Species Spectralia robusta

Spectralia robusta (Chamberlin)

Orig. Comb: Cinyra robusta Chamberlin 1920

Syn: riograndei (Knull 1937)

6 spp. n. of Mex. (1)

Endemic to Texas (1)

Found primarily around the Pecos and Devils Rivers west of Del Rio, Texas, but also one record each from San Antonio, Bexar Co., and Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co. (2)

Larvae in Texas Persimmon - Diospyros texana (Ebenaceae) (1)

Host Range - USDA Plants Database

Chamberlin (1920) was the first to collect "a fine series of this species ... near Del Rio, Texas on Diospyros texana Scheele."

Per MacRae (2006)(2):

This species has been encountered primarily around the Pecos and Devils Rivers west of Del Rio, Texas (Knull 1937, Nelson 1968). An interesting eastern range extension is documented by the following record (approximately 170 miles east of Del Rio): TEXAS, Bexar Co., San Antonio, 2.0 mi SE Loop 1604 on Hwy 151, em. 6.vii-10.viii.l998 (10) ex half-live/half-dead trunk Diospyros texana coll. 5.x. 1997. Vogt (1949) did not encounter this species in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, but its occurrence there is confirmed by the following record: TEXAS, Hidalgo Co., Santa Ana NWR, 22.vi.1968 (1), R. L. Heitzman [TCMC, courtesy of R. E. Heitzman].

Spectralia prosternalis (Schaeffer)

Det. D. J. Heffern, 2010

"The two are similar, and both were reared from persimmon. S. prosternalis is the rarer one, has a smoother pronotum."

Chamberlin. W.J. 1920. Description of one new buprestid with notes on other little known species (Coleop.). Entomological News 31: 241-244.

Knull, J.N. 1937. Notes on Coleoptera with descriptions of new species (Buprestidae and Cerambycidae). Entomological News 48(1): 15-17.

Nelson, G.H. 1968. Notes on Buprestidae (Coleóptera): part VI. The Coleopterists Bulletin 22(l): 28-30.

MacRae, T.C. 2006. Distributional and biological notes on North American Buprestidae (Coleoptera), with comments on variation in Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) viridicornis (Say) and A. (H.) viridfrons Gory. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 82(2): 166–199. (2)

Vogt, G.B. 1949. A biologically annotated list of the Buprestidae of the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 42(2): 191-202. (3)