W. S. Fisher.
New West Indian Buprestid Beetles.
Psyche 47:156-166, 1940.
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Psyche
[December
NEW WEST INDIAN BUPRESTID BEETLES
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, United States Department of Agriculture
This paper is the result of a study of the beetles of the family Buprestidse from the West Indies, sent to me for identification from the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., by Dr. P. J. Darlington, Jr. All the new species described in this paper were collected by Dr. Darling- ton on his numerous trips to these islands. Paratyndaris antillarum, new species
Short, robust, subcylindrical, rather strongly shining; body above and beneath piceous, with distinct purplish and greenish reflections in different lights. Head feebly, uniformly convex, without a median depres- sion ; surface rather densely, coarsely, uniformly punctate, with a few very short, inconspicuous hairs, the intervals smooth; clypeus broadly, rather deeply, arcuately emargi- nate in front; antennae missing.
Pronotum strongly, uniformly convex, one-third wider than long, distinctly narrower at apex than at base, widest at middle; sides strongly arcuately rounded ; lateral margin, when viewed from the side, entire, and slightly arcuate ; an- terior margin truncate ; base vaguely, transversely sinuate ; disk without depressions or smooth lines; surface finely, transversely striolate, and asperate at middle, coarsely, rather densely punctate, and more or less rugose toward the sides, sparsely clothed with short, inconspicuous hairs. Scu- tellum glabrous, elongate-triangular.
Elytra as wide as pronotum at base ; sides nearly parallel from humeral angles to behind middle (feebly constricted along basal fourth), then arcuately converging to the tips, which are separately broadly rounded, with a distinctly ele-
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19391 New West Indian Buprestid Beetles 157 vated, sinuate, preapical ca'rina ; lateral margins coarsely, irregularly serrate; disk uneven, and each elytron with a transverse depression along base, an oblique depression in front of middle, and a feeble, median gibbosity at apical third ; surface irlregularly striate, coarsely, irregularly punc- tate, more densely basally, and sparsely, irregularly clothed with moderately long, recumbent, whitish hairs. Abdomen beneath coarsely, rather sparsely, uniformly punctate, sparsely clothed with very short, inconspicuous hairs; second sternite with the posterior margin truncate, without a distinct plate extending over the third sternite; last visible sternite terminating in an acute spine. Length 7 mm., width 3 mm.
Type locality.- South side of Lake Enriquillo, Dominican Republic.
Type.- In the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge, Mass. Type no. 23,696. Paratype in the United States National Museum.
Described from two specimens (one type) found dead at the type locality during September 1938 by P. J. Darling- ton, Jr.
The type is probably a female but has not been dissected. Both specimens are more or less broken and the head is miss- ing from the paratype. The paratype has a very small plate at posterior margin of second sternite.
This is the first species of Paratyndaris to be recorded from the West Indies. It resembles P. acacias Knull, but dif- fers from that species in being shorter and more robust, in having the elytra uneven, uniform in color, and the lateral margin without two distinct teeth near apex, the second sternite without or with only a feebly indicated plate at the posterior margin, and in not having the pronotum sulcate at the middle.
Buprestis hispaniolae new species
Female.- Broadly elongate, moderately convex above, strongly shining ; pronotum brownish cupreous, with a more or less distinct greenish reflection, and ornamented with reddish yellow as follows :
A rather broad vitta on each side
along lateral margin extending from apical angle to near
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158 Psyche [December
posterior angle, a na'rrow fascia on each side on anterior margin, three round spots along base, and a rounded spot at middle near anterior margin ; elytra purplish brown, each elytron with two broad, irregular, reddish-yellow vittae, the lateral one extending from humeral angle to near apex, and the sutural one from near base to apical fifth; body beneath brownish cupreous, with the prosternum, median parts of metasternum and mesostelrnum, femora in part, and trans- verse fasciae on the sternites, reddish yellow. Head nearly flat, purplish brown, with a transverse yel- low spot on each side at vertex and several irregular yellow spots behind the clypeus, and with a short carina on the front ; surface coarsely, irregularly, confluently punctate, sparsely clothed with short, erect, inconspicuous hairs ; eyes feebly converging above ; clypeus broadly, arcuately emar- ginate in front.
Pronotum twice as wide as long, distinctly narrower at apex than at base, widest near base; sides sinuate and strongly, obliquely diverging from apical angles to near posterior angles, which are broadly rounded; anterior mar- gin broadly, arcuately emarginate, with the median lobe broadly, feebly rounded ; base transversely sinuate ; surface slightly uneven, coarsely, deeply, irregularly punctate, with a few short, inconspicuous hairs at posterior angles, the in- tervals smooth. Scutellum quadrate, truncate in front, broadly rounded behind.
