Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) horaki Frank, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Frank, David
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Buprestidae
Paracupta
Paracupta horaki

description: Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) horaki sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3966D089-FCB2-4B65-8805-D30A0E4CDA80
(Figs 40, 42–47, 67, 68, 72, 73, 75, 76)
Type locality. Indonesia, Maluku Province, Seram Island, Manusela N.P., Wae Mual Plain.
Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂ (25.50 × 7.75 mm; Figs 42–44, 67, 75), ‘ INDONESIA: | N.C.Seram | Manusela N.P., | Wae Mual Plain | 25 vii-2 ix '87 [w, p] || Op. Raleigh. | M.J.D.Brendell | B.M.1987–262. [w, p] || Paracupta ♂ | toxopeusi Obb. | (= xanthocera auct.) | det. S. Gottwald 2003 [w, h/p]’ (BMNH).
PARATYPES (1 ♂, 10 ♀♀): INDONESIA: MALUKU PROv.: Seram Island: ♂, ♀ ‘Céram [w, h] || MUSÉUM PARIS | 1952 | COLL R OBERTHUR [w, p]’ (MNHN, ♂ Figs 45, 68, 73); ♀ ‘ Molucc. | Ceram. [w(c), h] || MUSÉUM PARIS | 1952 | COLL R OBERTHUR [w, p]’ (MNHN); ♀ ‘ Mansela. | C.Ceram, 2500 ft. | Pratt,1919. | B.M.1932- 116. [w(c), p; yellow line] || Ceram | Pratts 1919 [w(c), h]’ (BMNH); ♀ ‘[on the label with beetle] Ceram. Pratt 1919 [w(c), h] || Mansela. | C.Ceram, 2500 ft. | Pratt,1919. | B.M.1932-116. [w(c), p; yellow line]’ (BMNH); ♀ ‘ Ost-Ceram [w, p] || Coll.| Jul.Moser [w, p] || Lamberti C. G. [w(c), p] || Paracupta | toxopeusi Ob. | [= xanthocera auct.] | det. S. Gottwald 2015 [w, p]’ (MFNB); ♀ ‘ Ost-Ceram [w, p] || Coll.| Jul.Moser [w, p] || Paracupta | toxopeusi Ob. | [= xanthocera auct.] | det. S. Gottwald 2015 [w, p]’ (MFNB); ♀ ‘ Ceram [w, p] || Coll.| Jul.Moser [w, p] || Paracupta | toxopeusi Ob. | [= xanthocera auct.] | det. S. Gottwald 2015 [w, p]’ (MFNB); ♀ ‘ MALUKU, SERAM | Solea 12 km SE Wahai | 17.1.- 6.2.1997 | J.Horák leg. [w, p] || Paracupta | xanthocera | Boisd. | det. Sv. Bílý [w, h/p]’ (NMPC); ♀ ‘ MALUKU, SERAM | 35 km E Pasahari, Unit O | 24.- 30.10.1998 | J.Horák leg. [w, p] || ex coll. Vít Kubáň | National Museum | Prague, Czech Republic [w, p] || Paracupta | (Paracupta) | xanthocera | (Boisduval, 1835) | Vít. Kubáň det. 2012 [w, p]’ (NMPC, ex coll. Kubáň, Figs 40, 46, 76); ♀ ‘ MALUKU, SERAM | 35 km E Pasahari, Unit O | 24.- 30.10.1998 | J.Horák leg. [w, p] || Paracupta | xanthocera | Boisd. | det. Sv. Bílý [w, h/p]’ (DFPC).
All specimens were provided with an additional red printed label: ‘ HOLOTYPE [or PARATYPE respectively] [sex] | Paracupta (Chalcotaenia) | horaki sp. nov. | David Frank det. I. 2024 [date handwritten]’.
