Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli, Baiocchi, Daniele, 2013

Baiocchi, Daniele, 2013, The Anthaxia (Anthaxia) manca (Linnaeus, 1767) species-group in Iran, with description of a new species and a new synonymy (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 3613 (5), pp. 455-481 : 462-466

Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov.

( Figs. 1, 2, 3 , 21 , 28 , 30 , 34 , 47, 52 , 57 , 60 )

Type specimen studied. Holotype Ƥ: W IRAN (Lorestan) Zagros mts., 2400 m., 25 km SE Dorud, 5 km SE Darband, 14.VI.2011 J. Simandl leg. / on Salix sp.

The holotype is deposited in the author’s collection (DBCR).

Description of the female holotype ( Fig. 1 ). Large and robust species; body stout, strongly convex, distinctly narrowed in the anteropronotal and posteroelytral regions; length: 9.5 mm, maximum width behind the humerus: 3.8 mm, length to width ratio: 2.5 times longer than wide; dorsal colouration: head and pronotum garnet-red with a green saddle-shaped mark along mid anterior pronotal margin, more intensively coloured laterally; vertex and elytra brilliant blueish-green; antennae, scutellum and legs black; ventral colouration entirely magenta-red; pubescence white.

Head ( Fig. 3 ) slightly narrower than anterior pronotal margin; eyes ( Fig. 21 , 28 ) rather large, not projecting beyond outline of head; vertex flat, narrow, 0.33 times as wide as width of head; frons ( Fig. 21 ) wide, flat; inner ocular margins slightly divergent on lower 2/3, strongly convergent on upper 1/3; clypeus flat, deeply sculptured, about 0.3 times as wide as total width of head, lateral margins subparallel, anterior margin unsculptured in middle, deeply triangularly emarginate; sculpture of frons deeply foveate-reticulate, very dense, consisting of round foveae, slightly larger in middle, with narrow, smooth interspaces; sculpture of vertex consisting of irregularly shaped foveae, rather confusedly divided in the middle; bottom of foveae slightly microsculptured, with a very small, central, setigerous pore; pubescence erect, very long on frons, shorter, very sparse and poorly visible on vertex.

Antennae ( Figs. 3 , 21 ) long, slender, 1.3 times longer than pronotal length in midline; scape and pedicel bearing long white pubescence, antennomeres 4–11 moderately flattened; scape 2.8 times longer than wide, slightly bent, strongly convex on inner side; pedicel 1.4 times longer than wide, nearly subcylindrical; antennomere 3 slightly subconical, weakly bent, 1.5 times longer than pedicel; antennomeres 4–10 about 1.5 times longer than wide, progressively shorter, subtrapezoidal; last antennomere subrhomboidal, 2.5 times longer than wide.

Pronotum ( Figs. 3 , 28 ) transverse, nearly 1.6 times wider than long, rather convex, widest in posterior 1/2; anterior margin slightly bisinuate, with well pronounced central lobe; posterior 1/2 with central, very shallow, longitudinal depression; anterior angles slightly obtuse; lateral margins strongly converging at anterior 1/3, subparallel for a short distance in middle, feebly, rectilinearly narrowed on posterior 1/3; posterior margin straight, very bright black; lateroposterior angles slightly obtuse; lateroposterior depressions rather large, shallow; lateral pronotal carina ( Fig. 28 ) sharp, complete, extending from lateroposterior angle to anterior pronotal margin; discal sculpture deep, irregularly areolate-rugose on central 1/3, regularly subpolygonal on lateral parts, consisting of cells of various size, somewhat larger on lateroposterior depressions; cell bottom rather smooth, very shiny, with tiny setigerous pore; pronotal pubescence long, erect, sparse and inconspicuous.

Scutellum ( Fig. 3 ) black, pentagonal, finely microreticulate, more convex on posterior portion.

Elytra wide, strongly convex, 1.9 times as long as wide, slightly narrowed at base, subparallel on anterior 2/3 of their length, apical 1/3 strongly narrowed, slightly sinuate; elytral base slightly bisinuate, as wide as posterior pronotal margin; basal transverse depressions rather deep, irregular, reaching scutellum; humeral swellings moderately developed; suture strongly raised in posterior 1/2; lateral elytral groove wide, shallow, distinctly wider behind the humerus, disappearing before apex; lateral margins slightly serrate on apical 1/3; apex separately rounded, irregularly serrate; elytral epipleura moderately wide, subparallel, disappearing before apex; elytral sculpture rough, homogenously imbricate-punctulate, somewhat more uneven at base; elytral pubescence rather long, conspicuously erect.

