Philanthaxia iris Obenberger, 1938

Bily, Svatopluk & Nakladal, Oto, 2011, Four new species of the genus Philanthaxia Deyrolle, 1864 from Southeast Asia and comments on P. iris Obenberger, 1938 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae, Thomassetiini), ZooKeys 116, pp. 25-36 : 34

Philanthaxia iris Obenberger, 1938 Fig. 11

Remarks.

This species was described by Obenberger (1938) from the single female specimen labeled "Java, Popoh, Kediri Res.". At the time of the last revision of Philanthaxia ( Bílý 2001), the male of Philanthaxia iris was unknown. Quite recently we have studied two specimens of Philanthaxia iris (male and female) from "Watu Ulo" (Java, local collector) so it was possible to study the sexual dimorphism.

Description.

The male is much smaller (6.7 mm) and nearly completely dark (black with blue-green tinge and golden green scutellum); aedeagus as in Fig. 11. The female is much larger and more robust (9.5-12.0 mm), dark golden-green elytra with longitudinal purple stripe extending from humeri to apex and purple lateral margin; the pronotum is dark reddish-purple with large, black-green spot on anterior half.

Distribution.

Java.