Paragrilus tenuis (LeConte)

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2002, A review of North and Central American Paragrilus Saunders, 1871 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae), Zootaxa 43, pp. 1-28 : 11-13

Paragrilus tenuis (LeConte)

( Figs. 7 , 25 )

Rhaeboscelis tenuis LeConte, 1863: 82 .

Paragrilus tenuis (LeConte) , ( Obenberger, 1924: 148)

Paragrilus tenuis ssp. lecontei Obenberger, 1924: 149 (synonymy: Hespenheide1979: 118).

Diagnosis: Agriliform, flattened above, black throughout, except pronotum golden or coppery; 4.85­5.8 mm long. Head with front convex, rather narrowly, strongly impressed along midline on upper 2/3 above rounded fovea; epistoma somewhat depressed between antennal insertions, ventral margin distinctly produced, quadrate, emarginate, angles acute; surface finely punctate, shagreened. Pronotum somewhat flattened, prehumeral callosity small but strongly indicated by narrow, deep lateral depressions; prehumeral callosity produced outward and anteriorly to form narrow ridge above and roughly parallel to marginal carina; anterior angles weakly rounded; disc rather strongly depressed along basal margin before scutellum and at base of lateral depressions, surface coarsely rugose, shagreened. Elytra with posthumeral carina extending to beyond hind coxae, surface rugose, with third interval slightly raised; apices broad, rounded­subquadrate, outer angle longer. Posterior angles of hind coxae broadly acute or subquadrate, depressed. Male genitalia dark reddish brown, with transparent tips to lateral lobes ( Fig. 25 ).

Type: Of Rhaeboscelis tenuis , “Md” and “tenuis­2” (Lectotype male, Type 2249, MCZ; Paralectotype male, “Md” and “ Rhaeboscelis tenuis LeC.,” MCZ); Type of P. tenuis s. lecontei, Angelsea, N.J. (NMPC).

Distribution: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware ( Nelson 1987)., Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi ( Nelson & MacRae 1990), Missouri ( MacRae 1991).

Hosts: Hibiscus moscheutos L. and H. palustris L., swamp rose­mallow or marsh­mallow, and H. lasiocarpos Cav. , rose­mallow ( Malvaceae ; Nelson 1987).

Discussion: Because of the focus of this study on the Central American fauna, I did not attempt to see all material of this species, so that the distribution data is probably very incomplete. The biology of this species on Hibiscus moscheutos was described in detail by Weiss and Dickerson (1919) and appears to be the only one known for the genus.

Figures

FIGURES 7 ­ 12. North and Central American Paragrilus, dorsal view ­ P. trifoveolatus group ­ 7. P. tenuis (LeConte); 8. P. impressus (Chevrolat); 9. P. angulaticollis Waterhouse; 10. P. laevicollis Waterhouse; 11. P. azureus n. sp.; 12. P. trifoveolatus Waterhouse.

FIGURES 19 ­ 34. North and Central American Paragrilus, dorsal and lateral views of aedeagi ­ P. rugatulus group ­ 19. P. lesueuri Waterhouse; 20. P. vicinus Waterhouse; 21. P. transitorius Waterhouse; 22. P. exiguus (Chevrolat); 23. P. modicus (Solier); 24. P. rugatulus Thomson; P. trifoveolatus group ­ 25. P. tenuis (LeConte); 26. P. impressus (Chevrolat); 27. P. azureus n. sp.; 28. P. trifoveolatus Waterhouse; 29. P. fallorum n. sp.; P. aeraticollis group ­ 30. P. aeraticollis Waterhouse; 31. P. akersorum n. sp.; 32. P. burkei n. sp.; 33. P. heliocarpi n. sp.; 34. P. moldenkei n. sp.