Ventral surface ( Figs. 2 , 30 ) strongly convex; prosternum with transverse, shallow depression in middle; anterior margin slightly arched; prosternal process moderately wide, lateral margins distinctly curved, lateroposterior angles slightly acute, posterior apex long, well developed; prosternal sculpture irregularly, transversely stretched along anterior margin, oblong, more widely spaced along lateral sutures, rather roughly imbricate in middle and on prosternal process; proepisternal sculpture areolate-rugose, polygonal, very shallow, rather longitudinal near lateral pronotal edge, with the setigerous punctures placed close to the cell margin; mesosternum deeply, rugosely sculptured; metasternal sculpture areolate, deep and sparse, posterior margin unsculptured; posterior end of central metasternal suture divergent for a short distance; mesepisternum sculptured only on proximal portion; pro- and mesocoxae deeply sculptured; sculpture of femora imbricate, weak and sparse; all trochanters unarmed; ventral abdominal sculpture imbricate, weak and sparse.

Anal ventrite ( Fig. 34 ) subtriangular, 1.6 times wider than long, shallowly depressed along lateral margins, apex subround, with a semicircular notch in middle, lateral margins slightly, irregularly serrate.

Legs thick, rather long, inner margins of tibiae smooth, tarsomeres moderately elongated, progressively enlarged; protibiae slightly enlarged on outer edge at apex, protibial carina of outer edge weakly sinuate apically, inner margin densely covered with short whitish bristles; protarsomere 1 slightly longer than 2 and 3, tarsomere 4 shorter than 3, tarsomere 5 longer than 1; mesotibiae straight, slightly flattened; mesotarsomeres 2–4 subequal, each distinctly shorter than 1, tarsomere 5 slightly shorter than 1; metatibiae straight, strongly flattened; metatarsomere 1 much longer than 2, tarsomere 3 shorter than 2, tarsomere 4 shorter than 3, tarsomere 5 as long as 2; tarsal claws dark brown, thick, distinctly curved, strongly enlarged at base.

Ovipositor: ( Fig. 47 ).

Comments. Despite the different habitus, with a reversed pattern of colouration, the closest species to A. simandli sp. nov. is A. magnifica . Both species are only known from a very few specimens, mostly females. This did not allow a sufficient evaluation of the intraspecific variability, thus the distinction is based, as well as on a different pattern of colouration that I usually do not consider to be sufficient, upon a few other characters which, although weak, I judged to be consistent enough to allow the species to be distinguished. One of these characters is the lateral pronotal carina ( Fig. 28 ), which is rather unusually extended for the whole lateral pronotal length, differing from most other species where it never reaches the anterior pronotal margin ( Fig. 29 ).

In order to make an appropriate comparison of the same sex, the holotype of A. simandli sp. nov. was compared to a fresh, reared female of A. magnifica which had itself been previously compared with its holotype. The character states that differentiate the two species are listed below:

Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov. Anthaxia (Anthaxia) magnifica Bílý, 1983 Body ( Fig. 1 ) stout, about 2.5 times longer than wide; head Body ( Fig. 4 ) slightly slender, 2.6 times longer than wide; and pronotum red, elytrae blueish-green head and pronotum green, elytrae red-purple Head: sculpture of frons ( Fig. 21 ) very densely foveate- Head: sculpture of frons ( Fig. 22 ) more sparsely foveolate reticulate

Antennae ( Fig. 3 ): scape 2.9 times longer than wide Antennae ( Fig. 6 ): scape 3.1 times longer than wide Pronotum ( Fig. 3 ) 1.6 times wider than long; lateral carina Pronotum ( Fig. 6 ) 1.5 times wider than long; lateral carina ( Fig. 28 ) complete, extending from laterobasal angle to ( Fig. 29 ) incomplete, disappearing at 3/4 of lateral pronotal anterior pronotal margin length

Elytral sculpture rough; lateral groove homogenously deep Elytral sculpture smoother; lateral groove flat on posterior 1/

3

Ventral surface ( Figs. 2 , 30 ): posterior end of central Ventral surface ( Figs. 5 , 31 ): posterior end of central metasternal suture distinctly divergent; metasternal sculpture metasternal suture not divergent; metasternal sculpture more distinctly, densely imbricate-areolate sparsely imbricate-foveate

Legs: protibial carina of outer edge ( Fig. 52 ) irregular but Legs: protibial carina of outer edge ( Fig. 51 ) irregular, not emarginate distinctly emarginate apically

Anal ventrite ( Fig. 34 ) 1.6 times wider than long, lateral Anal ventrite ( Fig. 35 ) 1.5 times wider than long, lateral margins straight, apex more deeply notched margins weakly arched, apex feebly notched

Bionomy and distribution. The only known specimen of A. simandli sp. nov. is a female found in a narrow valley ( Fig. 60 ) about 25 km southeast of Dorud, in the Lorestan province. According to this single topotypical locality, this new species is tentatively classified in the W-Iranian endemic chorotype (Vigna Taglianti et al. 1999).

