Gyascutus (s. str.) carolinensis Horn, 1883

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 : 2280-2283

9. Gyascutus (s. str.) carolinensis Horn

(®gures 11, 22, 31, 37, 48)

Gyascutus carolinensis Horn, 1883: 288 ; Townsend, 1895: 42; Casey, 1909: 66; Obenberger, 1926: 160; Chamberlin, 1926: 203.

Hippomelas carolinensis Kerremans, 1892: 55 ; 1903: 65; 1908: 317; Leng, 1920: 179; Blackwelder and Blackwelder, 1948: 20; Barr, 1970: 4; Linsley and Ross, 1977: 273; Westcott, 1991: 77.

Gyascutus juniperinus Wickham, 1905: 167 ; Casey, 1909: 68; Obenberger, 1926: 160; Chamberlin, 1926: 204, new synonymy.

Hippomelas juniperina Kerremans, 1908: 315 ; Leng, 1920: 179; Linsley and Ross, 1977: 275.

Gyascutus obesus Casey, 1909: 65 ; Obenberger, 1926: 160; Chamberlin, 1926: 204, new synonymy.

Hippomelas obesus Leng, 1920: 179 .

Gyascutus obesus aeneoviridis Casey, 1909: 66 ; Obenberger, 1926: 160, new synonymy.

Hippomelas aeneoviridis Leng, 1920: 179 (as synonym of H. obesus Casey ).

Gyascutus compactus Casey, 1909: 66 ; Obenberger, 1926: 160; Chamberlin, 1926: 204 (as synonym of G. obesus Casey ); Linsley and Ross, 1977: 275, new synonymy.

Hippomelas compactus Leng, 1920: 179 (as synonym of H. obesus Casey ).

Hippomelas (Gyascutus) compacta Linsley and Ross, 1977: 275 .

Gyascutus compactus solidus Casey, 1909: 66 ; Obenberger, 1926: 160, new synonymy.

Hippomelas solidus Leng, 1920: 179 (as synonym of H. obesus Casey ).

Gyascutus cylindrinus Casey, 1909: 66 ; Obenberger, 1926: 160; Chamberlin, 1926: 204 (as synonym of G. obesus Casey ), new synonymy.

Hippomelas cylindrinus Leng, 1920: 179 (as synonym of H. obesus Casey ).

Gyascutus debilis Casey, 1909: 67 ; Obenberger, 1926: 160; Chamberlin, 1926: 204 (as synonym of G. obesus Casey ), new synonymy.

Hippomelas debilis Leng, 1920: 179 (as synonym of H. obesus Casey ).

Gyascutus tenuis Casey, 1909: 67 ; Obenberger, 1926: 160; new synonymy.

Hippomelas tenuis Leng, 1920: 179 (as synonym of H. obesus Casey ).

Diagnosis. Copper or with brassy tint in colour (one small population brassyblue); males average 15 mm long, females 15.2 mm; width between eyes 1.7 Ö width of eye in dorsal view; antennae reaching to or beyond posterior angles of pronotum when laid alongside in male, to middle of pronotum in female; pronotum widest at posterior margin; pronotal disc a mixture of moderate to large punctures and weakly raised smooth areas; elytra without distinct costae; male genitalia broadly lanceolate (®gure 37).

Redescription, lectotype male. Head with width between eyes 1.7 Ö width of eye in dorsal view; front ¯at, concave below, surface ®nely, densely punctate just above clypeus and along medial margin of eyes, otherwise with numerous smooth raised areas with larger punctures, punctate areas clothed with short, semi-erect, whitish, hair-like setae; clypeus shallowly arcuately emarginate; supra-antenna l ridges prominent with lower ends joined by ®ne carina; antennae reaching two antennomeres beyond posterior margin of pronotum when laid alongside, serrate from antennomeres 4±11 and with outer margins subparallel, 11 with strong notch at outer angle (®gure 22a).

Pronotal width 1.4 Ö length, widest at posterior margin; lateral margins slightly expanded at posterior margin, weakly converging to middle and then more strongly to narrowest at anterior margin that is weakly emarginate; posterior margin with broadly rounded lobe that is emarginate in midline; disc convex, transversely depressed anteriorly and slightly ¯attened in posterior two-thirds; surface a mixture of smooth raised areas and moderate to large size punctures, with few, inconspicuous, semi-recumbent, whitish, hair-like setae. Scutellum transversely rounded, disc ¯attened, glabrous and impunctate.

Elytra wider at base than pronotum; lateral margins feebly narrowing to middle, then more strongly converging with few weak denticules near narrowly emarginate apices; disc moderately convex, surface with numerous ®ne punctures and weakly raised smooth areas, some arranged in faint costae, partial striae weakly indicated, moderately clothed by inconspicuous, short, suberect, whitish setae.