Elytra slightly wider than base of pronotum ; sides feebly expanded behind the humeri, feebly converging to apical third, then strongly, arcuately converging to the tips, which are separately transversely truncate, with a small tooth at each angle; surface striato-punctate, the striae not deeply impressed, the punctures fine and closely placed in the striae ; intervals feebly convex, coarsely, irregularly punctate, and the intervals toward the sides more or less rugose. Abdomen beneath coarsely, irregularly punctate, sparsely clothed with short, semierect, white hairs, the intervals ob- soletely granulose ; first sternite longitudinally flattened at middle; last visible sternite sinuately rounded at apex. Prosternum coarsely, sparsely punctate, sparsely clothed with short, recumbent, whitish hairs ; prosternal process
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19391 New West Indian Bupre'stid Beetles 159 flattened at middle, obliquely expanded from anterior coxal cavities to the apex, which is acute.
Length 18-20 mm., width 7-7.5 mm.
Male.- Unknown.
Type locality.- Between Constanza and Jarabacoa, at an altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 feet, Dominican Republic. Type.- In the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge, Mass. Type no. 23,697. Paratype in the United States National Museum.
Described from two females (one type) both collected by P. J. Darlington, Jr. The type was collected at the type lo- cality during August 1938, and the paratype was collected in the foothills of the Cordillera Central, south of Santiago, Dominican Republic, during June 1938.
This species resembles Buprestis lifieata F., but it differs from that species in having the pronotum and underside of body ornamented with reddish-yellow spots. The reddish- yellow spots on the underside of the body in the two speci- mens examined are more or less variable in shape. Peronaemis insulicola, new species
Male.- Rather narrowly agriliform, rounded in front, more acuminate behind, glabrous, rather strongly shining; head bluish green in flront, becoming violaceous on occiput; pronotum dark green, with a more or less distinct violaceous tinge on certain parts ; elytra dark violaceous green, bronzy green along sutural margins; body beneath green, with a golden reflection on abdomen, more strongly shining than above, and the legs in part bluish green. Head nearly flat in front, with a vague, longitudinal carina on occiput ; surf ace coarsely, deeply, densely, uniformly punctate, the intervals finely granulose ; clypeus wide be- tween the antenna1 cavities, feebly, transversely concave, broadly, shallowly, angularly emarginate in front. Pronoturn rather strongly convex, strongly deflexed at sides, one-third wider than long, slightly wider at base than at apex, widest at middle; sides feebly, arcuately rounded; anterior margin feebly sinuate, with a feeble, broadly rounded, median lobe; base nearly transversely truncate; lateral margin when viewed from the side sharply defined,
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160 Psyche [December
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arcuate, extending from base to near apical angle; disk with three large, deep, basal depressions, the median one not ex- tending to middle, with a deep fovea in front of scutellum, the lateral ones extending to middle of pronotum; surface coarsely, deeply, densely, uniformly punctate, the intervals finely, densely granulose. Scutellum twice as wide as long; sides feebly rounded ; surface nearly smooth. Elytra as wide as pronotum at base; sides broadly, angu- larly expanded behind humeral angles, nearly parallel to middle, then strongly, obliquely converging to the tips, which are acute; lateral margins coarsely, irregularly serrate ; basal depressions rather deep and broadly transverse; sur- ace irregularly striato-punctate, more or less rugose basally, the intervals finely, densely granulose, with a few coarse punctures intermixed.
Body beneath coarsely, rather densely, irregularly punc- tate, finely granulose, sparsely clothed with moderately long, erect, inconspicuous hairs ; last visible sternite feebly, arcuately emarginate at apex.
Length 10 mm., width 3.25 mm.
Fde.- Unknown.
Type locality.- Between Constanza and Jarabacoa, at an altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 feet, Dominican Republic. Type.- In the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge, Mass. Type no. 23,698.
Described from a unique male collected at the type locality during August 1938 by P. J. Darlington, Jr. This species is allied to Pe~onxmis monticola Fisher, but it differs from that species in being of a more uniform color above, in having the pronotum rounded at the sides, the elytra strongly angulated behind the humeral angles, and in not having a finely punctured vitta along the sutural margins of the elytra.
Enbrachys gibbipennis, new species
Male.- Ovate, nearly twice as long as wide, broadly rounded in front, more attenuate posteriorly, strongly shin- ing, glabrous ; head and pronotum green, more or less bronzy, the latter with the elevated median part piceous; elytra uni- formly piceous; body beneath piceous, with an indistinct purplish tinge.
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19391 New West Ifidian Buprestid Beetles 161 Head moderately convex, broadly, longitudinally depressed in front, with a narrow, longitudinal groove extending from clypeus to middle of front, deeply, narlrowly, transversely depressed behind clypeus, with three deep foveze in the de- pression? one median and two lateral; surface densely, coarsely granulose? with numerous coarse, shallow punc- tures intermixed ; antenna1 cavities nearly contiguous in front.
