Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) onilahyiana, 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 : 51-52

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) onilahyiana sp. nov.

( Figs. 3, 6 )

Type specimen. Holotype (male, NMPC): “Madag. SW, Onilahy riv., Manatsofy, loc. collector”.

Very small (2.5 mm), rather lustrous, convex, multicolorous; frons bright golden green, pronotum black with brass tinge, posterior pronotal angles with golden lustre; elytra and scutellum blue-black, each elytron with golden, lateral stripe reaching elytral apex; black-blue basal colouration along suture separated from golden stripes by very narrow, violet beam; basal half of elytral suture with golden reflections ( Fig. 3 ); ventral surface black, antennae and legs black with green lustre; laterosternites with purple tinge and small spots of white tomentum at anterior half; entire body without pubescence.

Description of the holotype. Head small, partly retracted into prothorax, mouth parts slightly prognathic; frontoclypeus widely, shallowly emarginate, separated from frons by shallow, transverse depression; frons flat, vertex about as wide as width of eye; eyes small, reniform, not projecting beyond outline of head; sculpture consisting of polygonal cells with large central grains; antennae slender, slightly overlapping midlength of lateral pronotal margins when laid alongside; scape claviform, slightly curved, 2.5 times as long as wide; pedicel subelliptical, 1.3 times as long as wide, nearly as wide as scape; antennomere 3 weakly triangular, 1.3 times as long as wide; antennomeres 4–10 trapezoidal, about 1.3 times wider than long; terminal antennomere ovoid, longer than wide.

Pronotum nearly regularly convex, 1.7 times as wide as long; lateroposterior depressions relatively large, shallow; anterior margin slightly biarcuate, posterior margin nearly straight; lateral margins regularly rounded, shallowly emarginate anteriad obtuse posterior angles; sculpture homogenous, consisting of subregular polygonal cells with small central grains. Scutellum relatively large, cordiform, microsculptured, as long as wide.

Elytra regularly convex, subparallel at anterior two thirds, 1.9 times as long as wide; humeral swellings small but well-developed; basal, transverse depression short, not reaching scutellum; elytral epipleura narrow, not reaching elytral apex; posterior fourth of lateral margins with very fine serration; sculpture consisting of fine microsculpture and sparse, tiny asperities; sutural portion with fine, transverse rugae.

Ventral surface lustrous, pro- and metasternum ocellate; prosternal process flat, obtusely pointed apically, slightly widened posteriad procoxae; anal ventrite rounded apically, finely serrate laterally. Legs moderately long, very thin, meso- and metatibiae nearly straight, only weakly enlarged apically, without inner serration. Tarsal claws very thin, slightly hook-shaped, not enlarged at base.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 6 ) subparallel, apical half of parameres dark, strongly sclerotised; median lobe sharply pointed apically, finely serrate laterally.

Female unknown.

Measurements. Length: 2.5 mm; width: 0.9 mm.

Etymology. Named after the river Onilahy, the type locality.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Distribution. South-western Madagascar, prov. Toliara, Atsimo-Andrefama region.

Differential diagnosis. One of the small, colourful, prognathic, Madagascaran species somewhat resembling A. (H.) auroviolacea sp. nov. and A. (H.) fairmairella Obenberger, 1928 by the elytral pattern. It differs from them in size and by the structure of the male genitalia (laterally serrated median lobe — Fig. 6 ), widely, finely ocellate pronotum, different disposition of elytral pattern and rougher elytral sculpture.

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.