Ventrally, thoracic sterna ®nely, densely punctate laterally as are abdominal sterna except along posterior margin, thoracic sterna with punctures larger and less dense medially; prosternum ¯attened; prosternal process with median row of large punctures and marginal sulcus; metasternum with midline sulcus; protrochanter with acute tooth; protibia weakly arcuate, with several small teeth on inner margin in apical half; meso- and metatibia straight, both without teeth; all tibiae with two slender apical spurs; metatarsomere 1 as long as 2 1 3, and longer than 5; last visible abdominal sternum elongate triangular; apex weakly sinuately, roundly truncate, posterolateral angles toothed, and with serrate submarginal crest (®gure 31a). Length, 16.1 mm; width, 5.7 mm.

Male genitalia (®gure 37).

Homotype female. DiOEers from male as follows: body more robust; antennae shorter, reaching middle of pronotum when laid alongside, antennomeres 4±11 triangular in shape (®gure 22b); protibia more weakly arcuate, without teeth along inner margin; meso- and metatibia straight, without teeth; last visible abdominal sternum more narrowly triangular (®gure 31b). Length, 16.5 mm; width, 6.6 mm.

Type locality: North Carolina, near Wilmington [an obvious error] .

Type material. The lectotype lof Gyascutus carolinensis Horn (MCZC) is labelled as follows: N.C. (p)/1 (pink, h)/(red label) TYPE (p) 8124 (h)/ G. carolinensis Horn (h)/(red label) LECTOTYPE Gyascutus carolinensis Horn ldet. G. H. Nelson ’95 (h). The lectotype m of Gyascutus juniperinus Wickham (MCZC) is labelled as follows: Chad’s Rch. Ut. Jul. 22 Wickham (p)/ G. juniperinus COTYPE (h, red line at bottom)/F. C. Bowditch Coll. (p)/(red label) M.C.Z. Type (p) 25979 (h)/ Gyascutus juniperinus Wick. (h)/(red label) LECTOTYPE Gyascutus juniperinus Wickham det. G. H. Nelson 1997 (h). The holotype m of Gyascutus obesus Casey (USNM) is labelled as follows: Texas (p)/m (h)/Casey bequest 1925 (p)/(red label) TYPE USNM (p) 35717 (h)/ obesus Csy (h). The holotype lof Gyascutus obesus ssp. aeneoviridis Casey (USNM) is labelled as follows: Tex (p)/ l(h)/Casey bequest 1925 (p)/(red label) TYPE USNM (p) 35718 (h)/ aeneoviridis Csy. (h). The lectotype m of Gyascutus compactus Casey (USNM) (designated in Bellamy and Nelson, 1990: 294) is labelled as follows: Ari (p)/m (h)/Casey bequest 1925 (p)/(red label) TYPE USNM (p) 35721 (h)/ compactus Csy. (h)/ LECTOTYPE (p) Gyascutus compactus Csy. m (h) by (p) G. H. Nelson ’87 (h). There are additionally seven males and one female in the type series that are all labelled Ari. and are labelled paralectotypes. The holotype m of Gyascutus compactus ssp. solidus Casey (USNM) is labelled as follows: Ari. (p)/m (h)/Casey bequest 1925 (p)/(red label) TYPE USNM (p) 35720 (h)/ solidus Csy. (h). The holotype lof Gyascutus cylindrinus Casey (USNM) is labelled as follows: N. M. (p)/ l(h)/Casey bequest 1925 (p)/(red label) TYPE USNM (p) 35719 (h)/ cylindrinus Csy. (h). The holotype lof Gyascutus debilis Casey (USNM) is labelled as follows: Ari. (p)/ l(h)/Casey bequest 1925 (p)/(red label)TYPE USNM (p) 35722 (h)/ debilis Csy. (h). The holotype lof Gyascutus tenuis Casey (USNM) is labelled as follows: Ari (p)/ l(h)/Casey bequest 1925 (p)/(red label) TYPE USNM (p) 35723 (h)/ tenuis Csy. (h).

Variation. The 498 male, 635 female and 200 non-sexed specimens examined revealed that in colour this species varies from the typical dark copper to lighter copper with a brassy and/or greenish tint and a population near Portal , Arizona that is a distinctive greenish blue with brassy tint. In general form it varies from small, subparallel to large, robust cuneate. On fresh specimens there is commonly a yellow pulverulence. Males vary from 9.9 to 19.0 mm long (mean 5 15.0 mm, n 5 50) and 3.5±7.5 mm wide (mean 5 5.6 mm, n 5 50); females from 9.2 to 20.4 mm long (mean 5 15.2 mm, n 5 50) and 3.2±8.3 mm wide (mean5 6.1 mm, n 5 50).