Plronotum nearly three times as wide as long at middle? considerably narrower at apex than at base, widest near base ; sides parallel along basal third? then strongly, obliquely converging to the apical angles? which are acute; posterior angles subrectangular; when viewed from the side the lat- elral margin is straight anteriorly, arcuate near posterior angle for the reception of the anterior leg; anterior margin deeply, broadly? arcuately emarginate ; base transversely sinuate on each side, the median lobe strongly produced? and broadly truncate in front of scutellum, disk with the antero- median part strongly, transversely convex? narrowly flat- tened along base, and very broadly flattened and uneven at the sides ; surface coarsely9 sparsely punctate on convex me- dian part, densely granulose, with a few coarse punctutres intermixed on the flattened areas. Scutellum triangular? dis- tinctly wider than long.
Elytra nearly as wide as pronotum at base; humeral angles broadly rounded ; sides parallel flrom humeral angles to middle? then obliquely converging to the tips? which are conjointly broadly rounded ; lateral margins feebly serrate; surface very uneven, coarsely, sparsely9 shallowly, ilrregu- larly punctate, and each elytron with moderately elevated, broadly rounded gibbosities as follows : An oblique one on humerus, an elongate one along sutural margin behind scutellum, a rounded one near lateral malrgin just behind the middle? and an elongate one near apex.
Abdomen beneath vaguely granulose or reticulate? with a few shallow7 inconspicuous punctures intermixed; last vis- ible sternite broadly rounded at apex, the apical groove deep, and following outline of lateral margins. Prosternum feebly reticulate, sparsely9 coarsely, shallowly punctate ; pro- sternal process broad, the sides obliquely converging to the apex, which is broadly rounded.
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Psyche [December
F8mk.- Differs from the male in being uniformly pice- ow? with a more or less distinct cupreow reflection? and in having the last visible sternite more broadly ~ubtruncate at apex.
Length 2.76 mm., width 1.5 mm.
Type locality.- Mt. Diego de Ocampo, at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet, Dominican Republic. Type a& dotype,- In the Museurn of Comparative 2001- omj Cambridge, Mass. Type no. 2Zp699. Paratypes in the United Skates National Museum.
De~cribed from four specimensp two males and two fe- males (one male type), all collected at the type locality dur- ing July 1938 by P. J. hdiTIghI, Jr.
This species resembles Ewbmchys ote~o Fisher? from which it differs in having the front of the head more shal- lowly depressed, the sides of the pronoturn more strongly flattened, and in not having the gibbosities on the e&tm so abruptly elevated.
Ldc~phra cbrlingtoni, new species
Oblong, rather strongly convex above, broadly rounded in front, more strongly narrowed posteriorly; head yellow- ish cupreow ; pronotum reddish cupxeous on convex median part, bronzy green on flattened area at sides; gcutelIum bright blue; elyh opaque olivaceous green, with a quadrate, opaque? blue spot behind the scutelIum~ a large? shining, pkeous area on each side along lateral margin behind hu- merus, and a similar area in front of scute~lum, common to both elytra; body beneath blackj with a faint purplish xe- fleetion, and strongly shining.
Head strongly, uniformly convex? with four deep, round foveze behind the cIypeus ; surface densely? coaxsdy reticu- late, with a few s ~ ~ I Q w , indistinct punctures intermixed; anterim uniformly picmus, nearly contiguous at bases. Pronoturn twice aB wide as longp distinctly narrower at apex than at base, widest along basal half, strongly, uni- farm1y convex on antero-median part, strongly flattened dong base and on each side along lateral margin; sides stx~ngly, arcuately divexgin~ from apical angles to middle, then parallel to the posterior angles; anterior margin sub- truncate ; base transversely sinuate on each side, the median
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19391 New West Indian Buprestid Beetles 163 lobe feebly produced and broadly truncate in front of scutel- lum? surface coarsely? densely reticulate, with a few shallow, inconspicuous punctures intermixed. Scutellum triangular, nearly twice as wide as long, densely granulose? the granules flattened on top7 resembling round, microscopic scales. Elytra slightly wider than base of pronotum9 rather strongly convex? broadly depressed along lateral margins behind humeri ; humeral angles obtusely rounded ; sides par- allel and feebly sinuate flrom humeral angles to middle? then arcuately converging to the tips? which are conjointly broadly rounded? the lateral margins not distinctly serrate ; humeri strongly elevated ; surface densely granulose and sparsely, coarsely punetate on the olivaceous-green and bright-blue areas, the granules similar to those on the seu- tellum, and sparsely7 coarsely punctate on the shining pkeous areas.
