Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) auroviolacea, Bílý, Svatopluk, 2011

Bílý, Svatopluk, 2011, Three new species of the genus Anthaxia Eschscholtz, 1829 from Madagascar (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Buprestinae: Anthaxiini), Zootaxa 2870, pp. 48-52 : 49-51

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) auroviolacea sp. nov.

( Figs. 2, 5 )

Type specimens. Holotype (male, NMPC): “ Madagaskar, Tulear [Toliara] south 20 km, i.1996, Bačovský lgt.”; paratype (female, CLBC): the same data.

Very small (3.1–3.3 mm), rather convex, subparallel with silky lustre; frons scutellum and pronotum golden green, vertex and two longitudinal, pronotal stripes violet; elytra violet with golden green humeri and golden sutural stripe reaching posterior fifth of elytra ( Fig. 2 ); ventral surface black with green lustre, antennae and legs dark golden green; entire body without pubescence except posterior portion of abdominal ventrites with short, very sparse, white pubescence.

Description of the holotype. Head relatively large, not retracted into prothorax; frontoclypeus rather deeply, widely emarginate, separated from frons by shallow depression; frons regularly, slightly convex; vertex flat, 1.2 times as wide as width of eye; eyes relatively large, reniform, not projecting beyond outline of head; sculpture consisting of dense microsculpture and rather indistinct polygonal cells without central grains; antennae short, hardly reaching midlength of lateral pronotal margins when laid alongside; scape slightly curved, claviform, about 3 times as long as wide; pedicel short, ovoid, 1.3 times as long as wide; antennomere 3 thin, suboval, 1.2 times as long as wide; antennomere 4 obtusely triangular, as long as wide; antennomeres 5–10 trapezoidal, 1.5–1.9 times as wide as long; terminal antennomere axe-shaped, slightly longer than wide.

Pronotum rather weakly convex, 1.5 times as wide as long; anterior margin deeply biarcuate, posterior margin slightly rounded, subtruncate; lateral margins regularly rounded, posterior angles obtuse; maximum pronotal width at anterior third; lateroposterior depressions shallow but wide; sculpture consisting of fine, dense microsculpture and indistinct polygonal cells; central grains developed only at lateral portions of pronotum. Scutellum small, flat, triangular, as long as wide.

Elytra regularly convex, subparallel at anterior two thirds, 1.9 times as long as wide; humeral swellings small; basal transverse depression fine, nearly reaching scutellum; elytral epipleura well-developed, not reaching elytral apex; posterior fourth of elytral margins very weakly serrate; apex of elytra with several deep punctures along outer margin; sculpture consisting of very fine microsculpture with several transverse rugae posteriad scutellum.

Ventral surface glabrous, pro- and metasternum ocellate; prosternal process flat, sharply pointed apically, widely, sharply expanded posteriad procoxae; anal ventrite narrowly rounded without distinct lateral serration. Legs relatively short and thin; meso- and metatibiae straight without inner serration. Tarsal claws short, thin, slightly hook-shaped, weakly enlarged at base.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 5 ) subparallel, parameres well-sclerotised; median lobe obtusely pointed, without lateral serration.

Female unknown.

Measurements. Length: 3.1 mm (holotype) and 3.3 mm (paratype); width: 1.0 mm (holotype) and 1.1 mm (paratype).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin substantive “ aurum ” (gold) and adjective “ violaceus ” (violet) to stress the colouration of the species.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Distribution. South-western Madagascar, prov. Toliara.

Differential diagnosis. Anthaxia (H.) auroviolacea sp. nov. resembles Anthaxia (H.) gussmannae Bílý, 2002 from Kenya by the body-shape, colouration and elytral pattern but it differs by the shorter elytra, pronotal sculpture (pronotal disc without cells in A. (H.) gussmannae ) and more significantly by the simple tarsal claws; ( A. (H.) gussmannae is the only Afrotropical species in the genus with tarsal claws bearing large basal tooth).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. 1 — Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) antennata sp. nov., holotype, male, 3.5 mm; 2 — A. (H.) auroviolacea sp. nov., holotype, male, 3.1 mm; 3 — A. (H.) onilahyiana sp. nov., holotype, male, 2.5 mm; 4 — A. (H.) antennata sp. nov., aedeagus, holotype; 5 — A. (H.) auroviolacea sp. nov., aedeagus, holotype; 6 — A. (H.) onilahyiana sp. nov., aedeagus, holotype; 7 — A. (H.) auroviolacea sp. nov., right antenna, holotype; 8 — same, right protibia, holotype.