Distribution (®gure 48). This widespread species is found in the following areas of the USA and Mexico. Arizona ÐCochise Co., Portal; San Simon; Tombstone; Wilcox. Coconino Co., Fredonia. Gila Co., Globe. Maricopa Co., Cavecreek; 69.5 km E Gila Bend; Sunōwer; Tempe. Mohave Co., Bullhead City; Hualapai Mts.; Kingman. Pima Co., Ajo Mts.; Alamo Canyon; Catalina Mts.; Continental; Green Valley; Sabino Canyon; Santa Rita Ranch; Sasabe; Three Points; Tucson; Vail. Yavapai Co., Hillside. Yuma Co., Ehrenburg; Foothills; King Valley; Kofa Natural Wildlife Refuge; Parker; Quartzite; San Luis; Somerton. California Ð Imperial Co., Andrade; Cactus; Coyote Wells; Fish Springs; Glamis; 40.1 km E. Holtville; Mt Springs; Westmorland. Inyo Co., Inyo Mts., Lead Canyon. Kern Co., China Lake; 16.1 km NW Inyokern; Saltdale. Los Angeles Co., Azusa; Juniper Hills; Vincent. Orange Co., 12.5 km E San Juan Capistrano. Riverside Co., Banning; Blythe; Cathedral City; Coachella; Deep Canyon; Hemet; Indio; Moronga Valley; Oasis Station; Palm Desert; Palm Springs; Pinyon Flat; Rancho Mirage; Salton Sea; Thousand Palms; 25±37 km S Vidal; Whitewater Canyon. San Bernardino Co., Amboy Crater; Clark Mt.; Highland; Kramer Junction; Pinyon Hills; Providence Mts.; San Bernardino. San Diego Co., Banner; Borrego State Park; Collin’s Valley; Jacumba; Oak Grove; Poway; Scissor’ s Crossing; Sentence Canyon; Warner Springs. Nevada ÐClark Co., Jean; 43.5 km NW Las Vegas. Lincoln Co., Alamo. New Mexico Ð Chavez Co., Roswell. Dona Ana Co., LaMesa; Las Cruces; Franklin Mts.; Mesilla Park. Hidalgo Co., Lordsburg; Steins. Luna Co., Florida. Socorro Co., Socorro. Texas ÐBrewster Co., Castolon; Marathon; Turlinga. Culberson Co., VanHorn. El Paso Co., El Paso. Pecos Co., Ft. Stockton. Reeves Co., Pecos. Val Verde Co., 40 km E Dryden. Utah: Washington Co., Chadburn Ranch, near Vejo; St. George. Mexico, Baja California Norte Ð 11.5 km N Bahia San Luis Gonzaga; Catavina; El Marmol; 40 km E El Rosario; Las Arrastras; Nueva Chapala; Persebu; 32.2 km S San Agustin; 48.5 km N and 14.5 km S San Felipe; San Pedro Martir; Santa Cecelia; Valle de Trinidad. Sonora Ð 32.2 km W Sonoyta.

Biology. Some information on the biology of this species was recorded by Linsley and Ross (1977). This species utilizes a broad range of host plants and has been reared from the following: Croton sp. and Encelia sp. roots (Linsley and Ross, 1977), Dalea emoryi Gray ( Westcott, 1991) , Encelia farinosa Gray ex Torr. , Gutierrezia sarothrae (Pursh) Britt. & Rusby , and Prosopis glandulosa torreyana (L. Benson) M. C. Jtn. It has been taken from the gizzard of a roadrunner (EMEC). Adults have been collected on the following: Acacia greggii Gray (Linsley and Ross, 1977) , Adenostoma sparsifolium Torr. , Baccharis sergiloides Gray , Cercidium X oridum Benth., Dalea sp. , Ephedra californica Wats. , E. trifurca Torr. , Eriogonum deserticola Wats., E. f asciculatum Benth., Juniperus californicus Carr. (Linsley and Ross, 1977) , J. osteosperma (Torr.) Little , Larrea tridentata (DC.) Cov. (Linsley and Ross, 1977) , Prosopis glandulosa torreyana (L. Benson) M.C. Jtn. , Tamarix sp. (Linsley and Ross, 1977) and Viguiera stenoloba Blake. Adults have been collected from early May to mid-October.

Comparisons. This species is most similar to Gyascutus dianae (Helfer) but it can be distinguished as follows: G. carolinensis Horn is usually copper in colour, the elytra are without costae, and the male genitalia are broadly lanceolate; G. dianae (Helfer) is brassy-green in colour, the elytra are weakly costate, and the male genitalia are less broadly lanceolate.