Abdomen beneath densely, obsoletely reticulate? with a few inconspicuous punctures intermixed ; last visible ster- nite b,roadly rounded at apex. Prosternum obsoletely reticu- late? with a few coarse punctures intermixed? the groove for the insertion of the antenna short and shallow. Metasternum shallowly emarginate in front.
Length 2 mm., width 0.8 mm.
Type Locality.- Labeled "R. F'roide, Port-au-Plrince? Haiti."
Type.- In the Museum of Comparative Zoology7 Cam- bridge, Mass. Type no. 23?700.
Described from a single specimen collected at the type 10- eality October 3? 1934, by P. J. Darlington, Jr., to whom I take great pleasure in dedicating the species. This species differs Trom all the known species of Leio- pleura in having the peculiar scale-like sculpture on the elytra and scutellum.
Micrasta puertoricensia, new species
Male.- Oblong oval, equally rounded in front and behind, moderately shining, glabrous; uniformly black, with an in- distinct bronzy tinge above ; body beneath black? with a faint purplish reflection? the tarsi yellowish, with the tarsal lam- ell= whitish.
Head feebly convex, when viewed from above forming a
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19391 New West Indian Buprestid Beetles 165 Type.- In the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge, Mass. Type no. 23,701, Paratype in the United States National Museum.
Described from two males (one type) collected at the type locality between May 30 and June 2, 1938, by I?. J. Darling- ton, Jr.
This species resembles Micrasta oakleyi Fisher, but dif- fers from that species in being uniformly black with an in- distinct bronzy-green tinge, in having the marginal carina on the pronotum more or less obsolete anteriorly, the pro- notum feebly, transversely depressed along the base, the scutellum acute at the apex, the surface of the elytra more feebly punctured, and in not having the clypeus transversely depressed.
Micrasta subcylindrica, new species
Female.- Differs from Micrasta puertoricensis Fisher as follows: Elongate, subcylindrical, and strongly convex above, strongly shining, piceous ; pronotum more coarsely punctured, widest at middle, with the sides arcuately rounded ; head coamely, sparsely punctate, feebly, longitudi- nally depressed at middle ; scutellum longer than wide, acute at apex; each elytron with a broad, triangular depression at base ; abdomen and prostemum coarsely, densely punctate, the basal sternite without a round, median depression clothed with long hairs (this is a male sexual chalracter) ; and the tarsi and apical halves of tibize yellowish. Length 2 mm., width 0.75 mm.
Type locality.- Soledad (Cienfuegos) , Cuba. Tgpe.- In the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge, Mass. Type no. 23,702.
Described from a unique female collected during May 1936 by P. J. Darlington, Jr.
Micrasta rnonticola, new species
Male.- Differs from Micrasta puertoricensis Fisher in being more robust, more strongly convex above, strongly shining, uniformly bronzy brown, and in having the prono- turn and elytra coarsely, ,rather densely punctate, with the intervals smooth, pronotum widest along basal half, with the sides nearly parallel posteriorly, scutellum longer than
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166 Psyche [December
wide, and acute at apex, elytra with the sides parallel from humeral angles to middle, and each elytron with a distinct, rather broad, transverse groove at base, the last visible sternite broadly rounded at apex, and in having the inter- mediate sternites narrowly, transversely grooved at the middle.
Length 2 mm., width I mm.
Type locality.- Mt. Diego de Ocampo, at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet, Dominican Republic. Type.- In the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge, Mass. Type no. 23,703.
Described from a unique male collected during July 1938 by P. J. Darlington, Jr.
Micrasta hispadolze, new species
Female.- Differs from Nicrasta monticola Fisher in be- ing uniformly bluish black, subopaque, in having the prono- turn widest at the middle, with the sides arcuately converg- ing posteriorly, and the surface rather densely, coarsely punctate, with the intervals distinctly alutaceous, and in having the sides of the elytra parallel from humeral angles to apical third. It also resembles Micrasta puertoricensis Fisher, but it differs from that species in being more robust, more strongly convex above, subopaque, in having the Dro- notum and elytra rather densely, coarsely punctate, with the intervals distinctly alutaceous, and in having a distinct, broad, transverse depression at the base of each elytron. Length 2 mm., width I mm.
Type locality.- Foothills of the Cordillera Central, south of Santiago, Dominican Republic.
Tgpe.- In the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge, Mass.. Type no. 23,704.
Described from a unique female collected during June 1938 by P. J. Darlington, Jr.
It is just possible that this may be the female of monticola Fisher, but on account of the differences given and without additional notes on their habits it seems advisable to con- sider them to be two distinct species. There does not seem to be a good series of any of the described species of this genus available for study, so it is impossible to decide what variation occurs in the species.
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