Chrysodema (Gelaeus) iris subsp. moluensis Novak 2010, stat. nov.
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 moluensis novak, 2010

description: Chrysodema (Gelaeus) iris moluensis Novak, 2010, stat. nov.
(Figs 15–17, 59)
Chrysodema moluensis Novak, 2010: 107 (original description; partim).
Type locality. Indonesia, Maluku Province, Tanimbar Islands, Molu Island.
Type material. Not examined.
Additional material examined. INDONESIA: MALUKU PROV.: Molu Island, ii.2008, 2 ♀♀, local collectors lgt. (NMPC), iv.2009, 3 ♀♀ (DFPC); Molu Island, Tutunametal village env., xi.2008, 1 ♂, local collectors lgt. (DFPC), 1 ♀ (SJPC), 0–50 m a.s.l., xi.2012, 1♂ (DFPC); Tanimbar Islands, 11.i.2008, 1♂ 2♀♀, R. Geweiler [lgt.?] (SGBG).
Redescription. Well preserved ♂ specimen with all appendages, missing only right antennomere XI. Length 25.00 mm, width 8.50 mm, length/width ratio: 2.94.
Colouration as in nominotypical subspecies but whole tarsi metallic green and elytra iridescent only in apical third, basal two thirds purple and fern green (Fig. 15).
Pronotum in general as in nominotypical subspecies, medial impression densely punctate along whole length, basal impression triangular and not open to principal impression, latter elongate.
Elytra without clear lateral impressions, coarsely punctate. Punctures large, deeply impressed, with large fovea. Rows visible from base to apex, moderately impressed, generally regularly arranged, and barely double in apical half. Punctures in rows V–VIII in middle third of elytra quite regularly and densely arranged forming distinct rows not isolated groups, laterally somewhat less regular; spaces slightly broader than puncture diameter, flat not reticulate (Fig. 17). Intervals more or less convex from base to apex, moderately broad, approximately 3× as wide as rows of punctures, nearly impunctate, only with a few coarse punctures apically.
Mid femora and ventral side as in nominotypical subspecies (Fig. 16).
Aedeagus (Fig. 59) length 6.63 mm, width 1.38 mm, length/width ratio: 4.80. Apices of parameres truncate. Penis oval, distinctly rounded on sides.
Variation. Body ♂♂ (n = 3) length: 25.00–29.00 mm, width: 8.50–10.00 mm, length/width ratio: 2.90–3.03; ♀♀ (n = 7) length: 27.00–33.00 mm, width: 9.25–11.75 mm, length/width ratio: 2.64–2.92. In contrast to nominotypical subspecies elytral pattern more variable, basal 2/3 from completely purple or violet, sometimes partly with golden reflections, to mostly fern green with slight purple reflections. Colouration of underside nearly constant. Medial impressions on pronotum shallow to moderately deep, variously punctate, sometimes punctures grouped together and more numerous basally. Elytra in larger specimens appear slightly less sculptured. Four specimens have a more or less indicated posterior lateral impressions on elytra as a group of small dense punctures of olive-green colour, but distinctly impressed only in one specimen.
Differential diagnosis. This subspecies can be easily recognized from the nominotypical (characters of latter in brackets) by uniformly metallic tarsi (yellow with last tarsomere metallic), iridescent pattern limited to apical third of elytra (present on lateral slope from base to apex), and coarser and distinctly impressed punctation of elytra with larger punctures.
Distribution. Indonesia: Maluku Prov.: Tanimbar Isls.: Molu Is.
Remarks. NOVAK (2010) described Chrysodema moluensis from series of 24 specimens. Holotype, allotype and 16 paratypes were collected on Molu Island and six additional paratypes from Larat Island. Unfortunately, G. Novak (Vienna, Austria) has passed away and his collection is currently inaccessible. Nevertheless, he provided the description with photographs of both populations allowing us to recognize them with certainty. However, in our opinion the population from the Larat Island is so strikingly different that it deserves its own taxon and is here described as C. (G.) oborili laratensis subsp. nov. See further comments under the latter taxon.
The redescription of C. (G.) iris moluensis presented here is based on a topotypic male specimen collected on the same date and obtained from the same batch. NOVAK (2010) did not assign his species to any of the existing subgenera of Chrysodema. In our opinion this taxon represents a subspecies of C. (G.) iris as it has deep basal impression on pronotum (absent in other subgenera of Chrysodema) and has similar but different elytral pattern to C. (G.) iris.
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 698-699, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5310800