Agrilus basalis Chevrolat

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2012, New Mexican and Central American species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) mimetic of flies, Zootaxa 3181, pp. 1-27 : 16

Agrilus basalis Chevrolat

(Figs. 35–37)

Agrilus basalis Chevrolat 1835 :No. 144.

Description. Male: Relatively slender, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, elytra from side flat, 4.70 mm long, 1.15 mm wide; front green, vertex of head coppery red, anterior 2/3 of pronotum purplish-red, posterior 1/3 of pronotum, elytral humeri and area around scutellum bluish-green, sides of anterior 2/5 of elytra and basal sutural stripe black, rest of elytra black with strong golden reflections, beneath black with faint golden reflections; lower front and epistoma with golden setae, rest of head and pronotum glabrous; elytra with few, recumbent setae sutural depressions, dark golden setae on areas with golden reflections; setae long, white and semierect on prosternum along midline of metasternum and anterior portion of abdominal ventrite 1, setae short white and sparse on epimeron, sides of metasternum, dorsal half metepisternum, and metacoxal plate; spots of short white setae on posterior expanded portion of dorsal portion of abdominal ventrite 1 and anterolateral portion of abdominal ventrite 3.

Head with front convex from above, with very weak medial depression, stronger on lower 1/2, surface rugose, more strongly so on vertex, shagreened; epistoma 1/4 as wide as distance between inner margins of eyes, transversely carinate between middle of antennal insertions, ventral margin weakly emarginate, eyes large, oval; antennae serrate from antennomere 4, antennomeres 4–11 triangular.

Pronotum narrower than elytra at posterior margin, with sides widening somewhat at base then nearly straight; when viewed from side marginal carina nearly straight, submarginal carina strongly undulate, separated for anterior 3/4; from above anterior margin produced as narrowly rounded lobe; basal margin weakly angulately emarginate at middle of each elytron, straight before scutellum; anterior portion of disc with weak transverse depression before apex and stronger transverse depression at basal 1/3, deeper anterior to scutellum and broadening at margins to middle; prehumeral carinae very fine, diverging slightly from marginal carina for slightly more than 1/2 length of pronotum; disc rugose. Scutellum pentagonal, acute behind, with strong transverse carina.

Elytra broadest at humeri, lateral margins weakly emarginate behind humeri to middle, then narrowing to apices, apices obliquely, narrowly rounded-angulate and finely denticulate; each elytron with strong obliquely triangular-oval depression at base, disc costate behind humeri with depressions between costae and suture for posterior 4/ 5, weaker for posterior 3/5; surface finely imbricate throughout.

Prosternal lobe very weakly emarginate, nearly transverse, prosternal process with sides parallel between front coxae, apex rounded-triangular. Metacoxal plate with posterior margin nearly straight, upper exterior angle slightly obtuse. Abdomen with suture between ventrites 1 and 2 strongly indicated at sides. Femora with weakly denticulate ventral margin; metatarsomere 1 longer than 2–4 combined, tarsal claws cleft with slightly shorter acute inner tooth. Genitalia as in Fig. 37.

Specimens examined. Belize: Cayo Dist., Chiquibul Nat. Park, Las Cuevas, 1976 ft, 16°43.978’N – 0 88°59.171’W, 14/ 20-V-2007, A.J. Gilbert (AJGC). México: s.loc., “ Type, 82, basalis Chevr, Saunders. /74-18.” (Holotype, BMNH), “ Mexique ” (MNHP), “ Mexico, Saunders” (MNHP), “Mex” (ANSP), “Mex/118” (ANSP), “S. Durango” (NMPC); Chiapas, 3 mi S Palenque, VI-1-1987, W.B. Warner, light (CLBC); Tamaulipas, El Encino, 16.04.1984, S.G. Wellso (SGWC), Rancho del Cielo, nr. Gomez Farias, 4000’, 6.vi.83, R. Anderson, cloud forest (RLWE); Veracruz, 10 mi W Poza Rica, 11.07.1955, D. Giuliani (CASC), Est. Biol. de los Tuxtlas, 460 m, El Vigio, 3, 4.06.1986, P. Sinaca, T.m. (CNIN).

Discussion. This species is relatively common in México and is also known from Oaxaca and San Luis Potosi ( Westcott & Hespenheide 2006). This is the only species in the basalis group to have the elytra with golden reflections beneath the setae; it and A. punctatissimus Waterhouse are the only species known to date from México, although another undescribed species has been seen from Chiapas. I am not certain that the female from Chiapas is conspecific, but include it here for the time being. The male genitalia (Fig. 37) are distinctive. The male is described from the specimen from Rancho del Cielo, Tamaulipas; the type is a female. Males measure 4.70–5.40 mm long (mean = 5.04 mm, n = 4), females measure 4.40–5.40 mm long (mean = 5.05 mm, n = 9).