Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) thunbergi Laporte & Gory 1839
Creators: name: Obořil, Martin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Buprestidae
Anthaxia
Anthaxia thunbergi

description: Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) thunbergi Laporte & Gory, 1839 species-group
Redefinition of the species-group. Medium-sized to large (6.8–11.2 mm), bronze to black, more or less wedge-shaped species. Pronotum and elytra usually with silky lustre, asetose. Frons with short, dense, semi-erect, white or yellowish white pubescence.
Head large, usually as wide as anterior pronotal margin. Frontoclypeus widely emarginated anteriorly. Frons usually slightly convex, rarely almost flat. Vertex almost as wide as width of eye. Distal antennomeres of male enlarged, in two species narrow, in another two species bicolorous.
Pronotum convex, 1.7–1.8 times as wide as long, with shallow and sometimes wide laterobasal depression; lateral margins usually regularly rounded, basally subparallel, posterior angles always obtusangulate; pronotal sculpture consisting of fine transverse rugae on disc and small polygonal cells with central grains along lateral margins and in lateroposterior depression; transverse rugae often laterally bent towards anterior angles.
Elytra more or less wedge-shaped, 1.8–2.0 times as long as wide, regularly convex or or uneven (with one oblique, posthumeral depression and one longitudinal depression in posterior half); apical part of lateral margins roughly serrate; elytral sculpture usually very fine; epipleura narrow, parallel, nearly reaching apex of elytra.
Prosternal process flat, strongly enlarged posteriorly to procoxae; anal ventrite of female with fine lateral serration and medially notched (Figs 29–30). Male metatibiae with inner tooth in posterior half (Figs 18–26), tarsal claws conspicuously small, only very slightly enlarged at base.
Aedeagus usually long, flattened or very long and slender, nearly tubular, in lateral view slightly bent, parameres tapering posteriorly, fused together, separated only at ultimate tip of apex, sometimes with typical sculpture on ventral surface.
Bionomy. Almost all species seem to be associated with the genus Vachellia (Fabaceae), like the majority of the Sahelian Anthaxia. We have recently discovered that A. (H.) thunbergi is polyphagous, as it was reared from branches by the author not only of Vachellia sp., but also of Colophospermum mopane (J. Kirk ex Benth.) J. Léonard (Fabaceae), Schotia brachypetala Sond. (Fabaceae), and Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich.) Hochst. (Anacardiaceae) (all material from Republic of South Africa).
Differential diagnosis. The Anthaxia (H.) thunbergi species-group is very similar and probably related to the A. (H.) dispar Kerremans, 1898 species-group from the central part of Africa. The A. (H.) thunbergi species-group differs in the widened antennomeres in male, asetose dorsal surface, form of the male metatibiae (simply, widely emarginate male metatibiae in A. (H.) dispar species-group) and in the form of male genitalia (short, spindle-shaped aedeagus in A. (H.) dispar species-group).
Comments. During a long-term study of African Anthaxia, I found that A. (H.) thunbergi species-group is rather heterogenous. Particularly, A. (H.) thunbergi itself shares many characters with the representatives of A. (H.) mashuna species-group: aedeagus tubular, in lateral view bent, ventrally lobate, termination of parameres narrowed, elytra with longitudinal impressions, pronotum with transverse rugae, and metatibiae with tooth in posterior third of inner margin (in other species previously classified in the A. (H.) thunbergi species-group aedeagus is not tubular, elytra are without longitudinal impressions, pronotum covered with pentagonal or rounder cells, and metatibiae either without tooth in posterior third of inner margin or, if tooth present, emargination below the tooth is covered with microdenticles). In present work, A. (H.) thunbergi species-group is re-defined and newly it comprises A. (H.) thunbergi and all species previously included in A. (H.) mashuna species-group. On the other hand, the species previously classified in the A. (H.) thunbergi species-group has to be reevaluated and very probably two new species-groups will be established for them in the near future.
Species included. Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) convexiptera Bílý & Sakalian, 2014, A. (H.) ennediana Descarpentries & Mateu, 1965, A. (H.) jendeki Bílý & Sakalian, 2014, A. (H.) mahuto sp. nov., A. (H.) mashuna Obenberger, 1931, A. (H.) nigroaenea Bílý & Sakalian, 2014, A. (H.) patrizii Théry, 1938, A. (H.) puchneri Bílý & Sakalian, 2014, and A. (H.) thunbergi Laporte & Gory, 1839.
Distribution. Most species are distributed in East and Northeast Africa. One species, A. (H.) puchneri, was described from Angola, and two species, A. (H.) thunbergi and A. (H.) mahuto sp. nov. are known from southern Africa.
