Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) impressipennis Ỹ, 2008, sp. nov.

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) impressipennis, sp. nov.

(Figs. 9, 15)

Type specimens. Holotype (ɗ, NMPC): “ Tanzania, Pawaga, 10.xii.1991, P. A. Dutto legit.”; paratype (ɗ, DGCI): the same data.

Diagnosis. Large, robust, wedge-shaped, black, lustrous with very slight metallic lustre, ventral surface red-bronze; dorsal surface asetose, frons with long, dense, white pubescence, ventral surface with very short, sparse, white pubescence, metepisterna with relatively dense, white pubescence.

Description of the holotype. Head large, as wide as anterior pronotal margin; eyes large, reniform, slightly projecting beyond outline of head; frontoclypeus narrow, slightly, triangularly emarginate anteriorly, frons regularly convex; vertex 0.7 times as wide as width of eye; antennae very short, barely reaching anterior 1/3 of lateral pronotal margins; scape slender, slightly claviform, 3.5 times as long as wide; pedicel nearly cylindrical, slightly longer than wide; antennomere 3 triangular, 1.3 times as long as wide; antennomeres 4–10 trapezoidal, 1.5–1.8 times as wide as long; terminal antennomere rhomboid; sculpture of head rugose, consisting of oval and polygonal cells with large central grains.

Pronotum 2.0 times as wide as long; feebly, transversely depressed with wide, relatively deep lateroposterior depressions; lateral margins widely, almost angularly rounded, maximum pronotal width slightly anteriad of middlength; anterior margin bisinuate, posterior margin nearly straight; pronotal sculpture fine, consisting of small, polygonal cells with small central grains, central part of pronotum with somewhat transversely prolonged cells; scutellum large, roundly triangular, slightly wider than long.

Elytra wedge-shaped, 1.6 times as long as wide, conspicuously uneven; each elytron with wide, oblique, deep depression at anterior 1/3, large, suboval depression at posterior 1/3 and with several small depressions between them and on humeral portion of elytra; transverse, basal depression well-developed reaching scutellum, interrupted by small elevation near humeri; humeral swellings small, epipleura nearly reaching elytral apex; apical 1/3 of elytral margins sharply serrate; elytral sculpture very fine, consisting of tiny, simple punctures, postscutellar portion with relatively dense punctation.

Ventral surface densely punctured, proepisterns finely ocellate; anal ventrite finely serrate laterally, narrowly truncate apically. Legs relatively short, stout, inner margins of metatibiae slightly emarginate, very finely serrate at apical 1/3 (Fig. 9).

Aedeagus slender, parameres with well-developed dorsal fields of short bristles (Fig. 15).

Sexual dimorphism. Female unknown.

Measurements. Length: 7.2 mm (holotype), 7.7 mm (paratype); width: 2.8 mm (holotype), 2.9 mm (paratype).

Variability. The paratype possesses a slightly wider pronotum (2.1 times as wide as long) and somewhat longer elytra (1.7 times as long as wide).

Bionomy. unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective “impressio” (depressed) and substantive “pennae”(wings) describing unusually uneven elytra.

Differential diagnosis. Anthaxia impressipennis resembles black specimens of A. kheiliana from which it differs by conspicuously uneven elytra, narrower vertex and by the different form of male metatibiae (Figs. 6 vs. 9) and genitalia (Figs. 4 vs. 15).

Distribution: Tanzania.