Neobarombiella nigrosuturalis, Bolz & Wagner, 2012

Bolz, Helmut & Wagner, Thomas, 2012, 3463, Zootaxa 3463, pp. 1-112 : 95-97

Neobarombiella nigrosuturalis sp. n.

( Figs 95, 173–176)

Etymology. Named as such because of the characteristic black sutural and outer elytral margins.

Total length. 3.55–5.35 mm (mean: 4.22 mm) (n=7).

Head. Head black or brown, with small yellow spot at vertex, labrum yellowish-brown, labial and maxillary palpi black. Antenna yellow or yellowish-brown, darker from fifth antennomere towards apex ( Fig. 173). Length of second to third antennomere 0.86–1.00 (mean: 0.93), and length of third to fourth antennomere 0.50–0.58 (mean: 0.55) ( Fig. 175). Eyes small ( Fig. 173), and width of eye to interocular distance 0.41–0.52 (mean: 0.46).

Thorax. Pronotum brownish-yellow in about 33% of material studied, rest black; pronotal width 1.30–1.94 mm (mean: 1.59 mm), pronotal length 0.70–0.98 mm (mean: 0.81 mm), and pronotal length to width 0.48–0.54 (mean: 0.51). Elytron coarsely punctuated, brownish-yellow with black or brown sutural and outer elytral margins, black sutural margin widening towards middle; predominantly brown with two irregularly formed yellow spots on each elytron in about 20% of material studied; elytral length 2.70–4.20 mm (mean: 3.25 mm), elytral width 1.70–2.80 mm (mean: 2.20 mm), and maximal width of both elytra to length of elytron 0.64–0.71 (mean: 0.67; Fig. 173). Meso-, metathorax and legs brownish-yellow, rarely darker brown; and length of basimetatarsus to metatibia 0.48–0.54 (mean: 0.51).

Abdomen. Yellowish-brown or brown.

Male genitalia. Median lobe short, parallel-sided and elongate ventrally ( Fig. 174); apical section with deep, sharply V-shaped incision, flanked by sclerotized ridge on either side, in ventral view, endophallic brush covered by tectum and median lobe in lateral view.

Diagnosis. Neobarombiella nigrosuturalis sp. n. is easily distinguishable from most species by its black sutural and outer elytral margins, and its South African distribution. Neobarombiella frontalis sp. n. and N. fassbenderi sp. n. have similar sutural markings but are not known from South Africa ( Figs 68, 95, 145, 153, 173); N. frontalis sp. n. can also easily be distinguished by its characteristic black spot on the vertex and long slender antennomeres ( Fig. 153); N. susannae sp. n. has a predominantly yellow pronotum and elytra, and long, slender antennomeres ( Fig. 181); and N. budongoensis sp. n. also has long, slender antennomeres and more finely punctuated elytron ( Fig. 129).

Distribution. Restricted to eastern South Africa ( Fig. 95).

Type material. Holotype, male: “Natal., Estcourt., X.1896, Sir G.A.K.Marshall. / Pres. By, Imp. Inst. Ent., Brit. Mus., 1931-81. / Estcourt, Natal 10.96 / Holotype, Neobarombiella , nigrosuturalis, Bolz & Wagner, 2010 ”

( BMNH; Fig. 176). Type locality: South Africa, Natal, Estcourt, 29°00'S / 29°53'E.— Paratypes: South Africa. 4 ex., Natal , Estcourt, 29°00'S / 29°53'E, IX.–X.1896, G. A. K. Marshall ( BMNH) ; 2 ex., Pondoland , Port St. John, 31°38'S / 29°33'E, X.1923, R. E. Turner ( BMNH) ; 1 ex., Transvaal , Ingwempese, 26°12'S / 28°02'E, X.1931, W. P. Cockerell ( BMNH) ; 2 ex., Malvern , 29°53'S / 30°55'E ( BMNH) .