Key to Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) thunbergi species-group
1 Elytra uneven, with posthumeral oblique depression, posterior half of elytra with relatively deep, lateral, longitudinal depression with silky sheen and slightly different sculpture than rest of elytral surface........................................ 2
- Elytra regularly convex, with almost homogeneous sculpture, sometimes with very weak lateral longitudinal depression but with same sculpture as rest of elytra....................................................................... 5
2 Terminal antennomeres (5–11) not expanded, entire antennae black.............................................. 3
- Terminal antennomeres (4 or 5–11) twice as wide as long and bicolorous in males, 1.5 times as wide as long and unicolorous in females............................................................................................. 4
3 Black bronze species. Cells on lateral parts of pronotum large, forming weak, oblique wrinkles. Male metatibia as in Fig. 26. Aedeagus as in Fig. 17. Body length 5.8–9.0 mm. Distribution: Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe .................................................... A. (H.) thunbergi Gory & Laporte, 1839
- Red-bronze species. Cells on lateral parts of pronotum small, forming strong oblique wrinkles. Male metatibia as in Fig. 21. Aedeagus as in Fig. 12. Body length 7.2–11.2 mm. Distribution: Kenya ............ A. (H.) jendeki Bílý & Sakalian, 2014
4 Glossy black species, with slight bronze sheen. Antennomeres 5–11 expanded. Cells on lateral parts of pronotum polygonal or rounded. Male metatibia as in Fig. 20. Aedeagus as in Fig. 11. Body length 8.0– 11.2 mm. Distribution: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda ........................................................... A. (H.) nigroaenea Bílý & Sakalian, 2014
- Dull black species, with slight green-bronze lustre. Antennomeres 4–11 expanded. cells on lateral parts of pronotum very small and polygonal. Male metatibia as in Fig. 22. Aedeagus as in Fig. 13. Body length 8.0–10.0 mm. Distribution: Republic of South Africa ............................................................................ A. (H.) mahuto sp. nov.
5 Frons slightly convex. Elytra 1.8–1.9 times as long as wide, less wedge shaped. Scutellum flat. Pronotal disc with long, regular, transverse grooves. Aedeagus shorter and wide, with or without vesicular tubercles on ventral surface.................. 6
- Frons flat. Elytra twice as long as wide, strongly wedge-shaped. Scutellum concave. Pronotal disc with short, transverse grooves bent back on prescutellar part. Aedeagus very long, slender, without vesicular tubercles on ventral surface............... 8
6 Aedeagus with vesicular tubercles on ventral surface......................................................... 7
- Aedeagus short with one pair of very weak elevation on ventral area (Fig. 16). Shiny, bronze black species. Elytra 1.9 times as long as wide. Lateral pronotal margins rounded, lateral rugae on pronotum directed forward at pronotal angles. Male metatibia as in Fig. 25. Aedeagus short (Fig. 16). Body length 8.5–9.5 mm. Distribution: Egypt and Israel ...................................................................................................... A. (H.) patrizii Théry, 1938
7 Dull bronze species. Lateral pronotal margins moderately rounded, lateral parts of pronotum covered with pentagonal cell structure. Male metatibia as in Fig. 24. Aedeagus shorter (Fig. 15). Body length 7.0– 9.2 mm. Distribution: Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritania, Niger (?), Somalia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe ........... A. (H.) ennediana Descarpentries & Mateu, 1965
- Black bronze species. Lateral pronotal margins nearly parallel, lateral parts of pronotum covered with cells prolonged to transverse rugae. Male metatibia as in Fig. 23. Aedeagus longer (Fig. 14). Body length 6.8–8.9 mm. Distribution: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe ................................................ A. (H.) convexiptera Bílý & Sakalian, 2014
8 Pronotum widest at mid-length. Male metatibia as in Fig. 18. Aedeagus regularly tapering in basal half (Fig. 9). Body length 7.3–10.5 mm. Distribution: Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe .......................................................................... A. (H.) mashuna Obenberger, 1931
- Pronotum widest at anterior third. Male metatibia as in Fig. 19. Aedeagus almost parallel in basal half (Fig. 10). Body length 8.0 mm. Distribution: Angola ............................................ A. (H.) puchneri Bílý & Sakalian, 2014
description: Published as part of Obořil, Martin, 2025, Redefinition of Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) thunbergi species-group (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), with description of a new species from the Republic of South Africa, pp. 61-68 in Zootaxa 5604 (1) on pages 62-68, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5604.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/15012575