯attened posteriorly in middle and more strongly depressed laterally along posterior margin; surface coarsely densely punctate with numerous irregular raised areas and laterally, with few inconspicuous, short, semi-recumbent, white, hair-like setae. Scutellum small, transverse, sunken.

Elytra slightly wider than pronotum at base; lateral margins slightly expanded in anterior half, then gradually more strongly converging to arcuately emarginate apices, margins ®nely serrate in apical third; disc transversely convex; ®ne striae distinct; slightly raised intervals broken into small, irregular segments by coarse sculpturing, with transverse strigae toward base; sparsely clothed by short, semi-recumbent, white setae.

Ventrally, coarsely, densely punctate on thoracic areas, more ®nely punctate and somewhat scabrous on abdomen except impunctate along posterior margin of abdominal sterna; moderately clothed with recumbent white setae; prosternal process with few scattered punctures and sulcate lateral margin; metasternum with narrow midline sulcus; protrochanter without apparent tooth; protibia slender, weakly arcuate, with row of small teeth along inner margin (®gure 25); meso- and metatibia slender, straight; metatarsomere 1 subequal to 2 1 3, longer than 5; apex of last visible abdominal sternum with strong sublateral serrate ridge, and apex broadly roundly truncate with dentate posterolateral angles (®gure 32a). Length, 11.0 mm; width, 3.7 mm.

Male genitalia (®gure 40).

Female. DiOEers from male as follows: antennae not reaching middle of pronotum when laid alongside; protibia straight; metatarsomere 1 longer than 2 1 3. Length, 12.6 mm; width, 4.2 mm.

Type locality: [ Mexico] Lower California , 10 miles S of Punta Prieta.

Type material. The holotype lof Hippomelas (Nanularia) granulatus Van Dyke (CASC) is labelled as follows: 10 mi. S. Punta Prieta, L. Cal. VI-21-38 (p)/Michelbacher & Ross Collectors (p)/ HOLOTYPE (red) Hippomelas (Nanularia) granulatus Van Dyke (h)/ California Academy of Sciences Type No. (p) 4840 (h).

Variation. Besides the holotype male, only one other male and one female were seen. The second male is more ®nely granulose than the holotype with a more coppery tint. It is 9.0 mm long and 3.2 mm wide. One female from Punta Prieta ( RLWE) is near granulatus , but possibly represents a new species. It is more brassy in colour, has a more transverse pronotum, and the distance between the eyes is less as viewed dorsally .

Distribution (®gure 49). From label data, this species is found as follows: Baja California Norte: 16.6 km S Punta Prieta; Baja California de Sur: El Pescadero, 12 km S Todos Santos.

Biology. The larval host is unknown. The female was taken from a small unidenti- ®ed leaēss shrub and the males have no host data. Collected from 12 April to 8 July.

Comparisons. It is compared to G. paragranulatu s under that species. It is also similar to G. westcotti but G. granulatus diOEers as follows: the pronotum is narrower, widest at the middle, and widest at posterior margin in G. westcotti ; the elytra with costae not evident in G. granulatus , but obvious in G. westcotti .