Agrilus (Agrilus) biffii, Curletti & Ruzzier & Migliore, 2024

Agrilus (Agrilus) biffii n. sp.

( Figs. 1-3 View Figures 1-3 )

Material examined. Holotype female: Brazil, RJ, Itatiaia , Parque Nacional, 12.X.2023, L. Migliore leg. ( MZSP 60981 View Materials ).

Holotype description. Length 6.1 mm. Slightly elongated, stumpy form. Head and anterior half of the pronotum red, second half of the pronotum black; dark blue elytra in the anterior part, golden in the anteromedian and posterior part, this last with thick regular pubescence. Head regularly rounded, vertex. 1/3 of the anterior margin of the pronotum wide. Frons with pubescence only in the basal part and along the internal edge of the eye but limited to the lower half. Clypeus carinate, narrow, quadrangular in shape. Antennae serrate from the 4th antennomere. Pronotum depressed on the sides and at the base, regularly convex in the median part. Disc glabrous, except for a pruinose white spot on the sides before the anterior angles. Superficial sculpture, with regular striae oblique anteriorly, horizontal at the base. Lateral margins slightly arcuate, posterior angles almost straight. Anterior margin regularly rounded. Prehumeral carinulae interrupted. Marginal carinae joined in the posterior half. Gular lobe rounded. Prosternal plate parallel. Scutellum transverse, large, carinate. Elytra with rounded, denticulate apices. Thick, short and regular paleyellow pubescence on the mid-anterior and posterior parts; its colour could be due to the reflection of the integuments. Ventral part black; regular white pubescence on the metecoxa and metepisternum. Pruinose white spots on the sides of the ventrites, the basal one is smaller. Margin of the basal ventrite rounded. Metatibia longer than the metatarsus. Basal metatarsomere less long than the sum of the following three. All claws simply dentate.

Etymology. Named after esteemed colleague and friend Gabriel Biffi, for his constant support and collaboration.

Diagnosis. Agrilus biffii n. sp., according to Curletti & Brȗlé (2011), belongs to group 04, characterized by the red pronotum anteriorly and blue/black posteriorly. The group is present with just under fifty species in the Neotropics. Among these, the morphologically closest species is A. captivus Fisher, 1944 from Trinidad which differs mainly in its less extensive elytral pubescence, present only in the distal half.