The specimen was caught on a decorticated area of a trunk of Salix already showing a number of large exit holes, probably of Cerambycidae (Simandl, pers. comm.), and it was apparently probing the wood, in search of a suitable place to lay eggs. This behaviour suggests that Salix most probably represents a host-plant for this new species, as this is a host for its closest relative A. magnifica . Since the type of riparian habitat in which it was collected is commonly found in the whole country, and is not well studied, I expect this new species to be more common than a single record would suggest.

Etymology. A. simandli sp. nov. is dedicated to my friend Jiri Simandl (České Budĕjovice, Czech Rep.), the first collector of this magnificent species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Fig. 1, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov., holotype Ƥ (DBCR), dorsal aspect, 9.5 mm; Fig. 2, the same, ventral aspect; Fig. 3, the same, dorsal aspect of anterior portion of body.

FIGURES 21 – 22. Fig. 21, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov., holotype Ƥ (DBCR), frontal aspect of head; Fig. 22, A. (A.) magnifica Bílý, 1983 Ƥ (Iran, Ziaran, DGCC), frontal aspect of head.

FIGURES 28 – 29. Fig. 28, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov., holotype Ƥ (DBCR), left lateral view of anterior portion of body; Fig. 29, A. (A.) magnifica Bílý, 1983, Ƥ (Iran, Ziaran, DGCC), left lateral view of anterior portion of body.

FIGURES 30 – 33. Fig. 30, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov., holotype Ƥ (DBCR), ventral side, sternal portion of body; Fig. 31, A. (A.) magnifica Bílý, 1983, Ƥ (Iran, Ziaran, DGCC), ventral side, sternal portion of body; Fig. 32, A. (A.) mancatula Abeille, 1900 3 (Iran, Ziaran, DBCR), ventral side, sternal portion of body; Fig. 33, A. (A.) senicula (Schrank, 1789) 3 (Armenia, Vedi, Khosrov Forest Reserve, DBCR), ventral side, sternal portion of body.

FIGURES 34 – 39. Fig. 34, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov., holotype Ƥ (DBCR), anal ventrite; Fig. 35, A. (A.) magnifica Bílý, 1983, Ƥ (Iran, Ziaran, DGCC), anal ventrite; Fig. 36, A. (A.) mancatula Abeille, 1900 3 (Iran, Ziaran, DBCR), anal ventrite; Fig. 37, the same, Ƥ (Iran, Ziaran, DBCR), anal ventrite; Fig. 38, A. (A.) senicula (Schrank, 1789) 3 (Armenia, Vedi, Khosrov Forest Reserve, DBCR), anal ventrite; Fig. 39, the same, Ƥ (Armenia, Vedi, Khosrov Forest Reserve, DBCR), anal ventrite.

FIGURES 47 – 56. Fig. 47, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov., holotype Ƥ (DBCR), dorsal aspect of terminal tract of ovipositor, width 1.1 mm; Fig. 48, A. (A.) magnifica Bílý, 1983 Ƥ (Iran, Ziaran, DGCC), dorsal aspect of terminal tract of ovipositor, width 1.1 mm; Fig. 49, the same, 3 (Iran, Ziaran, DGCC), left protibia; Fig. 50, the same, right metatibia; Fig. 51, the same, Ƥ (Iran, Ziaran, DGCC), left protibia; Fig. 52, A. (A.) simandli sp. nov., holotype Ƥ (DBCR), left protibia, 1.8 mm; Fig. 53, A. (A.) mancatula Abeille, 1900, Lectotype 3 (MNHN), left protibia; Fig. 54, the same, right metatibia; Fig. 55, A. (A.) senicula (Schrank, 1789) 3 (Armenia, Vedi, Khosrov Forest Reserve, DBCR), left protibia; Fig. 56, the same, right metatibia.

FIGURES 57 – 58. Fig. 57, map of distribution in Iran of Anthaxia (Anthaxia) simandli sp. nov. (․) and A. (A.) magnifica Bílý, 1983 (□); Fig. 58, map of distribution in Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan of A. (A.) mancatula Abeille, 1900 (□) and nearest localities to Iran (Armenia) of A. (A.) senicula (Schrank, 1789) (․).

FIGURES 59 – 60. Fig. 59, North Iran (Tehrān prov.), 10 km N Ziaran, 2100 m, locality of Anthaxia (Anthaxia) magnifica Bílý, 1983 (on the foreground the small tree of Salix sp. from which were collected the wood samples with larvae); Fig. 60, West Iran (Lorestan prov.), 25 km SE of Dorud, 5 km SE of Darband, 2400 m, topotypical locality of A. (A.) simandli sp. nov.

FIGURES 4 – 6. Fig. 4, Anthaxia (Anthaxia) magnifica Bílý, 1983 Ƥ (Iran, Ziaran, DGCC), dorsal aspect, 10.1 mm; Fig. 5, the same, ventral aspect; Fig. 6, the same, dorsal aspect of anterior portion of body.