Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) elamita Baiocchi, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Baiocchi, Daniele
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Buprestidae
Anthaxia
Anthaxia elamita

description: Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) elamita sp. nov.
(Figs. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 45, 50, 55, 60, 61, 70, 75, 80, 85, 86, 87, 88, 95, 97)
Description of the male holotype (Figs. 29, 30). Body subcylindrical, moderately convex dorsally, strongly convex ventrally; length: 5.2 mm; maximum width at anterior 1/2 of pronotum and at mid length of abdomen: 1.8 mm; length to width ratio: 2.8 times longer than wide.
Dorsal colouration green, with two blackish, indistinct, well separated maculae on pronotum, and extensive golden tinge on elytra; frons, antennae, legs and tarsi green with golden tinge; ventral colouration green, abdomen with silky lustre and strong golden tinge (Fig. 30); claws yellowish; pubescence whitish.
Head slightly narrower than anterior pronotal margin; eyes large, slightly projecting beyond outline of head; vertex flat, narrow, 0.35 times as wide as width of head; frons (Fig. 33) rather narrow, widest at mid height, 0.5 times as wide as width of head, slightly bilobate, with distinct median groove; inner ocular margins very slightly sshaped, feebly converging on vertex; fronto-clypeal area strongly depressed; clypeus of average length, flattened, lateral margins slightly convergent, anterior margin deeply triangularly incised; sculpture of frons shallowly foveate, consisting of irregular oblong foveae with microreticulate, glossy bottom, and tiny, eccentric, setigerous pore; interspaces finely microreticulate; sculpture of vertex shallow, areolate, consisting of irregular polygonal cells with slightly microsculptured bottom, well raised dark borders and inconspicuous setigerous pore; frontal pubescence short, recumbent and transparent, slightly divergent on upper part, convergent on fronto-clypeal area; pubescence of vertex very short, prostrate, visible only at high magnification.
Antennae (Fig. 45) massively enlarged, just slightly longer than pronotal length in midline; antennomeres compact, strongly flattened and bilobate; scape stout, club-shaped, slender basally, 2.4 times longer than wide, with inner margin strongly gibbous; pedicel short, pear-shaped, as long as wide; antennomere 3 broadly triangular, as long as pedicel; antennomeres 4–10 subtrapezoidal, asymmetrically enlarged on both sides, antennomere 7 being the largest, 1.15 times wider than long; last antennomere subpentagonal.
Pronotum slightly transverse, fairly convex, 1.35 times wider than long, widest in anterior 1/2; anterior margin weakly bisinuate, very feebly lobate in middle; anterior angles slightly obtuse; lateral margins weakly arched on anterior 1/2, subdirectly narrowed on posterior 1/2; posterior angles slightly obtuse; posterior margin dark, completely smooth, weakly incurved backward; lateral pronotal carina hardly reaching mid lateral pronotal length, sharp only in part proximal to laterobasal pronotal corner; lateroposterior depressions small, only feebly indicated; pronotal sculpture areolate, homogeneus, consisting of irregular polygonal cells, slightly smaller and shallower on mid anterior part; cell bottom glossy, smooth, with central or eccentric well raised small grain, cell borders thicker in mid posterior area; pronotal pubescence very short, semi-erect.
Scutellum subpentagonal, finely microsculptured.
Elytra rather vaulted, 2.1 times longer than wide at base, slightly sinuate and feebly narrowed at mid length, shortly, weakly tapered on apical 1/4; elytral base as wide as posterior pronotal margin, slightly bisinuous, with sharp laterobasal angles; basal transverse depressions rather deep, roughly irregular, not reaching the scutellum; humeral swellings weakly developed; a wide shallow depression on each elytron at 1/3 of the length, proximal to the suture; lateral elytral groove narrow, flat, not reaching the apex; lateral margin moderately serrate on posterior 1/3; epipleura wide at base, distinctly narrowed and serrate posterior to humeri, parallel on posterior 1/2, disappearing at apex; apices separately, angularly rounded and sloped; elytral suture weakly raised on apical 1/3; elytral sculpture rough and coarse in post-scutellar area, finely imbricate-punctulate on the remaining surface; elytral pubescence very short, strongly erect, hardly noticeable.
