Paragrilus lesueuri Waterhouse

Paragrilus lesueuri Waterhouse

(Figs. 1, 19)

Paragrilus lesueuri Waterhouse, 1889: 126.

Paragrilus aureonitens Obenberger, 1919:22 (synonymy: Hespenheide1979: 117). Paragrilus helferi Obenberger, 1924: 147 (synonymy: Hespenheide1979: 117). Paragrilus helferi ssp. cortezi Obenberger, 1924: 147 (synonymy: Hespenheide1979: 117). Agrilus novus Dugès, 1891: 31 ­ New Synonymy

Paragrilus novus (Dugès), Obenberger, 1935: 921 ­ New Synonymy Paragrilus lesueri Cobos, 1976: 32 ­ New Synonymy

Diagnosis: Robust, color variable, head and pronotum usually black, elytra with dark purple reflections, 3.3­5.0 mm long. Head with front very convex, narrowly, deeply impressed along midline; epistoma depressed and medially carinate between antennal insertions, ventral margin produced, emarginate with acute lateral angles; surface coarsely punctate, shagreened. Pronotum convex, prehumeral callosity weakly indicated by shallow lateral depressions; disc raised before scutellum, with narrow transverse depressions on either side along basal margin, depression along midline at and just anterior to middle, surface more or less coarsely transversely rugose, at least on basal half, rugae curving anteriorly at medial depression. Elytra with posthumeral carina extending to just beyond posterior coxae, surface coarsely rugose, with third interval strongly raised, weak raised callosities at basal and apical 1/3, and strong subapical raised callosity, creating an undulating surface; apices broadly rounded­subquadrate. Posterior angles of hind coxae produced, broadly acute, flared. Male genitalia black with transparent tips to lateral lobes (Fig. 19).

Type: México: “Jalapa, México, Hoege” (BMNH; Hespenheide 1979); of P. aureonitens, Costa­Rica, Surrubres, 300’, A. Heyne (NMPC); of P. h e l f e r i, Costa­Rica, Higuito (San Mateo) (NMPC); of P. h e l f e r i s. cortezi, Costa­Rica (NMPC); of Agrilus novus, Tupátaro, México (UNAM).

Distribution: Common ­ 856 specimens examined, México to Panamá.

Hosts: Sida spp.; reared from “stem gall of Sida sp.” in Guerrero, México.

Discussion: A photograph taken by W.F. Barr of the type of Agrilus novus Duges in the collection of UNAM, shows the apical elytral callosities typical of P. lesueuri. Cobos (1976) erroneously designated this species type of the genus (Nelson 1987). This species is common in collections and rather variable, especially in color at the southern end of its distribution in Costa Rica, as reflected in the number of synonyms (Hespenheide 1979). Kerremans (1903) lists this species from Arizona based on two specimens, now at the Natural History Museum in London labeled only “Arizona, Lesueur.” There is one modern collection of this species in the collection of W.F. Barr also labeled only “Arizona,” and it has been collected in Sonora, México, so it can tentatively be considered part of the U.S. fauna.