Anthaxia (Anthaxia) patsyae Baiocchi 2008
Creators: name: Baiocchi, Daniele
name: Magnani, Gianluca
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Buprestidae
Anthaxia
Anthaxia patsyae

description: Anthaxia (Anthaxia) patsyae Baiocchi, 2008
(Figs. 66, 67, 68, 69, 80, 81, 96, 97, 102, 107, 111, 117, 124, 129, 134, 137)
Anthaxia (Anthaxia) patsyae Baiocchi, 2008: 323, 324 (Fig.1), 326, 327, 328 (Figs 2,3), 329 (Figs 6‒9), 330, 331. Type locality: “Iran, (Fārs), 7 km W Dašt-e-Aržan, 2050 m, 29°38’N 51°54’E”.
Anthaxia (Anthaxia) patsyae: Ghahari et al., 2015: 89 (faunistic catalogue); Kubáň et al., 2016: 500 (catalogue).
Type specimens studied. Anthaxia (A.) patsyae: holotype by monotypy (♀, DBCR: Fig. 68, 81, 117, 129).
Additional material studied. Iran: Būyer Ahmad-o-Kūhgīlūye: IRAN, Zagros Mt., Prov. Kohgiluyeh a Boyer-Ahmad, YASUJ eoj., 0 3.06.2011, Jaroslav DALIHOD lgt. (1♂ DBCR, Figs. 66, 67, 80, 96, 124, 134); IRAN Zagros Mt., Province—Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Tang-e-Sorkh 13 km S, 30°29’25.78’’S,51°39’26.64’’V 2144M, Jaroslav DALIHOD lgt. 30.5.2015 (1♂ DGCC); IRAN (SSE Yasuj) 2390m, (Būyer Ahmad-o-Kūhgīlūye), NE of Malashoreh pass, 30°29'24"N 51°39'29"E, 10‒13.V.2016 Baiocchi leg. (1♂ DBCR). Ilam: IRAN, Ilam prov. Abdanan, Dinar Kouh, elev.1830m, 32.915N 47.301E +/‒ 300m, M. Kafka lgt. 12.5.2016 (1♂ MKCN). Fārs: Iran, Fārs, Kuhhā-ye Zagros, 5km NE of Dasht-e Arzhan, 29º40’18"N 52º01’48"E, 2160m, 29‒30 IV 2016, leg. Andrzej Lasón (1♀ ALCB); IRAN Fars prov., 15 km S of Dasht Arjan, 29°33'8.57"N; 51°56'22.22"E, 2.‒6.V.2016 2.261 m., M.Obořil lgt. (10♂♂6♀♀ MOCO; 1♂1♀ DBCR);IRAN, S Fars prov., 7 km SW—Dasht Arjan, 2000mnm—žlutá miska [yellow bowl]—29°38’12’’N, 51°55’03’’E— 5.V.2016 leg. David Frank (1♂ DFCP).
Morphology and variability. As in all other species of the group, the size of A. patsyae is moderately variable. The size of males ranges from 6.1 x 2.5 mm to 7.5 x 3.3 mm, while in females it ranges from 6.4 x 2.6 mm to 8.2 x 3.6 mm (holotype), with an average length to width ratio of 2.3 times longer than wide.
Although following the same pattern as in its western relatives, the habitus of A. patsyae is much more variable. In fact, together with specimens with a colouration very similar to the typical pattern, we find many others with a very clear and bright appearance, sometimes with a completely different aspect than the typical one. This is due in particular to the lack of the discal spots on the pronotum, which makes its habitus the brightest in its speciesgroup. In fact, the discal part of the pronotum shows only a vaguely hinted tinge of spots, determined by light incidence on the sculpture, and not of pigmentary origin. The brightness of most specimens is determined also by the golden-reddish background colour of the elytra. In addition, the dark discal macula on the elytra, which in the other species is very dark with a bluish or greenish tinge, in many specimens of A. patsyae is largely replaced by gold, and becomes hardly distinguishable against the background colour. This different colouration however, is seemingly better defined and closer to the normal habitus if seen under a diffused light (Fig. 66). The green colouration of the elytral base is much more expanded than in the other species, and the sutural part is exceptionally enlarged at the apex, being moreover occasionally of a more bluish-green tinge, however, some specimens show the normal colouration usually found in the western species, e.g. the holotype (Fig. 68).
Despite the peculiar habitus of most specimens, A. patsyae has proved to be morphologically very close to A. cebecii sp. nov., however, some diagnostic characters in the habitus, are consistently different and serve to distinguish this species, e.g. the constant lack of the pronotal spots and the strong development of the basal green macula of the elytra, a feature that earlier authors (Obenberger, 1925; Schaefer, 1938) had also indicated as an important diagnostic character. In addition, slightly different but consistent characters are found in the male genitalia, and although the overall shape of the tegmen is actually very similar to A. cebecii sp. nov., the shape of the upper lamella in the apex of the median lobe is slightly different (Figs. 110, 111).
With regard to sexual dimorphism, we observed the same as in the other species, with females showing a stouter and more parallel body, shorter antennae with less acutely shaped last antennomeres, simple metatrochanters, smooth tibiae, and a slightly more round anal ventrite. No strict sexual dichromatism was observed.
Bionomy and distribution. Anthaxia patsyae, as far as is known, is endemic of the Zagros Mountain Range, in Western Iran, and is the rarest species of the group. In fact, although the research program of the last years led to the finding of several specimens, the density of the single populations turned out to be very low. Unlike other species, A. patsyae seems to be well adapted to live in very dry, rocky areas, although it has been found mostly in rather grassy and fresh micro-habitats with an adequate coverage of Acer trees.
description: Published as part of Baiocchi, Daniele & Magnani, Gianluca, 2018, A revision of the Anthaxia (Anthaxia) midas Kiesenwetter, 1857 species-group (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Anthaxiini), pp. 201-254 in Zootaxa 4370 (3) on pages 235-239, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4370.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1145577