Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 80. (Budapest 1988)

Merkl, O.: Notes on Lagria azureipennis Macleay, 1886, with description of Lagria gressitti sp. n. (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Lagriini)

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 80. Budapest, 1988 p. 65-69. Notes on Lagria azureipennis Macleay, 1886, with description of Lagria gressitti sp. n. (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Lagriini)* by O. MERKL, Budapest O. MERKL : Notes on Lagria azureipennis Macleay, 1886, with description of Lagria gressitti sp. n. (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae: Lagriini). — Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. hung. 1988 80: 65-69. Abstract — The lectotype of Lagria azureipennis MACLEAY, 1886 is designated. Lagria gressitti sp. n. is described (type locality: Bisianumu, Papua New Guinea). With 5 figures. In a recent revision of the Australian species of Lagriina (MERKL 1987: 133) I indicated Lagria azureipennis MACLEAY, 1886 to occur in the northernmost tip of Cape York Peninsula and in the Torres Strait islands. In connection with the type material I wrote the following: "MACLEAY (1886) described this species from the Fly River, New Guinea, but none of his type material has been located (...) Macleay's description is quite laconic but leaves little doubt as to what species he had." The latter statement proved to be premature. Two syntypes of Lagria azureipennis were recently found in the material collected by W. W. Froggatt, now housed in the Australian Museum, Sydney, and these made it clear that the specimens taken for L. azureipennis represent an entirely different new species. It has to be described hereunder even if this inevitably leads to repetition of the characters listed in the earlier paper. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that during an earlier stage of my work the specimens were thought to be new species. Later, I felt Macleay's description fitted well the series at hand. This misbelief seemed to be justified by two specimens — one housed in the British Museum (Natural History), and another in the South Australian Museum. Both have been identified as Lagria azureipennis. The first has been named by K. G. Blair and this identification was considered authentic. The abbreviations used to identify the depositories of specimens treated in this paper and the persons who lent the material are the same as in the previous paper (MERKL 1987); those not listed there are as follows: BPBM — Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, USA. Dr. G. A. Samuelson. DPIM — Department of Primary Industries, Mareeba, QLD, Australia. Mr. R. I. Storey. SPCB — Sedlacek's private collection, Brookfield, QLD, Australia. Mr. J. Sedlacek. Lagria azureipennis MACLEAY, 1886 Lagria azureipennis MACLEAY, 1886: 157. — Lagria azureipennis: BORCHMANN 1910: 7; BORCHMANN 1915: 88; BORCHMANN 1936: 47. Original description: "Head and thorax metallic green, rather opaque, densely punctate, and about the same length and width. Antennae, palpi and part of the mouth reddish brown. The elytra are of a purplish sapphirine blue, densely and sharply punctate. The pubescence is thin and short in this species, and unusually so for the genus. — Length, 5 lines." * 6th contribution to the knowledge of Lagriini.