Chrysodema (Gelaeus) iris subsp. iris iris (Kerremans 1898
Creators: name: Frank, David
name: Sekerka, Lukáš
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Buprestidae
Chrysodema
Chrysodema iris
Chrysodema (gelaeus) iris iris (kerremans, 1898)

description: Chrysodema (Gelaeus) iris iris (Kerremans, 1898)
(Figs 12–14, 58)
Pseudochrysodema Iris Kerremans, 1898: 114 (original description).
Chrysodema Iris: KERREMANS (1903): 76 (catalogue).
Chrysodema (Gelaeus) Iris: KERREMANS (1909): 509 (key, redescription, incl. colour Fig. 4, Pl. 22); BELLAMY (2008): 532 (catalogue).
Gelaeus Iris: OBENBERGER (1926): 129 (catalogue); THÉRY (1935): 248 (key, catalogue).
Type locality. Original type locality ‘Banda’ here changed to: Indonesia, Maluku Province, Tanimbar Islands.
Type material examined. LECTOTYPE (present designation): ♂, ‘Banda Ins. [w, h] // Iris / Kerr / Type [w, h] // iris Kerr. [w, h] // Coll. / Jul. Moser // Chrysodema (Gelaeus) / iris / Kerr. / Det. T. LANDER 2000’ (MFNB). Specimen provided with an additional red printed label: ‘ LECTOTYPE ♂ / Chrysodema (Gelaeus) / iris / (KERREMANS, 1898) / David Frank & / Lukáš Sekerka des. 2016 [year handwritten]’.
Additional material examined. INDONESIA: MALUKU PROV.: Banda Island [probably erroneous locality data], 1 ♀ (NMPC); Tanimber [= Tanimbar Islands], 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀ (RMNH, ex coll. ZMAN); Tenimber [= Tanimbar Islands], 1 ♀ (NHMB, coll. G. Frey), 1 ♀ (DFPC), 1 ♀ (RMNH), 1 ♀ (MHNG); Key [= Kai Islands; probably erroneous locality data], 1 ♀, J. M. Bedoc coll. (MHNG).
Redescription of lectotype. Quite well preserved ♂ specimen missing both antennae, left fore and hind, and right middle tarsi. Length 28.00 mm, width 9.50 mm, length/width ratio: 2.95. Head, pronotum, ventral side and legs except tarsi fern green with purple reflections, the latter particularly obvious on impunctate parts of pronotum and abdomen (Fig. 13). Tarsi yellow, last tarsomere metallic green. Elytra iridescent, purple on top of disc and basally, changing laterally and apically to fern green, then golden, red, violet, blue and finally turquoise (Fig. 12).
Pronotum in general moderately strongly and sparsely punctate, only laterally punctures more densely arranged. Medial line well marked, impunctate, appearing slightly elevated. Medial impressions distinctly impressed, moderately deep, sparsely punctate, punctures in basal 2/3 smaller and arranged in an irregular row and partly grouped together, in anterior 1/3 impressions shallower with punctures almost equal in size to remaining punctures along anterior margin. Principal impressions large, round, bordered internally by row of very fine punctures, centrally and externally smooth with only a few larger punctures. Basal impressions large, oval, broadly open and connected with principal impression. Lateral impressions deep and impunctate.
Elytra without lateral impressions, moderately strongly punctate. Punctures small, shallowly impressed basally, and moderately impressed laterally. Rows visible from base to apex, weakly impressed, generally regularly arranged, and irregularly double in apical half. Punctures in rows V–VIII in middle third of elytra quite regularly and sparsely arranged, forming distinct rows not isolated groups, laterally somewhat less regular; spaces much broader than puncture diameter, flat not reticulate (Fig. 14). Intervals basally flat, not elevated, broad, approximately 5–6× as wide as rows of punctures, impunctate; apically and laterally barely elevated and nearly impunctate.
Mid femora in central part strongly shiny, sparsely punctate, punctures large, on sides punctures smaller and dense.
Ventral side of body (Fig. 13) overall coarsely and quite densely punctate, only central parts of thoracic and abdominal ventrites sparsely punctate. Almost whole lateral side of abdominal ventrite I densely and coarsely punctate, punctures small. Lateral sides of ventrites II–V densely and coarsely punctate basally and sparsely punctate with large punctures apically.
Aedeagus (Fig. 58) length 7.55 mm, width 1.53 mm, length/width ratio: 4.93. Apices of parameres truncate. Penis elongate, subparallel-sided.
Variation. Body ♀♀ (n = 6): length: 26.00–31.00 mm, width: 9.00–11.00 mm, length/width ratio: 2.82–2.95. In contrast to the other taxa this one seems to be rather constant in colouration. Only one specimen has more extensive purple colour on the disc of the elytra and the fern green colour is limited to a thin line.
Differential diagnosis. This species can be easily recognized from other species of Gelaeus by iridescent colouration of elytra. The subspecies C. (G.) iris moluensis differs in whole tarsi metallic coloured, much coarser punctation of elytra and iridescent pattern restricted to apical half of elytra while the nominotypical subspecies also has iridescent lateral sides.
Distribution. Indonesia: Maluku Prov.: Tanimbar Isls (see Remarks).
Remarks. KERREMANS (1898) did not mention explicitely how many specimens he had at his disposal just gave a single length and width measurement: ‘Long., 28; larg. 9 mill.’ and stated that the material is from collection of Meyer Darcis. The latter collection was purchased by Julius Moser and is nowadays deposited in MFNB. We have found a single specimen in the latter collection, however since Kerremans did not mention the number of specimens it is not certain that this is the only existing specimen used in making the description. Therefore we designate the MFNB specimen a lectotype in order to conserve status of this species and avoid any further misinterpretations.
KERREMANS (1898) gave ‘Banda’ as the type locality. There is only one other known specimen with the same locality data on handwritten label by J. Obenberger (deposited in NMPC). There is also one specimen with the label Kai Islands. The remaining seven studied specimens were collected on Tanimbar Islands, however, without more precise locality data. Nevertheless we assume that the type locality Banda Island as well as the record from Kai Island are erroneous and the species is restricted to Tanimbar Islands because all specimens are quite similar each to other, not displaying much variation and on the Tanimbar Islands also occurs C. (G.) iris moluensis the other subspecies of this taxon. Therefore we change the type locality to Tanimbar Islands. More accurately localized material is needed to confirm and clarify the distribution of this species.
description: Published as part of Frank, David & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2016, Revision of the subgenusGelaeus of Chrysodema (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Chrysochroinae), pp. 671-719 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2) on pages 697-698, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5310800