Forum Entomologi Italiani

Assam 30 mm S. orientale ?

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldwidebeetles/

Yes, but now it is Sternocera sternicornis orientalis (Herbst, 1801). A very different subspecies!

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

Thanks a lot Maurizio! Don't you have a picture from sternicornis s. str. ?

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldwidebeetles/

Not at this moment.

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

Tanhks, see also here on this french forum:
http://insecterra.forumactif.com/t25584-sternocera-sp-assam-30mm#166425

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldwidebeetles/

Yes, I know Sternocera sternicornis sternicornis. I have several specimens, but I never took a photo of them, except a very old one (about 20 years ago), here (the last in the page).

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

OK but on this page we can see also Sternocera orientalis Castelnau & Gory, 1856 looking as S. sternicornis orientalis (Herbst, 1801) !

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldwidebeetles/

Because I wrote that page about 18 years ago, perhaps more, when orientalis was considered a species, and then I didn't change it. There are a lot of thing I must change or add in my site, but at this time I can't do it, because I have lost my password! I must contact the administrators of that server to solve this problem.

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

Now I understood what you was saying. Why S. sternicornis orientalis and not S. laevigata? (orientalis Laporte & Gory 1835 is a synonym). I must check a couple of things, then I can try to solve this problem. You can also check by yourself on the first volume of the Monographie des Buprestides by Kerremans. It is available in pdf on the web. There is a key of Sternocera known at that time.

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

Following the key by Kerremans, 1916:

3 - Dessous rugueux, grossièrement ponctué; ponctuation épaisse, pulvérulente et blanche -> a group of four species, with sternicornis and orientalis (Herbst, 1801)
_ - Dessous lisse; ponctuation fine et espacée -> a group of five species with laevigata (= orientalis Cast. & Gory, 1837)

It's not so easy to split these two grups of species using the punctuation more or less strong, because there are differences from one specimen to another, but I found a different character (used by Kerremans to split laevigata from rugosipennis: "côtés des segments abdominaux largement maculés de blanc cendré" in laevigata.

I have only one specimen I identified as laevigata many years ago, and these abdominal spots are large and very easy to see. Also orientalis Cast. & Gory, 1837 must have them, while my sternicornis (and my orientalis = sternicornis orientalis) are without spots on the sides of abdomen. So I can confirm your specimen is Sternocera sternicornis orientalis (I am not so sure it is really a subspecies and not a true species, but now it is considered subspecies).

Meanwhile, I have found a photo by a French entomologist of a specimen i think is identical to yours, and it is identified as Sternocera sternicornis orientalis. Here.

There is a photo by the same author of a Sternocera laevigata. It is identical to my specimen. Here.

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

PS - Some Sternocera laevigata are with head, prothorax and elytra all green, others with brown elytra! But all with spots on the abdomen.

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/

Thanks Maurizio for your attention and all comments. May be these asian Sternocera needs revision.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldwidebeetles/

I think the last revision for Asian Sternocera was that one by Kerremans, 1906. Luckily, there are few species in Asia.

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Maurizio Gigli
http://utenti.romascuola.net/bups
http://bup.xoom.it/