a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
cupreus (Ashmead)

Antenna lateral, female.

Antenna lateral, male.

Head frontal, female.

Head frontal, male.

Vertex, female.

Thoracic dorsum, female.

Thoracic dorsum, female non-type.

Thoracic dorsum, male.

Thoracic dorsum, male non-type.

Propodeum dorsal, female.

Propodeum dorsal, male.

Gaster dorsal, female.

Originally described in

Journal of the Linnean Society (Zoology), 25:171.

Diagnosis

Body bright golden-green, including most parts of gastral tergites 1-6 (lectotype), metallic bluish-green or bluish-purple; mesoscutum entirely with engraved and strong reticulation, notauli as distinct narrow grooves in posterior 2/3. Similar to fraternus but with head almost (0.9X) as high as wide; also similar to crassicornis but female with narrow flagellum. See also amadeus, cockerelli and naganus.

Distribution

Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Saint Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago, USA.

Biology

From Brachys querci (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Brachys sp. on Bactris sp. (Arecaceae), Cecropia sp. (Cecropiaceae), Cecropia insignis, Genipa sp. (Rubiaceae), Inga sp. (Fabaceae), Lonchocarpus sp. (Fabaceae), Callimicra sp. (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on Cecropia sp., Hylaeogena sp. (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on unidentified Bignoniaceae, Lius sp. (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on Conostegia oerstediana (Melastomataceae), on “common myrtle”, Pachyschelus sp. (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on Cecropia sp., Curatella sp. (Dilleniaceae), Dalechampia sp. (Euphorbiaceae), Ficus sp. (Moraceae), Inga sp., Luehea sp. (Tiliaceae), Pithecellobium sp. (Fabaceae), “big leaf willow”, “common myrtle”, “nettle”, Taphrocerus sp. (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on Bactris sp., Maximiliana sp. (Arecaceae), “palm”, Tachygonus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Cecropia insignis and C. obtusifolia, Lonchocarpus costaricensis (Fabaceae), Quercus ilicifolia (Fagaceae), on tree with Psiloptera sp. (Coleoptera: Buprestidae); Japanagromyza inferna, Liriomyza commelinae and L. marginalis (Diptera: Agromyzidae); Tischeria sp. (Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae) on Cecropia insignis, microlepidoptera indet.; eggs of Metepetra sp. (Arachnida: Araneidae), spider eggs on Baccharis sp. (Asteraceae). Horismenus cupreus is a species that primarily attacks leaf-miners, or perhaps their primary parasitoids. The two records from spider eggs are a bit awkward but the specimens of Horismenus look like other specimens of this species, these records may also concern primary parasitoids on spider eggs.

Similar species in Lucid key

crassicornis, but cupreus with flagellum slender, e.g. with first flagellomere 1.1X as wide as width of pedicel.

inflatus, but cupreus with propodeum with submedian grooves predominantly reticulate/sculptured.

top

Depository of primary type

Natural History Museum (BMNH), in London.