Chrysobothris sabae Maier and Ivie

Maier, Crystal A. & Ivie, Michael A., 2013, New Species and Records of Chrysobothris Eschscholtz (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from Montserrat, Saba, and Anguilla, with a Key to the Chrysobothris thoracica Species-Group in the West Indies, The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (2), pp. 81-88 : 86-87

Chrysobothris sabae Maier and Ivie , new species ( Figs. 1 , 5 )

Diagnosis. This species most closely resembles C. thoracica due to its entirely red pronotum; however, it can be distinguished by the humeral and first discal blue maculae completely separated (viewed from the side) and the evenly bronze elytra ( Fig. 1 ). Further, the male genitalia differ from all other species of the group ( Fig. 5 ), the median lobe being more narrowly angulate apically than in C. thoracica . Chrysobothris sabae is the only species in the group known from Saba, Netherlands Antilles.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ); length 6.2 mm, width 2.9 mm across at widest point; brilliant metallic scarlet and bronze dorsally; ventrally metallic blue-black to metallic green; evenly covered with heavy, confluent punctation. Head green, with micropunctures and larger punctures, costulate ventrally. Frons green to blue-green metallic, with dense, recumbent white setae. Setae on frons set into deep pits, cuticle of frons areolate. Eyes large, covering approximately 1/3 of total head surface area, converging narrowly at vertex and widely at antennal insertions. Antennal cavities separated by at least 5 times diameter of antennal cavity. Head with weak inverted “Y” shaped median carina on vertex. Antennae weakly serrate, golden green with sparse white setae. First 3 antennomeres not significantly dilated apically. Pronotum metallic scarlet dorsally, anterior margin and anterior angles green, without brilliant metallic cyan macula at middle of posterior margin; almost 2 times as wide as long, laterally arcuate, widest in anterior third; anterior margin very weakly bisinuate, emarginate; posterior margin strongly bisinuate, even angular. Pronotal disk evenly covered with deep punctation and micropunctation. Scutellum blue-black. Leg metallic violet, rugulose, with scattered punctation. Profemur with broad serrate tooth, bordered with 7 small teeth. Protibia with small tooth on interior face. Mesotibia with row of spines on interior face. Prosternal process evenly, deeply punctate and evenly rugulose, expanded behind procoxae. Elytra 2 times longer than wide, parallel in basal third, then gradually expanding to reach widest point at apical third; bronzy violet, with slight purple sheen, color even to apex; entire base of elytron bordered with thick band of metallic cyan, cyan extending posteriorly to first third of elytral suture turning dull blue-green along elytral suture to apex, distinctly not connected to first elytral macula. Elytron with 2 bright blue-green transverse maculae, 1 each at one-third and two-thirds of distance to apex; evenly punctate; distinctly serrate in apical third. Elytral suture bordered with carina. Elytral apex broadly rounded and strongly serrate. Ventrally blue-black, with sparse white recumbent setae; ventrites evenly punctate. Abdomen metallic blue dorsally. Last ventrite with 3 wide, weak teeth posteriorly. Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ) narrow, 3.0–3.1 times as long as wide. Median lobe granulate dorsally; angle of apex narrow (15°). Parameres sclerotized and weakly serrate laterally; bordered with weak carina ventrally.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Saba, in the former Netherlands Antilles, now a Public Entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Type Material Examined. Holotype: ♂ – Netherlands Antilles: Saba Isl.: Spring Bay Trail , base of Old; Booby Hill [S4] el. 100m; 17.63353°N, 63.22021° W ± 33.7m; dry windswept hill, 10 MAR 2008; D.S. Sikes, J.A. Slowik, G.D.; Alpert / UAM100023314 (from UAM, deposited in the NMNH).

Etymology. This species is named for the island on which it was collected, Saba, in the former Netherlands Antilles, now a Public Entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands..

Biology. Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Chrysobothris species, dorsal habitus. 1) C. sabae; 2) C. hispaniolae; 3) C. thoracica; 4) C. marskeae.

Figs. 5–7. Chrysobothris species, male genitalia. 5) C. sabae; 6) C. marskeae; 7) C. thoracica.