Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia), 2013

Bily, Svatopluk, 2013, A study on the Neotropical Anthaxiini (Coleoptera, Buprestidae, Buprestinae), ZooKeys 304, pp. 17-47 : 35-38

Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) s. str. Figs 10, 11

Type species.

Anthaxia cupriceps Fairmaire & Germain, 1858 by original designation.

Diagnosis.

Medium-sized (3.5-6.3 mm), subparallel, moderately convex, Anthaxia -like species.

Head large, very often somewhat wider than anterior pronotal margin; frons flat or slightly depressed, vertex 1.3-1.8 times as wide as width of eye; sculpture of head consisting of dense, oval or polygonal cells with or without central grains

Pronotum flattened, lateral margins subparallel or regularly rounded, posterior margin weakly biarcuate or almost straight, lateroposterior depressions usually well defined; “agriloid” carina short, almost parallel with lateral carina; prescutellar pit missing, basal tubercles small or missing. Scutellum small, subcordiform, usually 1.5 times as long as wide, flat.

Elytra moderately convex, subparallel, rarely weakly wedge shaped, 1.7-1.8 times as long as wide; humeral swellings well defined, elytral apices widely, obtusely rounded; basal, transverse depression rather deep, reaching or nearly reaching scutellum; elytral epipleura narrow, usually narrowing posteriorly, reaching elytral apex; subhumeral carina rather long, obsolete, not very elevated.

Ventral surface finely ocellate, prosternum flat or weakly convex; anal sternite obtusely rounded or truncate, serrate laterally. Legs moderately long, rather robust, tarsi distinctly widened, almost as long as tibiae.

Differential diagnosis.

The subgenus Bilyaxia differs from both newly described subgenera by flat, wide, Anthaxia -like body, flat or slightly depressed frons, shape of pronotum, obtusely rounded elytral apex, short elytra, distinctly widened tarsi and by the geographical distribution: all species are distributed west of the Andes mountains in Chile; only Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) auronotata ( Bílý, 1978) is distributed also in Argentina ( Neuquén).

Note.

Bilyaxia auronotata was described from the Argentinian province Neuquén (Lago Lacar). The lake Lacar lies at the Chilean border at the lowest spot of this part of the Andean range; here is the only “gate” where the Buprestid species can pass through the Andes. Bilyaxia auronotata was rather frequently collected also in the opposite side in Chile (prov. Villarica).

The distribution of the genus Bilyaxia is similar in distribution to the genera Conognatha Eschscholtz, 1829 and Dactylozodes Chevrolat, 1838, the subgenera of these are also distributed on the opposite sides of the Andes.

Species included.

Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) auronotata ( Bílý, 1978), Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) concinna (Mannerheim, 1837), Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) cupriceps (Fairmaire & Germain, 1858), Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) cordillerae (Obenberger, 1928), Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) obscurata (Reed, 1873) and Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) rubricollis (Moore, 1981).

Figures

Figures 7 - 12. 7 Agrilaxia (Costiptera) occidentalis (Kerremans, 1900), male, 5.3 mm (Brasil, Caraca) 8 Agrilaxia (Costiptera) costulipennis (Cobos, 1972), male, 5.8 mm (Argentina, Entre Rios) 9 Agrilaxia (Costiptera) modesta (Kerremans, 1897), male, 5.3 mm (Brasil, Jatahy) 10 Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) cupriceps (Fairmaire & Germain, 1858), male, 4.7 mm (Chile, La Union) 11 Bilyaxia (Bilyaxia) obscurata (Reed, 1873), male, 5.3 mm (Chile, Talca) 12 Bilyaxia (Paraguayetta) mariae (Cobos, 1956), female, 7.0 mm (holotype of Anthaxia jacobi Obenberger, 1958).