Agrilus rifkindi Hespenheide & Bellamy 2009, New Species
Creators: name: Hespenheide, Henry A.
name: Bellamy, Charles L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Buprestidae
Agrilus
Agrilus rifkindi

description: Agrilus rifkindi Hespenheide, New Species
(Figs. 1, 2, 18)
Description. Holotype male: Robust, in cross-section flattened above, convex below, 8.00 mm long, 2.20 mm wide; black throughout, except purplish-red on head and elytral apices, antennal segments 1-4, elytral apices, apical portion of abdominal ventrite 5, and legs; setae pale, recumbent, and relatively conspicuous throughout, shorter and irregularly sparse on elytral disc producing vague pattern, denser on posterior coxae, epimeron, and upper posterior angles of metasternum, and dense and erect or semi-erect on prosternum and continuing along midline of metasternum and abdominal ventrites 1–2.
Head with front convex, but with broad, shallow depression along midline on upper 1/2, surface rugose; epistoma shallowly concave between antennal insertions, 1/4 width of distance between inner margins of eyes, rectangularly emarginate below, eyes oval; antennae compact, serrate from segment 5, segment 5 rounded-triangular, as wide as long, segments 6–11 rounded-rhomboidal, wider than long.
Pronotum subequal to elytra at posterior margin, with sides shallowly expanded outward then nearly parallel to apex, then narrowing; marginal and submarginal carinae slightly undulate, narrowly separated for entire length when viewed from side; from above anterior margin produced as broadly, shallowly rounded lobe; basal margin angulately emarginate at middle of each elytron, slightly emarginate before scutellum; disk slightly convex, with distinct small, round puncture-like depression on each side of midline beyond middle and oblique depressions interior to and anterior to prehumeral carinae to lateral margins; prehumeral carinae strong, arising from posterior angles then parallel to lateral margins, 2/5 length of pronotum; surface inconspicuously transversely rugose. Scutellum pentagonal with strong raised transverse ridge.
Elytra subequal in width at humeri and beyond middle, lateral margins nearly parallel to middle then narrowing to apices, apices narrowly, separately rounded, distinctly toothed; disk convex, each elytron with shallow oval depression at base, separated by vague raised area from indistinct costa along suture to apical 1/ 3; surface imbricate.
Prosternum with sides of prosternal process slightly narrowing between coxae, concave, truncate and slightly emarginate at apex; prosternal lobe nearly transverse. Posterior coxae with posterior margin weakly bi-emarginate, upper exterior angles quadrate. Abdomen with suture weakly indicated between ventrites 1 and 2, narrowly depressed along midline of ventrites1 and 2, dorsal portions of ventrites1–5 narrow, equal in width, not significantly more setose than lateral portions. Hind legs with first metatarsal segment equal in length to next two combined, tarsal claws cleft with shorter inner tooth, tooth shorter and blunter on hind tarsi. Genitalia as in Figure 18.
Allotype female: As male except 7.70 mm long, 2.20 mm wide; setae on along midline of metasternum appressed and not denser than lateral portions; abdominal ventrites 1–2 convex, without medial depression or line of denser setae.
Type material. Holotype: México: México, Presa, Valle de Bravo, 19.07.1991, J. Rifkind (UNAM). Allotype: Same data as holotype (UNAM). Paratypes: México: Mexique (1F, MNHN); Mexico City [D.M. Delong collection] (1F, OSU); Jalisco, Chapala, 28.07.1963, R.L. Westcott (1F, RLWE), 2 km SW Puerta el Zapatero, 1615m, 19˚50’07”, 103˚05’49”, 4.10.2002, R.L. Westcott (3M, 4F, RLWE), Micro. San Francisco, 9 km (air) N Autlán, 1800 m, 19˚51’N 104˚22’W, 19.10.1996, R.L. Westcott (5F, RLWE); México, same data as holotype (4M, 5F, CLBC), 6 mi N Valle de Bravo, 22.07.1966, D.S. Verity (1F, DSVC); Michoacán, 7 mi SE Tuxpan, 4.09.1964, D.S. Verity (1M, DSVC), 5 mi S Tuxpan, 4.08.1962, D.S. Verity (1M, 2F, DSVC), Hwy. 15, 5 mi S Tuxpan, 9.07.1972, G.H. Nelson, on Acacia sp. (1F, FSCA), Zamora, 2.10.1941, Delong, Good, Caldwell & Plummer (1F, OSU), 5 km NW Zamora, 1740 m, 17.08.1991, J. Rifkind (1M, CLBC). Paratypes also to be deposited in BMNH, CHAH.