Ventral side (Fig. 30) strongly convex; anterior prosternal margin deeply arched; prosternal process rather wide, with lateral margins fairly incurved, posterior angles strongly pronounced, posterior apophyses long; prosternal sculpture foveate-reticulate, denser and smaller on mid anterior part and prosternal process, cell bottom glossy, slightly microsculptured, with tiny central setigerous pore; sculpture of proepisternum large, areolate, cell bottom rather glossy, with large pore; mesoepisternum smooth, glossy, scarcely sculptured; mesosternum, metaepisternum, metasternum and all coxae, densely foveate-reticulate, except for a small, posterior part of metasternum; posterior end of central metasternal suture shortly and distinctly divergent, with slightly raised edges; posterior metacoxal margin slightly and angularly sinuate proximally; protrochanters bearing an acute, protruding spine on anterior margin, meso- and metatrochanters smooth; basal abdominal segment deeply foveate-reticulate as on ventral pronotal surface; superficial sculpture of the remaining abdominal segments dense, confusedly variolatereticulate, with smooth, only finely microreticulate, posterior margins; sculpture of legs imbricate, with very fine basal microsculpture also on tarsi; whole ventral surface covered with sparse, rather long pubescence, thinner and sparser on abdomen.
Anal ventrite subtriangular (Fig. 60), posterior 1/2 moderately and widely depressed along the irregularly, acutely dentate margin; apex subround, with rather wide, deep, subpentagonal notch.
Legs. Foretibiae moderately incurved, with irregular outer margin; foretarsomeres 1–4 all subequal, tarsomere 5 longer; mesotibiae slightly incurved, flattened on posterior 1/2, outer margin becoming scabrous due to the strong, backwardly raised, setigerous follicles; inner margin feebly sinuous, smooth, with a double row of regularly spaced, short and hispid dark bristles; apex slightly widened, with a rough spur-like enlargement protruding inward; mesotarsomere 1 slightly longer than each of 2–4, tarsomere 5 as long as 1; metatibiae (Fig. 55) strongly flattened; inner margin smooth, feebly sinuous, with a double row of regularly spaced short and hispid dark bristles, as in the mesotibiae; apex slightly widened and acutely bent inward; outer bristles dark and stout; metatarsomere 1 longer than 2; metatarsomeres 3–4 slightly shorter than 2; tarsomere 5 slender, much longer than 4; all tarsal claws slender, feebly enlarged at base, moderately incurved; leg pubescence rather long, except on inner meso- and metatibial margins.
Aedeagus. Tegmen (Fig. 75) fusiform, 5 times longer than wide, distinctly wider at mid length, less chitinous on apical and basal parts; basal 1/2 subcylindrical; anterior 1/2 of parameres slender, widely separated, apical 1/4 subparallel, apex rather sharp; membranaceous setigerous area short, narrow, indistinct, located along the hyaline outer apical margin; median lobe (Fig. 70) weakly chitinous, slightly darker at apex, wider basally, weakly vaulted; dorsal surface feebly, transversally striated; lateral margins smooth, straight; apex lanceolate, shortly, acutely pointed; basal apodemes thin, extending for 1/3 of total length.
Variation. Small to medium size species (4.1 mm to 5.6 mm); body subparallel to slightly wedge-shaped, convex; the size of males ranges from 4.1 mm x 1.4 mm to 5.3 mm x 1.9 mm (holotype: 5.2 mm x 1.8 mm), while the females vary from 4.2 mm x 1.5 mm to 5.6 mm x 2.0 mm (allotype: 5.2 mm x 1.8 mm).
Overall the morphological characters of Anthaxia (H.) elamita proved to be rather constant, though showing a considerable intraspecific variability in the following characters:
- dorsal colouration: specimens with light golden green elytra are somewhat predominant, though an extensive deep golden orange elytral tinge is often present regardless of sex
- the black pronotal spots are very variable in size and darkness, going from small, round, indistinctly shaded areas (Fig. 88), to well defined dark maculae, largely covering the pronotum (Fig. 87)
- the frons can be more or less convex, with median groove always present and moderately deep
- the antennae can be more or less developed and more or less intensely coloured in both sexes (Figs. 86–88)
- widest point of the body usually located on anterior pronotal 1/2, rarely at elytral base
- protibial outer carina often roughly, irregularly edged, especially on apical part
The sexual dimorphism of this new species consists mainly in the different degree of development of the antennae, which in the male (Fig. 45) are slightly longer, on average 1.1 times longer than pronotal length in midline, and composed of strongly enlarged, mostly subtrapezoidal antennomeres, while in females (Fig. 50) the average length is 0.9 times as long as pronotal length in midline, and antennomeres are less developed; the female also differs in having a wider frons (Fig. 34), with shorter and thinner pubescence, slightly less narrowed elytra, inner margin of meso- and metatibiae less incurved and without a true apical spur, protrochanters with spine distinctly less developed than in males. Sexual dichromatism absent. Anal ventrite deeply notched in both sexes (Figs. 60, 61). Ovipositor of the allotype illustrated (Fig. 80).