Additional material examined (5 ♀♀) [see ‘RemarKs’]. INDONESIA: NORTH MALUKU PROv.: Sula [Islands], Mangole [Island], G. Lachaume, 1990, 2 ♀♀ (SGBG, ♀ Figs 47, 72); Mangole Is., II. 1991, ♀ (FBRG). UNCLEAR LOCALITY DATA: Salavaty [Island], Schultz, 2 ♀♀ (MFNB).
Description of holotype. Well preserved ♂ specimen, left antenna missing from antennomere IV, right from antennomere VIII, and right hind leg without last two tarsomeres. Length 25.50 mm, width 7.75 mm, length/width ratio: 3.29.
Body navicular, brown-violet with green reflections, sulci on pronotum and macropunctures green-gold. Four weak costae on each elytron, intercostae slightly indicated. Ventral side and legs golden-green, metallic, very shiny.
Head violet-green, macropunctate and sparsely micropunctate. Eyes large, oval. Frons 1.7× as wide as diameter of eye, impressed with medial sulcus, macropunctate, sparsely pubescent. Labrum brown, pubescent. Antennae serrate from antennomere IV. Antennomere I green with golden reflections, metallic, sparsely macropunctate and pubescent, radicula yellow-brown. Antennomere II metallic green at basal half, yellow-brown at apical half, antennomeres from III yellow-brown, sparsely pubescent. Antennomere II ca. 3× shorter than III. Antennomeres IV–VII triangular. Maxillae, labium, maxillary palpi and labial palpi light brown, densely pubescent.
Pronotum trapezoidal, narrowing anteriad with moderately rounded sides, widest at base, 1.3× as wide as long. Anterior margin arcuate, lobe not protruding, densely pubescent. Brown-violet with green reflections, macropunctate and micropunctate. Five longitudal sulci and macropunctures golden-green. Lateral margin green, shiny. Basal margin bisinuate.
Scutellum small, trapezoidal, golden-green, shiny.
Elytra slightly wider than pronotum at base, almost parallel-sided at basal half, narrowing from mid-length to apex, convex in lateral view. Lateral margins moderately arcuate below humeral calli, serrate from mid-length. Basic colour brown-bronze at central part, green laterally, macropunctures green to brown-bronze. Four weak costae on each elytron, 1 st costa parallel to suture, 2 nd almost joined to 1 st before apex. 3 rd costa separated but almost joined to 2 nd at apical fifth. 4 th costa separated, starting at basal fifth, shortened, reaching to 4/5 length of elytra. Intercostae indicated in 1 st, 3 rd and 4 th intercostal intervals. Suture and costae sparsely macropunctate and micropunctate, intercostal intervals irregularly very densely macropunctate, sparsely micropunctate and with sparse short pubescence. Epipleura horizontal, green, violet at apical fifth, sparsely macropunctate and pubescent.
Legs green with golden reflections, metallic, shiny. Femora densely macropunctate and pubescent on inner side, sparsely on outer side, tibiae regularly macropunctate, very densely pubescent at inner apical parts, regularly elsewhere. Tibiae with two apical ventral spurs. Tarsomeres I–IV yellow-brown, tarsomere V green, metallic, tarsal claws divergent and simple.
Ventral side golden-green, metallic, very shiny. Hypomeron irregularly macropunctate, densely at basal half, prosternum slightly furrowed. Anterior margin of prosternum densely pubescent. Prosternal process moderately biconcave-sided, arcuately narrowed at apex, approximately 2.9× as long as wide, sparsely macropunctate and pubescent. Metasternum sparsely macropunctate at central part, densely and finely macropunctate with pubescence on sides. Sternum laterally covered by yellow wax. Abdominal ventrites I–V centrally sparsely macropunctate, laterally densely and finely macropunctate with short pubescence. Narrow black-violet stripe at distal margin on ventrites II–IV, and on distal third of ventrite V. Yellow wax spots at laterobasal parts of ventrites II–V. Apical part with large ‘V’ shaped notch.