Other specimens examined. México: “ Mexico, Truqui/Fry Collection” (1M, 1F, BMNH); Guerrero, 3.3 km NE Cacahuamilpa, 1495m, 2.07.1992, C.L. Bellamy (2M, 1F, CLBC), 3.3 km NW Cacahuamilpa, 1495m, 18.41 N 99.31 W, 16.07.1999, C.L. Bellamy (CLB:713) (1M, 1F, CLBC), 9.3 km NW Chilpancingo on road to Chichihalco, 1595m, 15.07.1992, C.L. Bellamy (1F, CLBC), 1555 m, 15.07.1992, R.L. Westcott (1M, RLWE), 22 km E Chichihualco, 5200’, 22.09.1986, R. Turnbow (1M, RLTC), 2.1 mi NW Cacahuamilpa, 23.07.1981, Bogar, Schaffner, Friedlander (2F, TAMU), 2.1 mi NE Cacahuamilpa, 5250 ft, 4.07.1987, Kovarik, Schaffner (1M, TAMU), 2 mi N Cacahuamilpa, 26– 27.07.1983, Schaffner, Kovarik, Harrison (1M, TAMU), 6.2 mi SW Xochipala, 5670 ft, 6.07.1987, Kovarik, Schaffner (1M, TAMU), 10 km SW Xochipala, NNW Chilpancingo, 1735 m, 11.10.1989, R.L. Westcott, collected from Acacia sp., oak-palm-acacia (1F, RLWE), 3.3 km NE Cacahuamilpa, 1500m, 2.07.1992, Volkovitsch (1M,?), 3 km SE Xalostoc, KM 31.5, Carr.140, 1345m, 18o24.875’ N 99 o42.524’ W, 21.07.2003, R.L. Westcott, beaten from Acacia sp. (1F, RLWE), vic. Ahuacatitlán, 1540m, 18o21.745’ N 99 o48.922’ W, 21.07.2003, R.L. Westcott (1F, RLWE), 23 km W Iguala, 18.09.1989, R. Turnbow (1F, RLTC), 3 km W Chilpancingo, 20– 27.07.1987 (1F, CLBC), 8 km W Chilpancingo, 23.07.1987, R. Turnbow (1M, 1F, FSCA), 26.7 km W Hwy 95 on rd to Fico de Caballo, 24.07.1992, D.S. Verity, on Mimosa (2M, 3F, DSVC), Hwy 95, 3.6 km S Zumpango del Rio, 7.07.1992, D.S. Verity, on Acacia cochleacantha (1?, DSVC), 12 km E Telolapan, 20– 27.07.1987 (1M, CLBC), 7 km W El Ocotito, 22.09.1989, R. Turnbow (1F, RLWE).
Hosts. Adults have been collected on Acacia spp., including Acacia cochleacantha, and Mimosa spp.
Etymology. Named in honor of the collector of the type series, for his collections and study of Mexican Cleridae (e.g., Rifkind 1994, 1997).
Discussion. This species is fairly commonly collected and relatively distinctive, albeit geographically variable. The nominate form is black except for the purplish-red head and elytral apices, has an indistinct pattern of setae on the elytra, and a somewhat dense covering of setae on the posterior coxae, epimeron, and upper posterior angles of metasternum. Perhaps most distinctive are two small dimple-like depressions on the convex pronotum on either side of the midline and just anterior to the middle. Specimens from Puebla, Morelos, and Oaxaca differ in having the dorsal portions of the first two abdominal ventrites densely and conspicuously setose, with that of the first segment distinctly wider than the second, and are distinct enough to warrant a separate subspecies, described below. Specimens from Guerrero are intermediate in having somewhat denser setae on the first two abdominal ventrites but with the first segment not distinctly wider than the second. Males in the type series measure 6.00– 8.10 mm long (mean = 7.47 mm for 11 specimens), and females measure 6.35–9.20 mm long (mean = 8.14 mm for 23 specimens). Of the other specimens, males measure 6.60–7.95 mm long (mean = 7.33 mm for 14 specimens), and females measure 6.70–8.80 mm long (mean = 8.18 mm for 16 specimens).
description: Published as part of Hespenheide, Henry A. & Bellamy, Charles L., 2009, New species, taxonomic notes, and records for Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) of México and the United States, pp. 50-68 in Zootaxa 2084 on pages 51-53, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.274805