Specimens studied. Holotype ♂ (Figs. 29, 30): IRAN, (Lorestān), 1400 m., SW of Dorud, 33°25'18.53"N 48°59'45.42"E, 7.V.2009 D.Baiocchi leg. // ex larva Acer sp. 14.IV.2010 (DBCR); allotype ♀ (Figs. 31, 32): IRAN, (Kordestān), 1500 m., 22 km N Kāmyārān, 34°57’20.6’’N 46°58’38.4’’E, 14–15.V.2010, D. Baiocchi leg. // ex larva Acer sp. 18.V.2010 (DBCR); paratypes: Lorestān prov.: IRAN, (Lorestān), 1400 m., SW of Dorud, 33°25'18.53"N 48°59'45.42"E, 30.IV.2007 D.Baiocchi leg. // ex larva Acer sp.: V.2008 (1♂ 1♀ DBCR); same data, emerged 8.IV.2009 (1♂ DBCR); same data, emerged 9.IV.2009 (1♀ DBCR); IRAN, (Lorestān), 1400 m., SW of Dorud, 33°25'18.53"N 48°59'45.42"E, 7.V.2009 D.Baiocchi leg. // ex larva Acer sp.: 10.V.2009 (1♂ DBCR); same data, emerged 10–22.IV.2010 (4♂♂11♀♀ DBCR, HMCM, MNCA, NMPC); same data, emerged 11.IV.2011 (1♂ DBCR); IRAN, (Lorestān), 1400 m., SW of Dorud, 33°25'18.53"N 48°59'45.42"E, 7.V.2009 D.Baiocchi leg. // ex larva Prunus sp.: 27.IV.2010 (1♂ DBCR); same data, emerged 2.V.2010 (1♀ DBCR); Iran – Lorestan, m. 1.500, 5/ 10 km. SW. Dorud, 22/ 23.IV.2007 G. Magnani // ex larva Acer sp. (Dead adults in pupal cell) IX.2009 (2♂♂1♀ GMCC); IRAN (Lorestān) 1500 m., 10–15 km SW Dorud, 33°13’48“N 49°59’20.8“E, 7.V.2009 D.Gianasso leg. // Ex larva Acer monspessolanum ssp. 12.V.2009 (4♂♂3♀♀ DGCC); same data, emerged 6.IV.2010 (3♂♂ DGCC); same data, emerged 7.IV.2010 (1♂ DGCC); same data, emerged 9.IV.2010 (2♂♂ DGCC); same data, emerged 15.IV.2010 (1♀ DGCC); same data, emerged 20.IV.2010 (2♀♀ DGCC). Kordestān prov.: IRAN, (Kordestān), 1500 m., 22 km N Kāmyārān, 34°57’20.6’’N 46°58’38.4’’E, 8–9.V.2009, D. Baiocchi leg. // ex larva Acer sp.: 19.IV.2011 (1♂ DBCR); IRAN, (Kordestān), 1500 m., 22 km N Kāmyārān, 34°57’20.6’’N 46°58’38.4’’E, 14–15.V.2010, D. Baiocchi leg. // ex larva Acer sp.: 18.V.2010 (3♂♂2♀♀ DBCR, MSCL); same data, emerged 12.IV.2011 (1♂ DBCR); same data, emerged 5.IV.2012 (10♂♂ DBCR, MKCN, NMPC).
Holotype, allotype and some of the paratypes are deposited in author’s collection (DBCR); rest of the paratypes in NMPC, DGCC, GMCC, HMCM, MKCN, MNCA, and MSCL.