Aedeagus narrowly regularly navicular, widest beyond its mid-length, length: 7.27 mm, width: 1.36 mm, length/width ratio: 5.35. Parameres slightly biconvex-sided, opened at apical third, apices of parameres on outer sides roundly narrowed to a point; penis widest at base, apex roundly narrowed (Fig. 67).
Variation. Body ♂♂ (n = 2) length: 25.50–27.25 mm, width: 7.75–8.50 mm, length/width ratio: 3.21–3.29; ♀♀ (n = 9): length: 30.25–34.00 (average 32.08) mm, width: 9.25–10.50 (average 9.94) mm, length/width ratio: (3.10)3.17–3.29(3.35) (average 3.23). Colour of costae from green to brown-violet, colour of macropunctures from green to green-bonze. Macropunctures are variable in size as well as in density. Intercostae can be slightly indicated or missing. Aedeagus (n = 2) length: 7.27–7.59 mm, width: 1.27–1.36 mm, length/width ratio: 5.35–5.98.
Differential diagnosis. Paracupta (C.) horaki can be distinguished from similar P. (C.) laperousei by strongly shiny golden-green ventral side, ♀ ventrite V with broad (almost trapezoidal) notch and parameres open from apical third [P. (C.) laperousei has dark green and moderately shiny ventral side with large black areas, ♀ ventrite V with small ‘U’ shaped notch and parameres open from mid-length]. This species is generally greener and shinier. From P. (C.) toxopeusi it differs by having five sulci on pronotum [P (C.) toxopeusi has well developed only medial sulcus]. Apart from P. (C.) laperousei and P. (C.) toxopeusi the other species have metallic tarsi. For additional characters see Key to species.
Etymology. This species is dedicated to Jan Horák (Prague, Czech Republic), a well-known specialist in Mordellidae, who collected part of the type series.
Distribution. Indonesia, Maluku Province, Seram Island and Mangole Is. [see ‘Remarks’] (Fig. 78).
Remarks. I examined three specimens from Mangole Is. [Sula Islands] (Fig. 28). Although the specimens are almost identical to the population from Seram Island (all specimens are only very dark on dorsal side) these specimens are not included in the type series. Relationships between eastern (Seram Is. and adjacent islands) and western (from Sula Islands to Sulawesi) populations are not clear (similar issue we solved with Chrysodema (Chrysodema) mniszechii Deyrolle, 1864 in Frank & Sekerka (2020)). It would be desirable to use molecular methods for P. (C.) horaki (and other species occurring from Seram Is. to Sulawesi) within its range to see whether any differences can be found and to understand the relationships between eastern and western populations.
There are two specimens in MFNB with locality data ‘Salavaty, Schultz’. Salawati Is. is near to Bird’s Head Peninsula (W New Guinea) ca 250 km north of Seram Is. Very similar issue we also already solved in Frank & Sekerka (2020) with Chrysodema (Chrysodema) aeneoviolacea Deyrolle, 1864 which occurs on Kai Islands. The examined specimen from Salawati looked very strange, most of the relevant morphological characters were hardly visible under layer of fat or wax soaked into cuticule.Although we tried to clean the specimen in Tetrachloroethylene and the specimen was determined as C. (C.) aeneoviolacea based on several characters typical for this taxon, it is possible that the specimen is C. (C.) mniszechii which occurs also on Seram Is. It would be the second case of species occuring on Seram Is. localized from Salawati Is. by Schultz. Therefore I cannot be sure that the specimen was truly collected on Salawati Is., on the other hand its occurrence there is possible but should be verified with new material. These specimens are also not included in the type series.
description: Published as part of Frank, David, 2024, Revision of the subgenus Chalcotaenia of Paracupta (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Chrysochroinae) and specification of Buprestis xanthocera Boisduval, 1835 as the type-species of the genus Paracupta, pp. 535-568 in Zootaxa 5555 (4) on pages 544-546, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5555.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/14594963