Sphenoptera (Chrysoblemma) orichalcea (Pallas, 1781)

Sphenoptera (Chrysoblemma) orichalcea (Pallas, 1781) View in CoL ( Figs 1–3)

Syn.: Sphenoptera fossulata Zoubkoff, 1829:157 ; Sphenoptera meyeri Gebler, 1830:76 ; Sphenoptera karelini Faldermann, 1833:46 ; Sphenoptera cupraria Mannerheim, 1837:96 ; Sphenoptera australis Gory & Laporte, 1839:34 ; Sphenoptera zoubkoffii Gory, 1841:312 ; Sphenoptera impressicollis Motschulsky, 1860:414 ; Sphenoptera aciculata Marseul, 1865:395 ; Sphenoptera solskyi Becker, 1867:108 ; Sphenoptera cuprea Ballion, 1878 ; Sphenoptera wilkinsi Jakovlev, 1887:117 ; Sphenoptera astrachanica Reitter, 1890:278 ; Sphenoptera pruinosa Abeille de Perrin, 1891:267 .

Materials examined: 1♂, 1♀ ( NHMUU), IRAN, West Azarbaijan (Azarbaijan-e Gharbi) province, saline lands around Soldoz wetland, 37°02′29″ N, 45°36′53″ E, Elev. 1280 m a.s.l., ex Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) Bieb., 1819 ( Chenopodiaceae ), collected 02.v.2019, imagoes reared at the end of May, 2019 GoogleMaps ; 2♂♂, 1♀ ( NASA), same data, but collected at 07.v.2020, imagoes reared at the end of May, 2020, leg.: Y. Karimpour ( Fig. 2B) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, ARMENIA, Armavir prov., env. Arazap, "Vordan karmir" State Sanctuary , 40°05′16″ N, 44°14′21″ E, Elev. 850 m a.s.l. 28.v.2017, sweeping; leg.: M. Kalashian ( Fig. 3B) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis ( Fig. 2B – female; Fig. 3B – male)

Beetles of both sexes are of medium size, body length 7–17 mm, dorsal coloration very variable, from golden-green to blackish-bronzy, dorsal integument microrericulated, with distinct silky luster. Pronotum widest near or before middle with sides subparallel in posterior half and with approximately straight posterior angles, disk flattened medially. Anterior three-fifth of elytra are subparallel, apically elytra with three sharp teeth on each elytron. Sphenoptera orichalcea belongs to the subgenus Chrysoblemma Jakovlev, 1889 , which is characterized by the same structure of elytral apices. All other species of the subgenus from Iran and Armenia except of S. tristicula Reitter, 1895 have smooth and shiny dorsal integument; pronotum in these species is widest behind middle, with sides more or less divergent towards sharp posterior angles. Sphenoptera tristicula with structure of dorsal integument similar to S. orichalcea is black with more or less distinct bluish reflection, pronotum spheroidal with disk nearly regularly convex.

Life cycle

Adult beetles appear from mid-May. After emergence and mating, the fertile female beetles make an oviposition hole in the upper parts of host plant stem and lay single egg in each hole. After hatching, young larvae tunnel down the H. strobilaceum stem until reaching the root area just below the soil surface. The larvae feed on the main and lateral roots of the host plant and make a distinct mine in it ( Fig. 1). The beetle complete one generation per year and overwinters as full development larvae.