Conognatha (Pithiscus) puris, Portela, Clayton & Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2014

Portela, Clayton & Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2014, Two new species of Conognatha Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae, Stigmoderini) from Southeast and South Brazilian regions with distributional notes, Zootaxa 3857 (1), pp. 114-124 : 117-118

Conognatha (Pithiscus) puris sp. nov.

( Figs. 8–14 )

Description. Holotype male ( Figs. 8–10 ). Length 23.3 mm. General tegument black with highlights from blue and purple (majority) to green (mainly on the margins) on the ventral region and legs; pronotum and head matt. Body with coarse and dense punctation, sparser and finer on the abdominal ventrites; setae long, fine, yellowish and denser on the thoracic ventrites and femora. Elytra with four transverse bands, these irregular and reddish-brown, which do not reach the elytral suture: the first at the humeral quarter (not reaching the basal margin), the second between the first and second thirds, the following band just before the apical third, and the last on the apical region (not reaching this margin).

Head with vertex and part of the frons with short longitudinal groove. Frons trapezoidal and slightly depressed; antennal insertions with prominent dorsal margin ( Fig. 11 ). Eyes elliptical, prominent and broader on the lower half. Frontoclypeus with sinuate margin, without setae. Labrum with sinuate margin and few marginal setae. Maxillary palps with segments 2 and 3 cylindrical, 2 longer than all the others and enlarged towards the apex; 3 short; 4 elongated and flattened. Labial palpomeres cylindrical, subequal in length; 1 and 3 widening towards the apex; 3 flattened. Mentum trapezoidal, wider than long. Antennae long, 7th antennomere reaching the anterior margin of pronotum when laid alongside; scape gradually enlarging towards the apex, almost 3x longer than pedicel; this short and cylindrical; antennomere 3 cylindrical and elongate, almost half the length of scape; antennomeres 3–11 distinctly widening from the base, with sensory fields large, deep, sub-elliptical ( Fig. 12 ).

Pronotum trapezoidal, 2x wider than long. Anterior margin with a distinct and rounded median projection, posterior margin convergent to scutellum and slightly narrower than the basal margin of elytra; disc flattened; lateroposterior angles acute, well developed and dorsoventrally flattened ( Figs. 8–10 and 13 ). Prosternum flattened, with coarse and dense punctation. Femora with setae as long as on the ventrites. Tibia with pair of well developed spines at apex; setae short and sparse on the external face; protibiae with short and stout setae on the internal face, denser (like a brush) towards the apex. Scutellum cordiform, wider than long, black and shiny. Elytra narrowing on the apical third; humeral depression shallow; margin in apical third serrate, with small teeth, these more evident in the apical sixth; sutural tooth and teeth of apical sixth triangular, larger than the other teeth. Interstriae raised, distinctly parallel, well marked, with fine and sparse punctation.

Abdomen with anal ventrite trapezoidal. Aedeagus with parameres conspicuously enlarged to apex, and impressed on the entire inner margin; median lobe acuminate at the apex, sides curved ( Fig. 14 ).

Type material. Holotype male: BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia, Moreira col. ( MNRJ).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the native “ Puris ”, who lived in the Paraíba river area, near Serra da Mantiqueira, where is located the municipality of Itatiaia.

Remarks. Both the new species are similar to each other in general shape of the body, general pattern of setae, maculae and bands, form and pattern of interstriae. In contrast, they differ from each other by the colour and reflections on head, pronotum ( Figs. 1 and 8 ), ventral surface and legs, by the presence of a short longitudinal groove between the vertex and the frons in C. (P.) puris sp. nov. ( Fig. 11 ), shape of the frons rectangular in C. (P.) coffeatus sp. nov. ( Fig. 4 ), trapezoidal in C. (P.) puris ( Fig. 11 ) and of the antennae sensory fields (superficial and rounded in C. (P.) coffeatus ( Fig. 5 ), deep and sub-elliptical in C. (P.) puris ( Fig. 12 ), shape of pronotum ( Figs. 6 and 13 ), dimensions of scutellum (as long as wide in C. (P.) coffeatus , wider than long in C. (P.) puris ), and by the pattern of punctation on elytra ( C. (P.) puris has smaller punctures than C. (P.) coffeatus ).

Furthermore, C. (P.) coffeatus and C. (P.) puris differ from each other by the shape of the aedeagus ( Figs. 7 and 14 , respectively).

C. (P.) coffeatus is similar to C. (P.) rochereaui Théry, 1932 from Colombia, in general shape of body and general colour pattern. In contrast, they differ from each other by the colour of head, pronotum and ventral surface (black in C. (P.) coffeatus , dark blue in C. (P.) rochereaui ); lateral margin of pronotum (rectilinear in C. (P.) coffeatus , curved in C. (P.) rochereaui ); disc of pronotum (almost flat in C. (P.) coffeatus and convex anteriorly in C. (P.) rochereaui ); pattern of striae on elytra (narrower in C. (P.) coffeatus , wider and more evident in C. (P.) rochereaui ), shape of basal angles of elytra (prominent and produced laterally in C. (P.) coffeatus , not prominent and rounded in C. (P.) rochereaui ). Furthermore, there are differences between both species in elytral colour pattern (black to dark brown with metallic reflections in C. (P.) coffeatus , blue with purple reflections in C. (P.) rochereaui ), pattern and number of elytral bands and maculae (five pairs in C. (P.) coffeatus , two pairs in C. (P.) rochereaui ).

C. (P.) puris is similar C. (P.) thoreyi (Chevrolat, 1838) in the general form. In contrast, they differ from each other by colour of head, pronotum and ventral surface (green to blue and brilliant in C. (P.) thoreyi , and black and matt in C. (P.) puris ); presence of a short longitudinal groove between the vertex and the frons in C. (P.) puris ; disc of pronotum (convex in C. (P.) thoreyi and almost flattened in C. (P.) puris ). Additionally, the new species have no fovea on the basal angles of pronotum nor pre-scutellary impression (both present in C. (P.) thoreyi ), and they also differ from each other by the elytral colour pattern and the form of punctured striae (well marked along the entire length of the elytra in C. (P.) puris ).

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 14. Conognatha (Pithiscus) puris Portela & Mermudes sp. nov., holotype male: 8 and 10, habitus; 9, lateral view; 11, frontal view of head; 12, ventral view of antennae; 13, shape of pronotum; 14, dorsal view of aedeagus. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 7. Conognatha (Pithiscus) coffeatus Portela & Mermudes sp. nov., holotype male: 1 and 3, habitus; 2, lateral view; 4, frontal view of head; 5, ventral view of antennae; 6, shape of pronotum; 7, dorsal view of aedeagus. Scale bar: 1 mm.