Remarks. At first, because of its overall aspect, and especially for the striking form of the male antennae, Anthaxia (H.) elamita sp. nov. was thought to belong to the subgenus Cratomerus Solier, 1833. It was only after a more profound study of its characters, that it turned out to be instead very close to A. (H.) schah (Figs. 13, 86) to which it is compared in the present study. Actually, while differences between males of these two species are quite evident, females are sometimes so similar to be hardly distinguishable. The morphological differences between the two species are listed in the following table.
Anthaxia (H.) elamita sp. nov. Anthaxia (H.) schah Abeille de Perrin, 1904
Basal dorsal colouration bright green; pronotal dark spots Basal dorsal colouration green (Fig. 3) to golden green (Fig. usually indistinct (Fig. 88), sometimes very large and well 13); pronotal dark spots usually large and well defined (Fig. defined (Fig. 87); elytra green with slight golden lustre (Fig. 15); elytra always green at base, dull orange to deep red-purple 88) to largely golden red (Fig. 86) on the disc
Antennae bright green to golden green in both sexes (Figs. Antennae bluish-black in males (Fig. 46), dark green in 45, 50), with stout and strongly developed antennomeres, females (Fig. 51), with antennomeres slender basally, normally asymmetrically enlarged on both sides; antennomeres 4–10 enlarged on inner side only; antennomeres 4–10 mostly subtrapezoidal subtriangular
Pronotum weakly transverse, 1.3–1.4 times wider than long; Pronotum slightly more transverse, 1.3–1.5 times wider than anterior margin with very feeble central lobe, occasionally long; anterior margin with more evidently pronounced central absent lobe
Ventral pronotal sculpture mostly foveate, cells more Ventral pronotal sculpture mostly areolate, cells more
rounded; prosternal sculpture denser, smaller; lateral angles polygonal; prosternal sculpture wider, transversally lengthened and posterior apophyses of prosternal process less on anterior 1/2; lateral angles and posterior apophyses of pronounced; surface of abdominal segments more densely prosternal process narrower, more pronounced; surface of and roughly sculptured abdominal segments smoother, more sparsely sculptured
Anal ventrite (Fig. 60, 61) subtriangular and deeply notched Anal ventrite subtruncate in males (Fig. 62), sub-triangular and in both sexes notched in females (Fig. 63)
Aedeagus. Tegmen fusiform (Fig. 75), about 5 times longer Aedeagus. Tegmen (Fig. 76) slender and subparallel, than wide, always distinctly wider at mid length; anterior 1/2 proportionally longer, about 6 times longer than wide; median rather flattened; median lobe distinctly wider basally (Fig. lobe more subparallel (Fig. 71) 70)
Bionomy and distribution. To emphasise the close relationships existing between species of this group, it is interesting to note that in the few localities from where it is currently known, Anthaxia (H.) elamita sp. nov. has been reared together with its closest species A. (H.) schah from the same wood samples of Acer and Prunus, and among the emerged specimens, some females of both species have proved to be extremely similar and almost impossible to distinguish, except for the subtle differences in the shape of antennomeres. The larva of this new species digs moderately long galleries in thin branches, mostly of Acer, and pupates in a rather deep cell (Fig. 85). Another species obtained from thicker branches of the same samples of Acer of both localities, was A. (A.) shirasensis Obenberger, 1940 (first hostplant record) (Note. Anthaxia (A.) shirasensis is currently “sub judice” for an eventual new synonymy, but is meanwhile reported herein with its current original name), while from samples of Prunus sp., together with a single pair of A. (H.) elamita sp. nov., we obtained numerous specimens of A. (H.) winkleri ssp. farsica Bílý, 1983.
Currently, Anthaxia (H.) elamita sp. nov. is known only from two localities of the western Zagros range, in the Iranian provinces of Lorestān and Kordestān, but the species is expected to be more widespread in western Iran.
Etymology. Anthaxia (H.) elamita sp. nov. is named in honour of the great people of Elamites, one of the most important ancient Iranian dynasties, that ruled for a longtime the region east of Mesopotamia, in southwestern Persia, from the second millennium BC to the mid first millennium AC.
description: Published as part of Baiocchi, Daniele, 2015, A revision of the Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) schah Abeille de Perrin, 1904 species-group, with description of two new species from Iran (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Anthaxiini), pp. 57-91 in Zootaxa 3918 (1) on pages 68-71, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3918.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/287844